Reddit reviews Ka-Bar BK11 Becker Necker Neck Knife
We found 14 Reddit comments about Ka-Bar BK11 Becker Necker Neck Knife. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Used by all brances of miliary and service membersGreat for collectors and outdoor servicesTested to ensure quality and durabilityBK11 BeckerNeck knife made of 1095 Cro-Van steelInjection-molded, glass-filled nylon sheathCompatible with TDI metal belt clipMarked with Ka-Bar Becker stampMeasures 6-3/4 inches; weighs 0.15 pounds
I wouldn't recommend a "titanium" knife, firstly because for $10, it's not titanium. It's probably some chinesium knife that won't hold an edge very well. Secondly I don't recall Camillus having a great reputation due to materials and QC.
If you're looking for a good budget knife, I know Ka-Bar and Becker make good ones, and if you can swing an Izula, that would be my choice. Here are some links. Izula Ka-Bar 1 Ka-Bar 2 Ka-Bar 3.
The reason I'm recommending Ka-Bar and ESEE is that they both use 1095 carbon steel which is an excellent choice in toughness and edge retention. I almost forgot Mora, a superb Swedish knife that is renowned for its steel and edge retention, and used worldwide by folks in the workforce and outdoors communities.
The ESEE and Ka-Bars will run you $40-$60, and the mora will run you about $15. You can get Moras and Izulas at Cabelas, but Amazon is also great. Good luck.
I keep a neck knife kit on me at all times when backpacking, even if I'm just going 50ft away from my gear. It's barely noticeable. Around the sheath I keep a ranger band that holds a miniature firesteel, a good amount of duct tape (medical, gear repair, fire starting, and so much more!), and a small fenix light. Notice that all of these items are dirt cheap yet make all the difference in the world if you get stuck. I could make fire and shelter easily if there is any wood debris around.
About a month ago I climbed Mt Baden-Powell. I was planning on spending the night but weather would not permit it so I had to hike back in the dark. TWO of my lights failed that night. Fortunately they were not my headlamp but just a lil lantern and penlight, but still it shows that stuff can happen. Regardless, even if my headlamp had failed I still would have at least had SOME light to hike back with.
Few ideas. I don't have any of them but they are all decent. You're really not getting anything absolutely amazing for under $50. (This is a except of my other comment)
Blade quality wise the Ka-Bar and IZULA both use high carbon steel 1095. This means it holds an edge better but is also a little harder to sharpen. The Mora doesn't have a lot of information on its steel and the Camillus uses AUS-8 which is decent. Less carbon but acts similar to steel with more carbon because of some magic. The Schrade is 8Cr13 and is again nothing special. Honestly I think any of them should be fine. Then again I am NOT an expert on this. If you are worried about the blade hit up /r/knives
There is no "right" knife, it really depends on the person and the situation. I know thats a frustrating answer, but you can figure out what your ideal knife is by understanding some of those questions you asked.
Note: I'm by no means a knife expert so take all of this with a grain of salt :)
Full tang refers to the fact that the blade and handle of the knife are a single metal piece. Granted, you may have an additional handle on there (rubber, or wood, or whatnot), but the point is that there are no hinges or places where repeated stress could cause the knife to break.
The advantages of stainless steel are that it is hard, and rust resistant. This makes the knife edge a bit harder to dull, but also harder to re-sharpen.
Carbon steel is best read about here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_steel
Laminated knives are created by layering different types of steels to form the blade. Essentially the only reason I could see the need for this today would be when you needed different types of steel at different points on the blade. For example, a harder steel at the tip to prevent dulling when piercing things.
Now, if you learn to care for your blade properly, I would suggest looking towards a medium hardness full tang blade. The medium hardness will mean that the knife is easier to sharpen when it dulls, and with proper maintenance should stay rust free. I say full tang just because they're less likely to break with use.
Some recommendations I've got are: this -- I do not own one of these (yet) but have heard only good things;
and this -- I don't own this particular model but have heard good things about it as well. I own a different kabar and love it.
Maybe the BK 11? It also occurred to me that that was the third time I'vs suggested to somebody to get that knife in last hour or so... I need to pick one up ASAP
I went a bit crazy, and bought three knives based on the recommendations from this post. The ESEE 4HM, Morakniv Bushcraft, and Ka-Bar BK11.
The Morakniv stays in my main pack with the rest of my backpacking gear, while the small Ka-Bar is in my day pack. I use the ESEE around the house on a near daily basis and carry it along with the Mora if I can remember to grab it. So far all three are incredible knives
Several neck knives I've EDCed which somewhat fits your criteria are:
Becker Necker (BK11) - This is a skeletonized knife in your price range. If you're only going to carry it at a neck knife you might not want to get the nice micarta scales, as it increases its profile. The spine is nice and thick, but it is 1050, making it harder to sharpen but has better edge retention.
The other I would suggest is the BK24 D'Eskabar Fixed Blade Hunting Knife - It costs just a little over your budget ($55 on amazon), and is D2 steel. It is harder than stainless, but it is water resistant (not as well as stainless though).
http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-BK11-Becker-Necker-Knife/dp/B001N1CBB6
if it has to be fixed blade your options are pretty limited
becker necker
crkt minimalist
boker gnome
esee izula
the only one of these i've owned is the becker necker, which is great, but the sheath is so big that it pretty much cancels out the small size of the knife.
Backpacking and canoeing are similar but not the same thing. When you're backpacking weight is MUCH more of an issue. Personally I went with the Becker Necker from Kabar
http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-BK11-Becker-Necker-Knife/dp/B001N1CBB6
It's small and light. I can make fuzz sticks with it and it can stand up to batoning.
Good conversation with alternate opinion here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/WildernessBackpacking/comments/41uryh/gear_knife_selection/?
http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-BK11-Becker-Necker-Knife/dp/B001N1CBB6
Unless you MUST have red or pink the Becker BK11 (aka Necker) and the Eskabar are just about half the price of the Izula for damn near the same thing.
How about http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-BK11-Becker-Necker-Knife/dp/B001N1CBB6
I don't have the handle, but this looks pretty good http://www.amazon.com/KA-BAR-BK-11HNDL-Becker-Custom-Micarta/dp/B004GIDJK0
No problem. There is also the BK11, I dont really like it though because it has a weird bottle opener on the end of the handle.
I cant seem to find any with a finger hole in them though.