how heavy a knife are you willing to... (and the BK2)

daizee

daizee

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Dec 30, 2009
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Man, I love my BK2. The length, the blade width, the full Becker grip, the on-its-way-to-convex edge, the .... weight? I DO feel like I ought to be out hunting Buick with this thing.

How heavy a knife are you willing to pack for several days? I'm sure there will be bias towards the big'uns in this crowd. What if the BK2 were 3/16" instead?
How much weight would that save? Would that un-do the BK2-ness of it?
I feel like this should be my save-the-world knife, but what if I have to hike there?

[gently petting his Campanion]

-Daizee
 
That is the crewman in essence. It's the same length as the BK2, but is a cut down BK7 in 3/16th stock. Tip is a clip and a touch more toward center, but very similar otherwise. The companion won't let you down, iether would the Crewman. :D
 
My BK2 is the lightest of my three "big knives" my Tracker and Flatgrinder made Sharpened prybar are both heavier. So weight isn't an issue for me.
 
akthor said:
My BK2 is the lightest of my three "big knives" my Tracker and Flatgrinder made Sharpened prybar are both heavier. So weight isn't an issue for me.
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Haha, it's a bad sign when the Companion is the 'lightweight' knife of the bunch. :thumbup:
 
How heavy is too heavy? Is "heavy" really that heavy, or is a lot of it just perception?

I can't think of a knife I like better than the BK-2 for all around carry in the bush — and I know a lot of you feel the same way — yet there are people who think it must weigh a ton, and they won't be able to walk more than a few yards carrying this beast.

C'mon. Really? Do you really think you have to mount it on wheels and hire a crew to move it? We're talking about an exceptionally strong, versatile knife that weighs in at only 16 ounces... and that's including the sheath. Even an old man like me can handle that without breaking a sweat; I know, because I do it on a routine basis.

"Yeah, but what about the BK-10 Crewman," you ask? "That's got to be lighter, right?" well, yes it is, but by how much? Well, here's a listing in a post by our esteemed moderator, Bladite, who knows more about Becker knives than anyone I know: "imho, the knives are really too close to judge... 1.6 oz difference classically, though with the new BK2 being 1.26 oz lighter... the weight is going to be the same, and the difference about 2mm?"

So the Crewman is 1.6 ounces lighter. If you're telling me that 1.6 ounces will make an appreciable difference, even on a long hike, then I have to worry about you. Maybe you should spend some time in the gym before you try hiking.

Understand that I'm not downplaying the BK-10 in the least: it's a great knife, and I want one, too. No, what I am saying is that if you're worried about weight, don't be. Strap on your BK-2 and venture forth.

It ain't heavy, it's my Becker.
 
weight doesn;t matter to me, I already carry 20 - 30lbs of knives into the woods with me. My BK2 feels pretty light to me after that.
 
I tend to pack more steel when I would need it, like in the winter. In those times, sleeping bags and clothing are heavier as well, so the knife is just a part of it.

Also, in the winter I often take a sled, so a couple pounds of blade steel aint no thing!
 
I might also mention that my little, simple Vic Farmer pocket knife weighs in at 4 ounces.

4 ounces: that's one-quarter of the weight of the BK-2 all by itself, yet the BK-2 does so many things that the Farmer (or any other small pocketknife) simply can't do, that carrying the BK-2 is a no brainer to me.

For Studly Steel like the BK-2, the little that it weighs is nothing.

Becker knives: Studly Steel for knife users.
 
the Crewman/Campanion comparison is kinda like when i went from an aluminum alloy J-frame S&W snubby to a scandium alloy framed snubby for my concealed carry piece. i shaved off 3 ounces which equalled NO noticable effect. if this is your "save-the world" knife, in a SHTF scenario the least youre gonna be sweating is a couple extra ounces. i personally would want that extra toughness the BK2 brings to the table.
 
Just ordered mine ( new gen. ) I am beginning to think there's something wrong with me if I didn't own one :D

That'll bring me up to owning the BK2 , BK 9 , and the Becker Necker.

My 7" is covered by my Kraton-handled Kabar USMC.

