KA-BAR KaBar Becker Crewman

This is now my third Becker knife, along with a BK-2 and a BK-7. The BK-7 is one of my all time favorites and is usually my primary knife on trail or in the outdoors. I had been looking for an alternative or backup trail/field knife I could keep in my pack that wouldn't be as heavy as the BK-2. Doing some research, I came across the BK-10. I love Ethan Becker's designs, and the BK-7 has proven to be impeccably reliable, so going with Ka-Bar's product again made perfect sense. This knife excels where the BK-2 (for me) seems to fall short. For starters, while I appreciate the robustness of the BK-2, it comes at a cost of slicing ability. While the BK-2 is a great chopper, in a knife that size the more important quality is to be able to slice and do finer work like shaving wood and carving notches. The BK-10 does this so much better than the 2. The balance on this knife is spot on, even considering that the handle is the exact same across all of Becker's large blades. It feels very much like a shorter BK-9 or 7, but it doesn't feel unbalanced in comparison. The knife came razor sharp out of the box, and still is after using it on a couple of camping trips. Also, the BK-10 has much better penetration in things like wood or through tarp material like nylon and canvas than the BK-2, so for camp use it actually serves my purposes much better. There doesn't seem to be any compromise in the tip strength, either. I see no damage whatsoever after using this knife pretty hard a few times. My one complaint about this knife is the sheath, but I won't subtract any stars for it since aftermarket upgrades are readily available. I ended up making my own custom kydex sheath in a drop-rig configuration, and now the whole package is 5/5. The original polyester sheath isn't bad, it's just rather loose and oversized for the knife. There's no reason the sheath has to have so much excess material. Also, the sheath is literally the same one as the BK-22 (same knife as a BK-2 but with the different sheath option) which is .25" thick, while the BK-10 is .188" thick, so when using it for a -10 it tends to fit loosely and rattle quite loudly. Outside of the sheath I really don't have any complaints about the blade. Some people complain about the Ultramid (a brand of glass-reinforced nylon) handle scales being really slick, but I'm not using it in wet or tactical environments so it hasn't been an issue for me, although the micarta handle upgrades might make this knife even better. Overall this is a great small-to-medium tactical survival knife which is light enough and compact enough (with the right sheath) to toss in a hiking pack or bugout bag without it being conspicuous and adding unnecessary weight. This knife is absolutely great for the price and one of my favorites from Ethan Becker's designs with the amazing quality and workmanship that comes from Ka-Bar. Buy it.

First off, I have made 2 modifications/additions to this knife before I ever really used it, and I personally feel they are relatively necessary. 1. I added a lanyard appropriately sized for my own hands out of 550 paracord(it did not come with one). A lanyard used CORRECTLY (there are several ways) is essential in my own opinion for safely handling and utilizing a knife like this to its full potential. 2. I surrounded the handle with a piece of rubber from an old bike tire inner tube for extra grip and a slight increase in overall handle bulk. After handling the knife for a few seconds/minutes I realized the Zytel/Grivory grip was a bit too hard/slippery for my liking for making a journey into the woods. Apparently the Micarta handles are a terrific upgrade, but for $40 I was able to accomplish what I suspect those handles would do for my purposes, and save $40 on the upgrade. Now... this knife is fantastic! and here are a few of the reasons why: 1. I have very large hands, and this knife feels incredibly comfortable in them (10 inch tip of thumb to tip of pinky outstretched, 8 inch bottom of palm to tip of middle finger ~4 inch knuckle span) The flaring of the grip allows my hand to sit very nicely on the handle, not squished, or like it will easily slip out due to being too small. 2. Despite what some youtube videos say, this knife works great for chopping, but will never be a replacement for a true machete or bushwhacker. No knife ever will if that's what you need it for. Though it probably works better than my $4 bargain bin machete. Again, proper use of a lanyard here is key, and makes for easy work of green, or nearly green wood. (I chopped a 2-3incher down without much in the way of resistance) 3. Factory sharp blade. 4. Plenty thick with the full tang to do any but the absolute heaviest of duty camp chores, including batoning, but lighter than the BK-2, with a slightly longer blade. BTW with my modifications the weight without the sheath is 357 grams or 12.58 oz. With the sheath is 487 grams or 17.17 oz and to save you the trouble of doing the math, that means the sheath alone is 130 grams or 4.59 oz a bit heavy, but solid. 5. I am a personal fan of spear point knives, and this comes close with the blade design to have the tip near the center line of the handle. 6. The Sheath is solidly constructed and is comfortable on the hip, with heavy duty snaps. and multiple attachment points to adjust as you see fit. It also has a nicely sized front pocket to hold something small, like a Leatherman Charge Ti which fits nicely, with some room to spare, but is not large enough for an Altoids tin. 7. After using it for a number of different tasks, it feels like I have owned the knife for a while already, and feels intuitive for most tasks, including fine work, like making feather sticks, and heavy duty work, like chopping or batoning. 8. It looks mean, and tough (if that's something you care about, for me it's just icing on the cake) My only gripe so far is that with the slight added bulk of the rubber on the handle, makes it very difficult to snap the buttons to secure the knife in the sheath, but I suspect they will stretch some as I use it, and the straps fit the factory handle size snugly, without being too much of a hard time to snap them shut. Some additional information: The sheath can be used for either left hand or right hand carry as the plastic insert is symmetrical, which means it does not hold the knife firm without the nylon straps/snaps, but makes it easy to switch back and forth if need be, or place the knife in backwards if for whatever reason you wanted to. After a number of different tasks, I see no noticeable wear in the black blade coating, though all coatings will eventually wear away with use. I did my research before hand and came to the conclusion this was the best knife to suit my needs without spending upwards of $200 (mostly outdoors/camping/bushcraft/survival) and I am NOT disappointed. I will admit I do not have very much experience using a large knife like this outside of the kitchen, but for how well this knife feels like an extension of my hand, and is a useful tool, I am very pleased so far. I will try to update in a few months after more testing/regular use. UPDATE: Aug, 25th 2014 After some extensive use, I have come to a few conclusions and realizations about this knife 1. It's still amazing and still feels very natural to use, I love it, and it was the right choice for me and my needs. 2. After extended use, I still find the Grivory handles to be a little bit too hard, as I have since removed the Rubber bike tube because it slipped too much when it got wet, however, I am looking to try coating them with Plastidip to see if this solves my problem, it just needs a little more give, and a little more grip. There is always the ~$40 option of getting the Micarta handles, but they are cost prohibitive. 3. The black coating is starting to come off the knife near the blade edge, but I have had no problems with any rust, I do make a point to take care of my knife though and try to clean it/oil it when possible. 4. The snap straps across the handle of the blade in the sheath have stretched enough to work well and easy even with the added rubber coating I put on the knife handle. 5. I would trust this blade(along with my knowledge of how to use it) to get the job done and help me through, even with nothing else, in a survival situation. I have done many fine camp chores as well as not so fine ones, and this blade has stayed surprisingly sharp, even with heavy use. 6. I wish the sheath was just ever so slightly more snug around the blade, but I have had no problems with the knife coming loose as long as the straps are properly snapped down.

