Ka-Bar Archives - Page 2 of 2

Last Updated: July 20, 2019

Down here in Florida we don’t get a lot of seasonality. For example, I wore shorts and flip flops on Christmas. But when the air starts to turn cool I get a hankering for 2 things: cigars and fixed blade knives. I am pleased to say I have been able to indulge in both this fall, and am ready to provide a review on a quintessential camp knife: the Becker BK-2.

Buy the Ka-Bar BK-2 at BladeHQ

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Built in the USA by Ka-Bar, and designed by Renaissance man Ethan Becker, the BK-2 has been widely accepted as a go to survival / camp knife for years now. I can’t tell you why I haven’t reviewed this classic fixed blade yet. There are many knives out there I’d love to review (one day I’ll even get to the classic USMC Ka-Bar) but just haven’t found the time for. Well, scratch the BK-2 off the list. This one has been tried and tested and I’m pleased to share some thoughts with you today.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The BK-2 has an overall length of 10-5/8″, a 5-1/4″ blade, and weighs 16 ounces. The BK-2 is a chunky knife. Pictures really don’t do it justice, as the proportions may suggest a smaller knife. I was pleasantly surprised by this, although if I were planning an ultra lightweight backpacking trek along the Appalachian trail I’d be less pleased. This strikes me as a tool for a camp site, truck, or your back yard – not something you will want to schlep for miles and miles on end.

Here is a size comparison with the ESEE-3:

The blade is a .25″ (6.35mm) thick slab of 1095 high carbon steel. For whatever reason when I ordered this knife I thought it might be interesting to compare it with my ESEE-3. It turned out to be a poor comparison, because next to my ESEE-3 the thickness of the blade is almost comical. The ESEE-3 might as well be made of aluminum foil when compared with the BK-2. Anyhow, the blade of the BK-2 is a classic drop point shape with a high flat grind and a sturdy tip. The knife has also been powdercoated. The powdercoating is heavily textured like on my ESEE blades. The coating will provide some rolling resistance when trying to cut deeply into things – at least until it gets smoothed down with use.

The BK-2 is interesting in that it can accomplish a lot of different tasks within its relatively small footprint. It’s good for batoning / splitting wood. I used it with great success to prepare a stack of wood for a couple bon fires. I was able to split logs with up to a 4″ diameter easily. You can do some carving with the knife, and I used the BK-2 to whittle up some shavings / tinder to start the fire, and to carve a few stakes for cooking.

Although it’s a little thick and clumsy in my hands for serious carving, I was able to get the job done. The BK-2 is also a decent chopper considering its size. This is a shorter knife, so naturally it won’t chop like an axe or a big fixed blade like the Junglas, but if you need to do limited chopping it will get the job done. Case in point, I needed to chunk up some large frozen sardines for a fish trap I was using – the BK-2 blew through those suckers. For these reasons the BK-2 is a natural choice for camp chores: building fires, prepping food, and odd jobs around a camp site where a sharp object might come in handy.

The only downside is that the BK-2 doesn’t particularly excel at anything. If you need a dedicated chopper, or an ultra fine carving knife, then you will want to look elsewhere. If you want a tough “do it all” knife, then the BK-2 could be a good choice.

As previously mentioned, the BK-2 comes in 1095 high carbon steel. I have wrote about this steel at length, especially over the course of reviewing an number of ESEE knives. 1095 is inexpensive and hearty. It’s easy to sharpen and holds a nice edge, especially when working with wood. It’s tough, but if you do chip it, you will be able to salvage the edge. 1095 is a good working steel, and I think it’s a great choice for this knife.

Handle and Ergonomics

The BK-2 features a spacious zytel (high density plastic) handle over it’s full steel tang. This is a very basic handle design, and it’s perfect for a workhorse knife like this. Ethan Becker apparently spent a lot of time getting this handle shape right, which is why you find it on his whole series of knives. The handle material is humble (although you can easily pick up a pair of micarta scales), but it’s lightweight, and very tough. The finish work on the handle is great. There are no sharp edges, and all of the hardware is sunk deeply into the handle. Rounding things out are an oversize lanyard hole and a generous exposed pommel that can be used for hammering / crushing things. This is a very clean and highly functional handle design. It has also been well executed.

