KA-BAR BK16 Becker Fixed Blade Knife 4.4" Drop Point 1095 Cro-Van Black Powder Coat Blade Grivory Handle Black

I've had my Bk-16 since August and I feel like I've put it through a reasonable variety of abuse so far, but I plan on adding more to this review as we get into winter and eventually spring. Out of the Box: This knife held true to the Becker norms, sharp out of the box, and requiring some minor scale adjustment to re-align them with the tang Fire Building: -Splitting wood Although this is one of the "smaller" Beckers the 4 3/8" blade is long and robust enough to handle moderately sized branches with ease (further facilitated by the FFG version in my opinion). When building a fire I prefer to use small split kindling as opposed to twigs (they light quicker in my experience) -Chopping and Bucking Due to the small size of the knife any serious processing of larger pieces of wood is best left to larger blades, It can do some very light chopping but it doesn't have the requisite forward weight or length for any real chopping. This being said this knife is well paired with a larger knife or an axe. -Feather sticks and tinder making With a little time on the stone, strop, or system; the 16 takes a hair popping edge quite well, and given the skills needed it can make a very fine feather stick. Additionally it is quite handy for gathering dry grasses and fatwood where a larger knife requires a little more user dexterity. -Shooting Sparks The only edge you could use to strike a ferro rod with from the factory is the cutting edge which is undesirable for obvious reasons. With a little work from a file you could square off a section of the spine quite easily. Game processing and Cooking: -Gutting/skinning It'll get the job done fine but you have to be pretty careful with it. I prefer a smaller blade especially for the small game that I processed with it (some grey and red squirrels) Might be easier to use for larger game but It would still require a careful hand you have more blade than you think when you're in tight. -Food Prep This has become my go to camp kitchen knife (and kinda my go to kitchen knife when I'm home too) it slices very well and does a good job with veggies and fruits. its pretty Ideally sized for most tasks, just enough blade for most things and not so much that you feel like your running out of cutting board (I usually split a slab off of some firewood and use it as a cutting board for the weekend when I'm camping) Carving and Crafts: -Utensils I turned out a decent spatula and spoon on a trip late September but I think that they got hucked into the fire or "borrowed" Quality: -Durability Overall a very use/abuse able knife seems like it just eats up whatever I throw at it. The edge retention is decent (as are all the 1095cv knives) and the coating was tough as nails (took a while to strip it off) -Attention to detail For a mass produced knife it was excellent, the grind is symmetrical, coating was even, and judging by how it sharpens, the temper is very even. -Value I bought mine for ~$70 and In my opinion worth every cent. For under 70 dollars you're getting a well made knife, two sets of scales and an above average sheath. Pro's and Con's -Pro Well Made Fairly Priced Versatile Durable Good Edge Retention -Con Rough Coating Thin Handle Overall Rating: -5/5, 9.5/10 The only real issue I had was the thinness of the handles and that Is pretty easily fixed with liners or custom scales.

This is my new favorite knife! If you are looking for a new general purpose outdoors knife strongly consider the BK 16. My personal system is generally a hatchet or a folding saw plus a main knife and a backup (pocket/mora knife or multitool), for me this is exactally the knife I needed. I have been using my Becker as much as possible around the house and in the woods to get a good feel for it and so I could write an honest review. I have opened packages and cut up cardboard for recycling, cut rope/string, carved wood/notched wood, made feather sticks/fire, and prepared several dinners etc. I was not disappointed with in any respect with this blade. I have yet to clean and process any game with this knife but feel it would be up to the task, there may be better knives for the task but I feel this knife would hold up just fine. If I run into a problem with this I'll update the review, but like I said I don't expect it (I've done the job before with worse). The size is just about perfect for me, I was looking for a mid size blade that could accomplish many/most camp tasks while being small enough to be easily and often carried. I find some of my other knives beat out the BK in certain tasks like fine cutting or larger jobs but this is my favorite "do it all knife". The width is perfect for it to function at a variety of tasks, think "Jack of all Trades", this makes it functional for a wide variety of jobs but not perfect. I would rather not have to tote around several knives beyond my main and a folder so this suits me just fine. The weight is pretty negligible I do not find the knife taxing or annoying to carry around even after moving around quite a bit. The grips are slightly slippery when very wet but I didn't feel dangerously so, I plan to use some plumber or grip tape to sort that out anyway. As far as durability goes it has handled everything I have thrown at it and still looks almost new, but note I am not regularly batoning with this thing or chopping (If you are looking for a blade for those purposes there are other knives much better suited to the task - more on this later). The blade coating is... ok, it certainly serves its purpose and so far has held up well but its kind of chunky and honestly I see why some people remove it, personally I'll probably leave it on. If you want to strike a fire steel or flint to this thing you will have to do some moding but it's fairly easy for even an amateur. And finally the sheath, put simply I would rate the sheath as above average but nothing to write home about. The sheath should last you a long time and it's very functional but I personally will likely drop the money on a custom kydex sheath within a few months. So what is this knife not? It isn't a chopper, I knew that buying this knife and don't intend to use it that way except for emergency or rare circumstances. It struggles to chop, not that it can't chop at all, but there are better knives for that purpose so you won't be felling any trees. I have not batoned with the knife and don't intend to outside of emergencys or processing smaller bits of wood if I have no hatchet. Can it be used for that purpose? Certainly, but I generally have a hatchet and can split wood safely enough with that. That's me personally; I'm sure plenty of people do so with their BK 16, but just like with chopping, if that's your thing there are better knives out there, a few of them are the BK 16s bigger brothers. So far this knife has served my purposed as I expected it to (and I had pretty high expectations due to all the Becker hype) that's the reason I gave 5 stars. Overall I'm very impressed and satisfied with my Becker and would recommend it to a friend. And don't forget, if personalization is your thing this line of knives is for you, the amount of how to threads and after market options are pretty impressive. If thats what your into, google it and have fun leafing through pages of material.

