Ka-Bar BK17 Becker Short Clip Point BK17

All lined up, you can see the common pedigree in my three USA-made Ka-Bar Beckers. I have the BK 7, the BK 2, and now the BK 17.The BK 17 is a great little knife, a lot smaller than the others I listed, and a great size for an outdoor knife. (The similar BK 16 has a stronger tip and might be a better choice if you're into batoning wood on a regular basis)Here's what I like about it:-It came out of the box shaving sharp... Using the 'standard' out of the box test, I was easily able to shave a patch of hair off my arm with it.-Blade is full tang, about 4mm thick (the same as my BK 7), 31mm wide, and about 115mm long. There is an oversize lanyard hole in the extended tang.-It came with an extra set of solid Zytel grips (but not screws) in brown-The imported sheath is sturdy and of good quality. It was built with a purpose, not like the nylon glorified machete sheath that came with the BK 7. It's definitely not for concealed carry or for quick access applications.- It's well-balanced and the black grips are smooth, as is the jimping. It has a pronounced palm swell and fits my large hand, but would fit a smaller hand as well.If you're looking for a fine lightweight but tough camp, survival, hunting, or bushcraft knife, this one could be just what you're looking for.It's a Becker...buy with confidence.

Great knife. I bought the BK-17 after getting a Mk. 1 Navy knife (also by Ka-bar). I keep this knife in my BOB for camp tasks and battoning. The BK-17 has a very rugged, durable, and minimalist design. The handle is a bit slippy but should work fine in a survival situation. One way to remedy this is to either place electrical tape on the handle or wear gloves. This knife has a full tang (not a rat tang like many Ka-bars do, however these knives hold up just fine if treated properly) which makes it more suitable to battening wood and doing camp work.Overall the knife is a great buy as it is a solid platform for bush crafting (and if needed self-defense). The blade may not be as big as some knives (it's a little over 4in) but will get the job done. If you are looking for a bigger knife, or a knife for self-defense I would go with the full size USMC Ka-Bar or the Mk.1 Navy knife. However, if the Becker models appeal to you (as they do to many) than the BK-17 is IMHOP your best option.

This is a relatively inexpensive option for camp, bushcrafting, or self-defense; good (but not great) for all in my opinion.I bought the BK-2 companion a few years back and was overwhelmed by its size. I wanted a smaller knife just like it, but opted for the 17 rather than the 16 since I found it cheaper and it fits my overall purpose-driven knife criteria a bit better.I've removed the finish and put micarta scales with spacers on it and I've never felt a better feeling and handling knife after doing so.The sheath is decent quality but too long for the knife as it looks like it's made to fit the 15,16, or 17 (the 15 is the longest knife of the tweeners). I kept the sheath to go on my pack but was looking for a better belt carry option. I found from other users that the leather sheath for the buck ergohunter was a perfect fit (also for the 16) so I ordered one. It works great for the knife and feels great wearing it too.The blade is thick enough to take some pretty good abuse to dig, pry, baton, etc. if needed in a pinch, and also holds an edge better than any other 1095 steel knife I have. The grind markings are a bit obvious (but not unsightly) after removing the coating if you choose to do so (which I highly recommend).If I had to give it some cons, I would say that even though they give you two sets of handles for this knife, they're two sets of handles you're probably going to want to replace (or wrap something grippy around them). Also, I'm used to a larger choil on a knife this size for finer tasks but that's not a huge downer for me. The jimping is adequate but I would have preferred deeper grooves so I'm going to grind that out to the way I want it.I have yet to see the perfect do-all knife but this one's pretty close for the money.

Came with a dull tip. C'mon KaBar! This is strike 2....The knife was fine except for the tip. If the tip would have had an actualPoint on it, this would be a 5 star review. If it came with a good sheath (that was not obviously made for the BK15 - don't believe me? Take out the plastic insert... What's it say? BK15 huh?) it would have gotten 5 stars.

I like the knife a lot. I wish now that the blade was a just a little bit longer. Great knife and I like BK&T with Kabar. I have a Becker Necker and I have the Machax as well. All great tools!Update: 1/14/2014I have now used this knife on several hikes. It really is a great blade with a great steel. Keeps an edge well. Perfect fit and balance. Because its 1095 crovan steel you need to keep it oiled after each hike. This knife matched with a Bahco Laplander folding saw is a pair that is a match made in heaven. This knife has held up and has been used on some things a larger blade would do. Im increasing the rate from 4 stars to 5 and if I could do more I would.

VERY nice blade. Arrived shaving sharp, and, in KA-BAR tradition, is built to handle anything you throw at it. While not the largest in its class, it is a good compromise knife between a full out survival knife, and, a camp knife. Sturdy thick spine, and, despite some reviews to the contrary, possess the best scales I have ever had in my hand. Highly recommended.

Great knife. Took me awhile to get this thing razor sharp but it's worth it. I used it for my hunting knife and as we were skinning the deer my grandpa kept offering it to people when there knives weren't working that well. My grandpa is used to his dull knife and kept cutting the meat as it was too sharp for what he is used too. Held an edge great and looks great with the black handles.They all made fun of me at first then argued who got to use it. Quality over quantity my friends