User Review: KA-BAR Becker Companion

Summary

This thing is a BEAST!!!! Glad to be the first to review one of the best items of gear that I own. I would advise anyone spending time in the outdoors to at least give it a shot. You can also find it online for around $60, and it more than pays for itself. You can check out my mod's photos for the BK2 on my profile.

BK2 specs:

5 1/4 inch Bade-  10 1/2 inch Overall-  Full Tang 1095 CroVan Steel-  Flat Ground Drop Point @ 20 Degrees

Blade is 1/4 inch thick-  Hammer Pummel as Butt Cap-  Overall Weight is 1lb-  Made in USA   

Ok... first off, if you happen to be one of those super ultralight hikers that swears by his or her Swiss Army blade; go ahead and skip this review. But, if you love the outdoors and realize that the most important piece of gear you carry along with you happens to be the piece of steel attached to your belt; then by all means... enjoy my review of the Ka-Bar Becker Companion. Better known as the BK2.

I spent a lot of time searching for a good knife to go along with me on our hiking/survival trips. I did plenty of research before I came to the conclusion of the BK2. Chopping, splitting, shaving tinder, skinning, prying, digging, stabbing, and anything else you can imagine... you can do it with this bulldog of a blade.

The 1/4 in thick blade is unstoppable. Slashing through 1" to 2" bamboo came suprisingly easy. Splitting 2x4's and even 4x4's down the middle from battoning left me wide eyed. A lot of people that complain about anything regarding this monster should take a second look. The weight, I have no problem with... it helps pack a punch when it comes to chopping (it's like a compact camp axe.) 1/4" thickness of the blade adds muscle when you need to use it for prying (think of a small sharpened crowbar.)

The handle feels great, its form gives you that extension of your arm feel, though I wish Becker would have used Mircata scales rather than Grivory.  The pummel is beyond perfect. It will drive a four inch nail into a tree, should the need to drive nails arise. It wears good enough that I've replaced it with my everyday knife. It goes where I go. And the sheath, I like it as well.

A lot of people complain about that and the weight the most. But, the sheath is simple, does a great job of keeping the beast on its leash till the time comes to pull it out. Plus, it is one the few things out there that have a lot of possibilties when it comes to personally modding it out. I've modded mine by doing some sewing along the nylon belt loop creating a pocket for an emergency fishing kit, wrapping about 25 ft of 550 cord to the sheath, and fitting it also with a Gobspark Firesteel. SO, if I'm ever separated from my pack while in the bush, or take a spill down river... I always have a bare essentials kit with me. My knife never leaves my side. It's like the 10/22 of the knife world.

My BK2 will be around long after I'm gone, and bringing as much reliability to my son as with me. It came out of the box razor sharp, when i did the simple hair test... it actually took off a couple layers of skin. Which I found funny since I'm normally safe when it comes to tools like knives. So, I took it as a comical blood bond with my new sidekick.

I have already turned many others onto purchasing this knife, and I would put this mini machete on the front of the list to any outdoor fan/ hiker/ survivalist. But to set the record straight on some of the more negative posts that i've read about it. I've had the BK2 for 2 years now. And have hit the trails with it numberous times already. I'm sure everyone already has heard of the chopping power of this monster.

Well, living in the deep south of the pine belt... it has gone beyond what i've expected. Firewood for camp on the trail is blown through with ease. Also, shaving kindling to start your fire will come simple as well. Down here, we also have a lot of lighter pine. (old pine wood that has set up lots of resin) And anyone that has dealt with this type of wood knows, that it is as hard as stone and always a pain to cut, chop, or chip... but if you do, you have some of the best fire starter out there. The bk2 takes on this task like an axe to a viking.

Many that post bad reviews for this knife say that they would rather carry a simple smaller blade, and a camp axe or saw. Well, if that's your take on it... fine. But, I would much rather have a knife that can replace multiple items, than carry 3 or 4 different tools that do one thing each.

I've also read that it's not as good because it doesn't have a partial seration. Well, yes, but anyone being familier with a knife also knows that other than cutting rope... you really don't use serration. And if you keep your knife sharp, it should go though rope with no problems.

People have also posted a negative of it being bulky and unmanagable. ??? Ok, to those people... you either have little girly boy hands, or you have no idea how to handle a blade. I used my bk2 to carve a wooden spoon. And it came out great. So, my take on these stupid negative posts I read... is that the people making them are those ultra light backpackers that think anything more than a Swiss Army knife is too much. Well to those, you can keep your swiss army trash for the cork screw wine bottle opener. And I'll keep my bk2 monster that can do everything a knife, axe, saw, or anything else can do except open your bottle of merlot.