The Becker Crewman is my primary knife and tool for my bug out bag, which is accompanied by a folder and a multi-tool. Superb blade construction, with the heft that's necessary to baton wood, yet the sharpness to feather twigs. Full tang construction, comfortable handle, and nice balance. Feels good in the hand. For my application, this knife replaces the need to carry an axe as well, which saves you precious space and weight in a B.O.B. For large diameter limbs and trees, consider getting a high quality chain saw, such as the 36" Chainmate sold on Amazon. An important requirement for me was the exposed tang at the base of the handle to use as a glass breaker, hammer, striker, and skull cracker should the need ever arise. Give it a very lite coating of knife, gun, or mineral oil after use, and before storage, to protect the blade, even though it has the protective black coating applied at the factory. Use paracord, preferably a reflective/high visibility color, to attach to the hole at the base of the handle to help to locate it easier if dropped or lost. The nylon sheath is just OK in my opinion. It does have the nice feature of a pocket attached to the front of the sheath, which can store a multi-tool or fire starter. Molle compatible for easy mounting options. The sheath has a plastic blade insert which is a bit noisy. When the blade is inserted, the knife rattles back and forth. However, the knife does secure well in the sheath, and the strap snaps used are much preferred over velcro straps. You may want to consider a Kydex sheath upgrade at some point if the noise bothers you. I wouldn't base my decision to purchase this knife on the sheath alone, so don't let it sway you one way or the other. This is a great knife with an optimum size, and should take just about any abuse you can give it. I wanted a knife that I could beat the heck out of and have no worries that I would still be able to rely on it for years to come. This knife fits the bill quite well, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for the perfect B.O.B. or camping knife.

So, I finally grabbed a few of these BK10s.....and the value blows my mind. If folks are thinking these are too heavy they might need to start working out or something. This blade is a tremendous lighter weight option of its cousin, the BK2. I'm certainly able to be much quicker and in the zone of combat/defensive movement w/this blade. It's kind of the best compromise I've seen between bushcraft & defensive capabilities. I initially didn't think I would like the blade geometry; but I do.....it's a damn tank as well! Also, both my wife and I (her little hands & my huge hands) love the BK&T line's handle geometry. We use Ontario Knife company RD's, RATs and the ESSE type handles and the shape of these BKs WIN!! I'm cool with that because for the same awesome steel option that 1095 Cro-Van presents, these Ka-Bar's are priced to sell similar to the OKC lines.....or even better. The others just don't feel as comfortable and painless to chop w/as the BK&T handles & their perfected palm swell and "hook" on the butt of the knife. The grivory scales don't bother us at all and they actually feel more comfortable than some of the micarta knives we mentioned. Working w/gloves would eliminate any potential slipping issues but we haven't had any even while bare hand'in it. You could always buy micarta scales but......the knife fit, form & function is the basis upon which I classify this thing a BEAST, A TOTAL WINNER & a knife you just can't go wrong with. I recommend 1/4" steel blades like the OKC Ranger line or the BK2 for your SHTF bag but this would also do the job; and is certainly my main camp knife now.

