KA-BAR 200038 BK3 Becker Tac Tool,black

I'm not sure if I can add much to the party here as there are plenty of accurate, positive reviews, but I still have my two cents worth all bottled up and waiting to be uncorked.I read every review posted here and also went through a good many related threads on bladeforums.com before pulling the trigger on this product. I expected that out of the box it would not be as sharp as I would like, which was true. So, the first thing I did was sharpen all three edges ... serrated, straight edge and the notch, to my satisfaction. For me, this tool does not have to be ground razor sharp as I wouldn't carry it for practical use without also having a very sharp drop or clip point hunter, and a slipjoint pocket knife to boot.Bottom line: The BK3 is a (fabulous) tool which features a utility edge, but it's not really a knife with regard to our pre-conceived notion of what that description defines. It IS very heavy duty. It's a well-balanced, big chunk of carbon steel for whackin', pounding, hammering, breaking, breaching, chopping, hacking, cutting, digging, chiseling, and prying on things. That's about all I really need to say about it. The tool itself gets my five stars for its utility, its toughness, its versatility, its ergonomics and balance, and its excellent quality for the price.Bonus: It ships with an excellent sheath that is MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment ... pronounced "Molly", like a girl's name) compatible. I used the side slots in conjunction with some heavy duty 1" wide Velcro strips and firmly attached a leather sheath to the front of it which will house either my old Schrade LB7 Bear Paw folding hunter or my Gerber multi-tool, depending on what I want on hand on a given day out. (See my customer images to view this and other mods.) I also utilized the lowest two screw holes to add some leather shoelace for a leg tie-down which helps keep the entire unit from flopping about. The tool snaps into the sheath very securely, and with a satisfying CLICK and is further retained by a handle retaining loop with a snap closure. I also added a paracord loop to the belt loop which is adjustable via a slip knot, for extra security or for hanging on a nail or branch when not being worn.My applications: I'm not in the military nor am I in the professional or volunteer rescue business, but I do have many applications for the BK3. I own property with a cabin and I spend a lot of time in the woods. In addition to hunting small game and deer I also love to mushroom hunt from spring through fall, something that does require prying, digging, whacking and occasional hacking through brush. I'm on a garden tractor often, mowing lawns and trails and clearing brush. I don't have to tell you how valuable a tool it is to have on the belt for such yard work. I've got a fire pit with some forged fire irons and the notch on the BK3 makes it easy to hang a Dutch oven and remove hot cast iron lids using iron hooks. It's perfect for splitting and hacking up cooking wood and kindling, too. Finally, I try to take an annual winter weekend and do a solo, minimalist / survival winter camping adventure. A small tarp, rope, a change of socks, a .22 rifle, fire, snare wire, a tin cup, some tea bags, a few bouillon cubes, half a dozen corn dodgers, Sierra saw, a few knives, a hatchet. This year, I'm swapping my hatchet out for my BK3, and I'm certain I won't be disappointed for the decision.Other stuff: There has been a good deal of talk and opinion about the notch on the BK3. Is it a wire cutter? Is it a seatbelt cutter? Is it a paracord cutter? In my view, out of box it is not sharp enough to function efficiently in any of the three jobs. (In fact, I saw an old ad explaining the features of the tool and it stated that the notch was more designed for pulling things in toward oneself.) However, a little time with a rat-tail file and you can get it sharp enough to slice through stuff, if you like. An even finer edge can be finished off with an appropriate sized dowel and increasingly finer grits of wet/dry sandpaper.Also, please be aware that a serrated edge does not qualify as a camp saw. This tool is not designed for efficiently sawing wood or bone. An inexpensive, light-weight, folding Sierra saw is preferable for such tasks. (A welcome tool for basic bush craft in the first place.)In conclusion, big thumbs up.

Honest review of Ka-BarI bought this “knife” for my brother while I was overseas in Korea as a birthday present. So I was not around when it came to my house, my wife took care of that. So as far as on-time shipping goes, I don’t remember any issues. I remember she sent pictures of it before she mailed it, and the packaging it came in looked like quality. It wasn’t crushed, or cracked.When I finally got back home and visited my family, I asked to see it. My goodness this thing is Monstrous! The blade itself is about the length of a DVD case (a little longer, if I remember correctly)! The thickness of the blade adds weight to this chopper that screams durable. I don’t think any moderate prying is going to break this sucker.I don’t think I’ve ever held something like this. A blunt-force blade, solid throughout. I mean SOLID. The grip fills the hand in all the right places, the blade shows no sign of chipping, bending, severe scratching, or much dulling either. Mind you, this is at least two years! As far as I know, it saw some active use without any sharpening (< that I AM sure), and it still looks fantastic. He couldn’t be happier, and I couldn’t be more jealous.On top of that, the sheath it comes with is very nice too. Everything can be described as “solid”.You can also purchase different grips for it to replace the already great looking black ones it comes with.If you are looking for a durable, large, multipurpose blade that looks intimidating to any job and will last look no further. You’ve found it.

One of the more useful tools. The blade endures a lot of abuse. It can double as a light digging tool or moderate pry bar, chisel tip has been more useful than I first thought. Good balance, sheath is not bad, but I wish it were leather. I even get use out the hook notch. Grab a branch I cannot other wise reach pull it to me grab it... a couple quick whacks (with my back up) and I'm good to go. Just to be honest its competitor is just as good, but lacks the hook... I use them both depending on my motivation neither have ever failed me. Sharpens with little effort. Sharp enough out of the box. Nothing to complain about, not a bad. substitute for a good bolo. Nearly forgot, the serrated portion of the blade also proved useful in situations where I did not have leverage to swing with efficient force.

I gifted this to a family member and when he opened it, the knife looks thick and is sharp. Be careful when opening, it can cut you if not cautious. Seems incredibly sturdy and well crafted.

I live in a suburban area and in an emergency i need my bag filled with useful tools and nothing more. I have a pocket knife for the more intricate cuts that i need to make. But if i need to bust down a door or cut some rope this will do the job. If i need to baton some wood this will work. if i need a hammer this will work. this is a jack of all trades and master of none, unless you call busting up everything in sight a trade.Consthe straight edge is not very sharp. I can sharpen it myself but i dont want to have to. This is a big deal to me after paying some good moneyit is a little more blade heavy than i would have likedProsThis can do most things well and is made to take a beatingI like the looks of it. And no one knows what it is but is in awe of itThe handle feels good in my hand. this is something that you do not want to over look when buying a knife that you are going to beat up on. because your hands are the first contact with the knifeThe is a metal butt that can be used to bust out some glass or take a mallet to it so you can chiselIt is heavy so you can let the knife do the work.overall i love the know. But when i go to walmart and by a $10 knife that is sharper than this i get annoyed. I have played with it and a hatchet would work better on wood and a machete on brush and a hammer on spikes. But that is a lot of weight to fit in your bag when i can use this when needed.