I'm not a knife guy, so when I decided to buy an "all-around" knife for my back pack/"bug out" bag, I started to do my research. Nearly every website I checked had a Ka-Bar knife listed as one of the best you can buy. Originally decided on the Ka Bar K22, but decided I did not need something so beefy (or heavy). I planned to carry a small saw and a woodsman pal for the heavy work. The K16 (tweener) had so many wonderful articles and reviews I decided to buy one. What a great product. Many reviewers mentioned the sheath needed to be up graded. Mine will be hanging off the back back using the MOLLE straps. When I get to my destination, it can be detached and wear it on my belt. It comes free with the knife (so no need to spend more for something I really don't need). Perfect for my needs (plus it's coyote brown) and matched my pack so it ticks the fashion statement box too). The other short coming mentioned in the reviews are the handles. They are said to not be "grippy" enough. For my use, they will be fine, They are shaped so the knife will not slip out of your hand unless yo let go of the handle. The knife comes with black handles installed and an extra set of brown (I swapped to the brown to match the sheath). You can customize the knife if you choose to, but it isn't necessary IMO. The knife is going to work great just as it is. It fits my hand, it's light, it easily used and easily sharpened in the field. It comes coated to prevent rust (which some claim causes the knife to drag when cutting). I don't know, but it is unlikely I will notice this unless I was doing a direct comparison with another uncoated knife cutting something where a drag would be noticeable You can certainly spend a lot more for a knife in this size range, but I don't think there is a better knife for the money that can be compare favorably (design, build quality, functionality) vs. those higher priced knives.

Quick review of the new Becker Short Drop Point (BK-16) knife. First, I am a huge fan of Ka-bar Beckers and have called my BK-2 a favorite for years now. I own a Ka-bar Kukri, cutlass machete, USMC edition, dozier folder and a warthog (all ka-bar knives). I believe they produce a great knife at a great price. When this knife came out, I really wanted one and finally ordered it. It was priced higher than any of the other ka-bar knives that I own and is smaller than all of them (minus the folder). So, I was not overly excited about the price of this new knife. I guess it is common to pay more for the newest latest edition, but still was not completely happy with price. I did not like the blade coating on the knife (black textured coating) and immediately stripped it off and forced a patina on the blade (using mustard). I have heard some negative feedback on the sheath, but I don't mind it and actually like having a front pouch to carry a mutli tool and a fire starter. Overall Pros: it is a Ka-bar, it does feel good in the hand, the blade is tough and holds an edge well, great sheath (in my opinion), to me it is like a BK-2 mini (which I love), It carries well on belt and has several carrying options. Overall Cons: PRICE, ka-bar usually is my choice over other comparable knives due to price per quality. This is still cheaper than most comparable (quality) blades in this category, but the current price (May 2012)places it with a couple other quality blade options (which isnt usually the case). Black textured coating is an annoyance, unless you plan on displaying it on the wall (collection). I am a little worried about pommel end strength because of the lanyard design (although nothing bad has happened yet). Conclusion: I might be making too big of a deal about the price, but I have been spoiled by Ka-bar before buying this one and to me it just shouldn't cost more than the other blades I own (BK-2, USMC, Warthog, Kukri,Cutlass). I do believe with time that I will become more of a believer in this knife because it does provide a smaller option to some of the great "bigger" knives that I own. My lack of love is probably due to my preference of carrying a big blade that is capable of doing more while hiking, camping, backpacking and life adventures. I do like the feel of the knife in hand. Good luck!