From an ergonomic standpoint the handle of the BK2 feels as straightforward as it looks. This is a thick handle with a generous palm swell. There is plenty of room for larger hands and the absence of jimping / aggressive texture allows you to work with this tool for extended periods of time without blistering your thumb. Those wanting a little more grip could upgrade to micarta scales, or wrap the handle with athletic tape or a “ranger band” (a section of bicycle inner tube). I did not notice any hot spots while using this knife. This is a fantastic handle shape.

Sheath

The BK-2 comes complete with a plastic and nylon sheath. The sheath is simple, lightweight, and sturdy. It has excellent retention, yielding a very satisfying snapping sound when you shove the knife in place. There is no blade rattle at all, and I am not the least bit concerned about the blade ever falling out from the sheath. There is also a drain hole.

The nylon belt loop is simple and features a snap fastener for extra retention. It is fully removable with a Phillips head driver, and the plastic sheath is riveted together. The rivet holes and slots leave you with plenty of options for molle locks, tek-loks, paracord, and webbing. This is an outstanding sheath and it compliments the knife perfectly. Also, the snap fastener lies flat, so I have yet to cut into it when drawing the knife. The only creature comfort missing is that you need to take your belt off to feed it through the belt loop. I like being able to remove a belt sheath without having to take my belt off, but it’s not a deal breaker.

Becker BK-2 Review – Final Thoughts

The BK-2 is an impressive knife, especially when you consider that they are selling for right around $65.00. This is a lot of high quality tool for the money. The simplicity of the design, the quality of materials, and the extremely high level of fit and finish all make the BK-2 punch above its weight. Plus, it works. The stout geometry of the blade is excellent for processing wood, the handle is about as comfortable as they come, and the sheath is lightweight and functional. Finally, the knife itself is made in the USA (the sheath is made in Taiwan). I happen to like a USA made product, although it certainly isn’t a requirement for a favorable review.

All told, it is easy for me to see why the Ka-Bar Becker BK-2 has earned such a following and reputation. It’s simple and it works. If you are looking for an indestructible camp knife or a compact (but very stout) survival knife, then I highly recommend the BK-2.

Sale

KA-BAR Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife, Carbon Steel

Full tang heavy duty field knife suited for camping chores.
Made in Olean New York, U.S.A
Designed by Ethan Becker
Manufactured by KA-BAR Knives Inc.
Comes with a hard shell black nylon sheath.

I recommend purchasing the BK-2 at Amazon.com or BladeHQ. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Last Updated: July 27, 2019
The Kukri is an ethnic design that has truly stood the test of time. Originally the kukri was meant to be a fighting knife. Members of the Nepalese military carried these blades, most notably their elite Gurkha regiments. These days you don’t need to be an elite warrior to wield one as most knife stores and your favorite online blade retailers will carry these. Today I am looking at Ka-Bar’s take on this traditional knife, their Kukri Machete.

Buy the Ka-Bar Kukri at BladeHQ

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Purpose

We purchased this knife for clearing land and chopping. We have a little bit of land and this is the perfect knife to clear ground with, chop wood, trim trees, etc. I personally wouldn’t label this as a dedicated “survival knife” but if it works for you then by all means feel free to use it as such. I wouldn’t really call it a “machete” either – this is a heavily built knife, and designed for serious chopping. I wouldn’t hesitate to use it in any situation a hatchet might be used. Your average machete would break in two if you tried to do half the stuff this knife is capable of (like chopping through 8″ diameter trees).

Also, the Ka-Bar Kuktri could could also be a good piece for your car/truck, bug out bag, etc. This is a sturdy tool, and one I wouldn’t mind having in my arsenal if the S happened to ever HTF. I also like how the knife is at a price where you can afford one “just in case” and not feel like you broke the bank.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Kukri Machete has a blade length of 11.5″ a total length of 17″ and a weight of around 20 ounces (~1.2 lbs). Like I said, this isn’t really a machete. It’s a stoutly built tool and will do a lot more than hack through light brush. The kukri blade shape puts a lot of weight towards the front of the blade and makes for an excellent chopper. I’ve had no issue taking out 1-2″ diameter branches with a single swipe, and if you can place your blows effectively this knife will devastate larger limbs (or fell small trees) in no time. There is a partial flat grind that begins about an inch up the blade, and a smaller unsharpened swedge running along half of the top of the knife – presumably that reduces the weight a little and reinforces the tip.

