I think you’ll agree with me when I say:
The Ka-Bar BK9 is the most impressive bowie knife out there in the market.So the Becker Combat Bowie is a synthesis of Becker’s trademark. Comfortable handle design and a traditionally profiled American Bowie style blade. This knife perform well during extended period of use with less user fatigue.
So in this post I’m going to review Ka-Bar BK9. And i’ll cover all the good and bad aspects of this knife in detail. So read till end.
Key Features
- Made in the USA
- Used by all branches of the military and service members
- Great for collectors and outdoor services
- Bowie knife with 1095 Cro-Van steel blade
- Ergonomic Grivory handle minimizes user fatigue
Detail review
The BK-9 has an overall length of 14.75″ and a 9″ long blade. It’s a chunky knife which weighs around 1 pound. Due to its size and weight its best suited for heavy duty work like chopping wood for fire. However if you’re planning a light backpacking trek along the mountain trail, you should look somewhere else.
Blade
The blade of the knife is made from full tang 3/16″ thick 1095 cro van steel and has a high flat grind edge. 1095 steel is a good choice because it is tough, durable and have a good edge retention.
It is easy to whip back into shape and overall keeps the cost of the knife very affordable. But because it is not stainless therefore it can rust easily, so maintenance is required to keep it in shape. There is a black powder coating on the knife.
The powder coating is thick and protects against rust. It is quite durable and slowly wears down after a long period of time. Though if you’re a fan of shiny looking knives, a premium clear coating is also available. The BK-9 features a long clip point blade and it is very sharp.
You could easily hurt yourself near the thighs while using it if you’re not paying attention. So practice beforehand if you’re new to these big knives. Despite its size it’s ability to be handled for carving applications is quite impressive.
You can easily do feathering for fire or carve spears for shelters. It will be great to have a tool this versatile in your camping or hiking adventures.
Overall, the blade is beautifully made, comes razor sharp out of the box. And due to its size and weight it is ideal for wood processing, be it be chopping, feathering, slicing or batoning.
Handle
Handle on BK9 is made from Ultramid, a high density plastic that has likely been glass reinforced. It shares the same design for the whole Becker lineup.
They have a tough in hand feel to it and scales of the handle are smooth. There is not much texture to them but when grip the knife, it doesn’t feel slippery at all.
It is probably because the shape of the handles. The groove and contour really fits your hand perfectly and really gives you nice and firm grip. You can chop through an oak tree branch that was about the size of your hand and it will still feel comfortable.
There is an over sized lanyard hole and a generously exposed pommel. That can be used for hammering, crushing tree barks for tender or crushing some nuts.
Sheath
A black nylon sheath with a molded kydex insert comes in BK-9. It’s lightweight, strong and has thoughtful touches like a belt loop which doesn’t require you to take your belt off to use.
The materials used is of high quality. There is also an external pouch with a second kydex insert for a small blade, and a pocket for some smaller piece of gear.
Retention strap is also provided to secure the knife in its place. Overall it’s not a fantastic sheath but for the price it is decent enough.
Field Test Video
Conclusion
So in the end BK9 is one of the most impressive bowie out there. It’s tough, lightweight and handle very well. Due to it’s 9 inch long blade it’s great at wood processing like chopping, batoning and some carving as well. So if you’re someone who is looking for a big knife for hard use then it might be a good choice for you.
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