The Becker BK16 is the perfect trail companion. It makes a great hunting, bushcraft, backpacking, and all-around woods knife. The handle is well designed and comfortable. The blade is just the right length and thickness for most bushcraft and camp needs. Some may not like the feel of the handle material, but you can easily buy replacement grip scales for Micarta or G10. I also have the BK2 which would arguably make a better survival knife or "one-knife" option, but is also far bigger and much heavier. Not to knock on the BK2 (I actually like it for its intended purpose) but I find myself taking the BK16 out more when I go hiking, hunting, or camping. It's much lighter and handier than the BK2 and is better at food prep as well. I also usually have an axe or the BK9 for heavier chores. My only complaint would be the sheath that comes with the BK16. It's a nylon military looking sheath that is Molle compatible with an accessory pouch on front. It's a decent sheath, but it is a bit overkill for the knife. A simple kydex sheath or a leather bushcraft style sheath would have been better. But most people who buy Beckers, me included, usually end up upgrading the handle scales and having custom kydex or leather sheaths made for their Beckers. Overall, the BK16 is a great knife.

Excellent camping knife. The shape of this handle works for everyone in our family from big hands to small so if you have a little scout wanting a knife that they may one day want to hand down to their kids/grandkids I have no doubt this knife would last to do so. The sheath isn't such a bad one on this model either (compared to other Ka-Bars I own) and it came with both black or brown handle scales to match your taste. The sheath is ambidextrous if you need it to be, although a left hand use will have the handle a bit off line, but it works just fine all the same. Like I said before, this handle fits most hands just fine for the tasks this knife would be expected to handle. I've seen some YouTube videos of people batoning with this knife. I own a lot of knives, but this flat grind with a narrow spine is absolutely not a design I personally would baton with and then be surprised it if broke. This is however, an excellent cutting, carving, and field dressing knife. Update - just added some lines to the brown plastic scales with a 1/8" round file and went over all of the scales with 80 grit sandpaper for a much better surface, and an unintentional result was an almost wood look to it. Much more grip to it now and didn't cost anything but some elbow grease. No need for a micarta handle now. Went ahead and added a bowdrill indent as well for the heck of it. Also decided to remove the traction coat from the blade portion, and the reason I am including the close up is to point something out that I have recently run across with another big name brand of knives under their coating. Ka-Bar has consistently been perfection underneath the coating on their blades, whereas some others which cost almost twice as much have shown significant pitting and overall poor quality control. I just wanted to tip my hat to Ka-Bar on this. This is the second knife from them I've stripped the coat off the blade and the finish has been flawless at a much lower price point on 1095 steel. (First one I did was a BK7)

Excellent for general or bushcraft. This knife has very comfortable scales/handle. I replaced the scales with micarta, and it got even better. The sheath is functional. I am a big fan of Scandi edge knives. My two main knives are custom knives that cost at least twice as much, and my blades see hard use. Having said that, I live the BK16. It is tough, comfortable, well made, and can handle anything from skinning large game to food prep around camp. If you are looking for a main knife, and don't want to put out the cash for custom work, you won't do better than this. UPDATE 2-1-2015 I still love this knife. It's rugged. It's tough. The sheath has held up well. I have modded it to carry a sharpening stone, ferro rod, and fat wood. It holds an edge and does a pretty good job on most camp tasks. It excels at food prep, feather sticks, and light batoning. Money spent on this knife is well spent. UPDATE 10/11/17 I have since bought another BK16 in case the other was lost. Both perform fantastically. I have ditched the original sheaths because they started to wear. I ordered leather for one, kydex for the other. I have also added custom wood scales to both. I didn't mind spending the extra money because these knives are worth it.

I've tried several knives for camping, backpacking etc. This is my overall favorite. It's the perfect size and weight. Feels great in my hand. Is a great overall knife that can do everything well. Great for batoning, processing firewood, making ground stakes and for peace of mind. It also retains an edge well and quicky resharpens to hair splitting sharp when using a ceramic 40 degree angle (20 degrees each side) sharpener. I don't go into the woods without it.