Ka-Bar went with 1085 tool steel with the Kukri, and I think it’s an excellent choice. 1085 is very similar to 1095, the steel ESEE uses on their (expensive) hard use survival knives. 1085 is a very tough high carbon steel that takes a good edge and holds onto it well under outdoor use. Speaking of edges, I was actually pretty impressed with the factory edge on this thing. Most machetes come real dull, and rely on leverage to power through material. I could push cut paper and shaved a nice bald spot on my leg with the Ka-Bar. The kukri shape will be harder to sharpen than say a classic drop point, but it is not impossible – especially with a sharpening rod or small stone.

I did manage to chip the blade when I missed my target and banged into some rocks. What can I say, a rock will typically trump the edge of a knife – no surprises there. I’m just happy the Ka-Bar didn’t crack in half, and removing the chips with a file was easy enough. 1085 will rust so you need to keep this knife clean, dry, and preferably coated with a little oil. Ka-Bar went ahead and gave this knife a nice and durable flat black powder coating. In practice this coating has held up really well, and I haven’t had any issues with rust (despite using and storing this knife a stone’s throw from the Atlantic).

Handle and Ergonomics

The Ka-Bar Kukri comes with a large and comfortable handle. This is a full tang knife, something I would expect to see in a heavy chopper, and the handle is made of black kraton. Kraton is a hard rubber material, and performs well with wet or dry hands. Although I had no issues with slipping you would still be well advised to take advantage of the large lanyard hole as you definitely do not want this knife getting away from you.

The large handle is designed with chopping in mind. I like how thick the handle is and the lightly textured kraton provides plenty of grip. I also like how the pommel is slightly curved to provide a “catch” for your pinky finger. This does a good job keeping the kukri from slipping away; even after extended chopping sessions with wet/sweaty hands. I did have a blister raise up on my palm after a day of use, but a pair of gloves probably would have avoided that. If one blister is all that happened to my hand after 6+ hours of heavy chopping I’d say this handle is pretty darn comfortable.

Sheath

The sheath is made from a combination of black leather and cordura. It is a simple sheath with 2 snaps to hold in the blade. I find that sheaths for kukris are generally a little awkward in comparison to more traditional blade shapes (to account for the somewhat odd shape to the blade). Ka-Bar’s sheath is no exception, but it totally works.

I will say that the sheath is sturdy and it holds the knife well. As for attachment methods, your only option is a belt loop on a D ring that has been riveted together. There is another smaller D ring at the bottom of the sheath that you can lash that to your leg. In the world of high-speed kydex sheathes this option is nothing to write home about, but in practice I found the sheath to be entirely adequate – especially for the money. Ultimately I carry the knife on my belt, and it works really well for getting from point A to point B. I find that I can get the blade out by unsnapping the top snap, and the knife is easy enough to remove and insert. No complaints with the sheath.

Update and some field testing footage

Hard to believe this review was originally penned over a year ago! Since then the machete has seen a good amount to use and I have updated the review to reflect some of my experiences. We managed to chip out the blade badly on some rocks. This video shows me repairing that and chopping up some wood with the blade. This thing is a BEAST of a chopper.

Ka-Bar Kukri Machete Review – Final Thoughts

If you are looking for a durable chopper Ka-Bar has you covered with their Kukri Machete. I don’t like calling this one a machete because it performs more like a small axe, but who really cares about the semantics. This knife will clear brush without hesitation and plows through medium sized branches with ease. If you need something for heavy yard work, or want to add a capable chopper to the arsenal, I can safely recommend this one. The knife itself is a good design and is well made from high quality material. For the money the sheath does a great job.

What else is there to say? If you want a versatile knife with serious chopping power for around $50 I totally recommend the Ka-Bar Kukri.

KA-BAR 2-1249-9 Kukri,Black

Made in: Taiwan
Category name: machetes
Made in USA or imported
Black Kukri-style machete with carbon-steel blade
Ideal for chopping weeds, clearing campsite, and more

I recommend purchasing the Ka-Bar Kukri Machete at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.