All bases covered I reckon. :thumbup:

( I lost 60 lbs. in the last year. I can afford to carry more steel. I like the weight of a dependable blade.)
 
dawsonbob said:
How heavy is too heavy? Is "heavy" really that heavy, or is a lot of it just perception?

I can't think of a knife I like better than the BK-2 for all around carry in the bush — and I know a lot of you feel the same way — yet there are people who think it must weigh a ton, and they won't be able to walk more than a few yards carrying this beast.

C'mon. Really? Do you really think you have to mount it on wheels and hire a crew to move it? We're talking about an exceptionally strong, versatile knife that weighs in at only 16 ounces... and that's including the sheath. Even an old man like me can handle that without breaking a sweat; I know, because I do it on a routine basis.

"Yeah, but what about the BK-10 Crewman," you ask? "That's got to be lighter, right?" well, yes it is, but by how much? Well, here's a listing in a post by our esteemed moderator, Bladite, who knows more about Becker knives than anyone I know: "imho, the knives are really too close to judge... 1.6 oz difference classically, though with the new BK2 being 1.26 oz lighter... the weight is going to be the same, and the difference about 2mm?"

So the Crewman is 1.6 ounces lighter. If you're telling me that 1.6 ounces will make an appreciable difference, even on a long hike, then I have to worry about you. Maybe you should spend some time in the gym before you try hiking.

Understand that I'm not downplaying the BK-10 in the least: it's a great knife, and I want one, too. No, what I am saying is that if you're worried about weight, don't be. Strap on your BK-2 and venture forth.

It ain't heavy, it's my Becker.
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i was reminded to add weights to the FAQ for BK-02, they were AWOL for some reason... nobody catches these things ;)

yeah, so 1.60 - 1.26 == 0.34 ounces differences between the second gen BK-02 and the old/new BK-10. so, not a heck of a lot.

and carrying only ONE knife? pshaw!


Bladite
 
Bladite said:
i was reminded to add weights to the FAQ for BK-02, they were AWOL for some reason... nobody catches these things ;)

yeah, so 1.60 - 1.26 == 0.34 ounces differences between the second gen BK-02 and the old/new BK-10. so, not a heck of a lot.

and carrying only ONE knife? pshaw!


Bladite
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Ah, but somebody does catch these things... you do.

It's good that you're putting weights in the FAQ's. I searched all over the net for the weight of the BK-10, before finding it right here in one of your posts.

So, who carries only one knife? But if I had to carry only one, it would be the BK-2.
 
dawsonbob says :

So, who carries only one knife? But if I had to carry only one, it would be the BK-2.
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I am sooo glad I'm getting one this week !!! I'm sure I did the right thing !
 
hiwa said:
dawsonbob says :



I am sooo glad I'm getting one this week !!! I'm sure I did the right thing !
Click to expand...

We're so glad you're getting one, too! I have no doubt you're going to love it.

Let us know what you think once you get it. Most people expect a nice knife when they order a BK-2, but find that it's so much more than they expected when it actually arrives.

Take pics.
 
for me the bk2's weight/size/specs are perfect. i carry about 12 lbs worth of water anyway (almost 6 liters) for a one day hike so any reduction in bk2's weight is negligible.

i know that much water is overkill but i'm a newbie hiker/camper so i'm still paranoid about getting lost :eek: plus it's a good exercise anyway so i think i'll keep packing that much weight regardless of how much i know the area. sure is better than on a treadmill.
 
I took my Campanion on a three day backpacking trip through the Superstition Wilderness in AZ a few weeks ago. The only other knife I brought was a Swiss Army multi-tool. I threaded my pack waist-strap through the top of the sheath and tied the bottom around my leg with some aloe string (otherwise it flapped around in a not-so-good-to-be-flapping-against area). It never got uncomfortable except during a couple extraordinarily high steps while climbing up some boulders, during which the string around my leg was restrictive. I didn't feel the weight at all and the knife's utilities were awesome! I ended up not even needing my swiss army knife. I used the Campanion for splitting wood, shaving tinder, cutting cactus, spreading peanut butter (happy face), opening packages, slicing through abandoned tents, and so much more! It was invaluable!
 
The BK2 is a perfect knife for what its intended use is,survival.I have packed mine for miles with no ill effects.
 
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