I've never owned the BK-17 so cannot speak to the geometry of the grind, but I have owned the BK16 as well as the Strongarm and a number of other similarly sized fixed blades. Here are some pics:
Strongarm is a bigger knife but also has a MUCH thicker geometry than the BK16 anyway, which makes it better for use as a pry-bar but MUCH worse for efficient cutting. Both should carve wood relatively well.
Strongarm has excellent retention in the grip and is fairly comfortable. The tip is very thick. The knife is slightly heavier than the BK-16 and probably the 17 as well, but may not be noticed. The steel is fairly tough, i doubt many would notice a difference between it and 1095CV in use, except that 420HC is 'stainless' = less maintenance required in wet environments. The edge on my strongarm is excellent form the factory, but there have been reports of much thicker or very uneven edges, something to take into account.
The Becker has a very comfortable handle as well, although the handle is more slippery when wet.
Both knives are USA-made. There are upgraded scales and sheaths for the Becker, and a different sheath is a likely "must" so take that into account. The strongarm sheath is actually quite good and even better when you include one of the adapters linked in my sig-line
IMHO, the Becker is the better knife but the cost reflects that, and if you add in a new sheath and upgraded scales then you might also consider looking into other options since you're now >$100 for your knife and the field is WIDE open there, including a number of options from custom makers here:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/754-For-Sale-Fixed-Blades
Good luck with your purchase and let us know what you decide!