I happen to love the kabar Becker line. 1095 crovan steel, a plethora of models to choose from, you name it. I’ve owned the bk2,7,9,16 and 11. I was looking for something smaller than the 7 or 9, but slightly larger than the 16 for chopping. The 2 is great but it’s like carrying a 2x4 with a sharp edge. It’s too heavy to have for most camping/hiking treks. I got the 10 as it was basically a lighter 2. I’ve held off for years and I do not know why. It came out of the box shaving sharp. Already beat the hell out of it and it’s only been a couple hours. Still has a great edge, but is easy to sharpen when you’ll need to. It’s relatively light for its size, and the tip is strong but gives you a ton of penetration. The Becker line isn’t known for its super amazing sheaths, but it works just fine and is sturdy. It will do exactly why you need it to. The Molle compatibility, belt snap/Velcro so you don’t have to remove your belt to put it on, as well as the pouch are nice touches. Also, like the other Beckers, the scales are a bit slick but the micarta scales are a good upgrade.

I am very impressed with the sturdiness of this knife. It didn't arrive terribly sharp and was difficult to trim a branch with until I sharpened it, but once sharp it cut smoothly. I keep it in the front door of my car because I use it for so many tasks. I read the reviews about the sheath being substandard, but it seems fine for me. Update: This is my go to bushcraft tool now for any hikes or outdoor exploration. I keep a Lansky sharpener in the pouch now, and as long as I have this knife and my firesteel with me, I'm only minutes away from a life-saving fire at all times. I used to carry a Gerber hatchet with me for splitting branches for firewood, but discovered when properly sharpened, this knife can baton the wood in practically half the time. I don't carry the Gerber hatchet anymore. Even after batoning, the blade maintains enough of an edge to get smooth, feather sticks for fire starting in wet and cold weather. Clean up the blade after and I can slice, chop, mince, or crush food for dinner. So far, I've only had to sharpen it on a sharpening stone once to correct a ding I put in the edge. That's it though. One time, and then minor honing on the Lansky. It's held up like a champ.

Truthfully I have not done much in the way of field testing this knife. I can tell you the sheath is standard and works well enough. I can also tell you it came razor sharp out of the box. I like the size of it and the feel of the stock handle in my hand. I have small hands and it is not too large, it fits well. I will say that it is on the heavier side. I kind of wanted something a little lighter. I am looking at an Esee 4 I think. But this did come at a fair price and is definitely of solid construction as far as I can tell. After some real field use I will really know. But honestly I would imagine that this knife will do most tasks well. I think it could be used as a chopper in a pinch, but batoning it would probably be the better way to go. Good knife, but beware that it is a little heavy. Seems to be what I hear about KaBars in general. Not necessarily a bad thing, depends on your preferences and needs.

You read a ton of reviews online about knives.... weight this and length that... but do they really use it? I have and more than just to write a review. I waited more then a year before I posted this review on the BK-10. It is a great knife and worth the money. Yes, you can buy a knife cheaper. Yes, there are knives that are more "fitting" for you or a situation. Yes, there is one with a more advance style..... but this one fits the bill. I have beat the tar out of this knife and it has performed like no other. Let me tell you, I own many of knives!!! List it here and I probably have it, used it, polished it, and slept with it. The BK-10 is an all in one. Not too big, not too small, not too thick, but can take punishment. That is why I like it. I have chopped wood, whittled, cut rope, and even fended off bears with it (thank god I didn't have to use it... but damn glad I had it in my hand). It is the best all around knife I have. WHY?... every time I go to grab a knife it is my BK-10!!!

Vorweg: das Ding ist sauscharf, mein Finger kann das bestätigen! Insgesamt ein sehr solides Outdoor-/Taktikmesser, von der Grüße für meine Hand genau richtig. Es liegt gut in der Hand von der Balance und zum groben oder auch etwas feinerem Arbeiten lässt es sich hervorragend einsetzen. Ich würde mir auf der Stelle noch eins kaufen, allerdings denke ich nicht, dass das Messer jemals mit der richtigen Pflege und bei sachgemäßem Gebrauch den Geist aufgeben wird.

Can't say more than what everybody says. Great survival knife. Bought this and the BK-9 good combo

重型求生刀，简单可靠

Universell einsetzbar und eigentlich nicht kaputt zu machen. Man hat hier ein Messer das bei etwas Pflege ein Leben lang halten wird.

got it for my dad he loves it