# Kabar vs. Becker for general woods use?



## Alabama2220 (Apr 8, 2012)

Hey yall, I'm kind of stuck in between two knives for everyday carry in the bush.  I really like the classic USMC Kabar fighting knife and really like the fact that it is time tested and durable.  I'm also looking at a possible neck knife such as the Becker BK 11.  I just want a decent knife i can depend on for everyday carry in the woods and be able to do basic chores around camp.  I know the knives involve two completely different styles of knives....but i don't know whether to get the larger Kabar or the smaller becker.


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## John I. Shore (Apr 8, 2012)

A small knife will do anything a large knife will do, but the opposite is not true.  Bigger is not always better, from the jungles of central America, trundra in AK, sands of Iraq, and countless missions throughout Europe and the middle east, my #1 choice would be the smaller knife.   Good luck with it.  

John I.


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## Artfuldodger (Apr 16, 2012)

I would agree with John. When I first got into backpacking I bought a big Kabar survival style knife only to find out it wasn't needed. In fact it's kinda the sign of a Greenhorn in backpacking circles. Combat would be a different situation. Truck camping, hunting & fishing you'll probably find out you don't need a big knife. Now if you collect them and just want to play with them in camp, that's a different story!
The Becker BK 11 knife doesn't have much of a handle even with the paracord wrapped around it. I've never used any of the newer knives that seem to have not much of a handle. They might grip better than they look though.


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## JustUs4All (Apr 17, 2012)

messermacher said:


> A small knife will do anything a large knife will do, but the opposite is not true.  Bigger is not always better, from the jungles of central America, trundra in AK, sands of Iraq, and countless missions throughout Europe and the middle east, my #1 choice would be the smaller knife.   Good luck with it.
> 
> John I.



For general use, I agree.  The only reason to go with the Ka-Bar, other than the personal defense cited above, would be that with the Ka-Bar one can take down small trees if needed.  

I used one to harvest (liberate) a Christmas Tree down at Ga Southern the first Christmas after getting out of the Service.


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## snookdoctor (Apr 17, 2012)

A sturdy, quality folder would fit your needs.


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## usmc2112 (Jul 8, 2012)

The Ka-bar was designed for a fighting knife, most are sold with stacked leather handles that degrade very quickly when wet and can become very slick if you have blood on your hands.  They are time tested but the tang is very small under the handle, the blade is not shaped well for general use.  I would go with a smaller becker or other name brand and well trusted design/maker.


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## germag (Jul 9, 2012)

Why not carry a big one and a little one? That's what I do....then you have all applications covered.


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## Oconostota (Jul 9, 2012)

messermacher said:


> A small knife will do anything a large knife will do, but the opposite is not true.  Bigger is not always better, from the jungles of central America, trundra in AK, sands of Iraq, and countless missions throughout Europe and the middle east, my #1 choice would be the smaller knife.   Good luck with it.
> 
> John I.



I agree with this very much.  I generally carry a medium-length fixed blade when I'm backpacking and such.  But come to think of it, I never, ever reach for it.  What do I pull out for every single task?  The Spyderco Dragonfly in my pocket.  I am rarely ever hacking at stuff or digging in the ground with a knife, and I never bring a knife to a gunfight.

Then again, if I needed to defend my life, and was out of bullets and had to resort to stabbing, I'd sure be glad to have my fixed blade then.

BTW, out of all of the big box store brands I have ever tried (Kershaw, Gerber, Case, CRKT, etc.), Spydercos have, by far, and hands down, vastly superior blades, if your knife is for cutting and you value a razor edge and precision.  The others are vastly inferior, in terms of the edge they come with, the edge they will take, and the edge they will hold.


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