When it comes to knives, it’s best to be prepared for whatever there is that life can throw at you. Your knife can be the difference between being prepared to defend yourself or not, and your knife can either be limited or provide you with a large number of uses and applications. That’s why when choosing a knife, it’s best to always look for the highest in quality – you may own your knife for a long time, and you want to make sure you’re getting a knife that will serve you well. For a high quality knife with seemingly limitless potential, an undoubtedly great option is the Ka-Bar Becker BK3 Tac Tool.

Ka-Bar Becker BK3 Tac Tool

Ka-Bar Background

Ka-Bar is one of the most renowned knife makers in the industry, known most primarily for the quality and reliability of their knife offerings. Boasting a history that dates back to the beginning of the 19th Century, and having produced knives that served folks well across generations and multiple World War’s, Ka-Bar is a true authority in knife making. The Ka-Bar name comes from an early 1900’s story in which a fur trapper told the then-unnamed company about an incident involving a jammed gun, an attacking bear, and a life saved thanks to a Ka-Bar knife – a fine legacy for the company to stake its name on. Offering knives ranging from those intended for military, hunting, sporting, all-purpose utility, and outdoor survival uses, Ka-Bar has every end of the knife game covered, and has truly taken things to the ‘next level’ with the Ka-Bar Becker Tac Tool Knife.

The BK3 is the result of a collaboration between an experienced knife maker in Ethan Becker and a decorated police and army veteran in John Benner. Incorporating elements from the backgrounds of both of these men, the BK3 features a number of practical uses and features thanks to the tactical experience of Benner, as well as superior build quality and design thanks to the expertise in knife making of Becker. Ka-Bar proudly notes on its website that they refer to the BK3 not as a knife, but as a “tool” – the knife boasts a number of capabilities that you may not expect out of the traditional knife, making it more of a life tool than a typical blade. Designed with the needs of the tactical officer in mind, the BK3 can lift hinge pings, pry open stubborn doors or windows, cut ‘550 cord’, hammer glass, and more.

Ka-Bar Becker BK3 Tac Tool Specifications

• Weight – 1.3 Pounds
• Blade Type – Fixed Blade
• Blade Length – 7 Inches
• Overall Length – 12.5 Inches
• Edge Angles – 20 Degrees
• Shape – Flat (One-Sided)
• Stamp – KA-BAT/BK&T
• No Pocket Clip
• NSN – 1095-01-493-1802 KNIFE-COMBAT
• Steel – 1095 Cro-Van
• Grind – Flat
• Handle Material – Ultramid
• HRC – 56-58
• Made in the United States of America
• Blade Thickness – 0.25 Inches

BK3 Steel

Boasting a hefty weight of 1.3 pounds, the BK3 is certainly not a lightweight knife. However, the weight of the knife is part of what makes it such a high quality offering. The solid 1095 steel blade is powerful and effective, carrying out the tasks of the user with precision and efficiency. With solid build quality from the top of the blade all the way through the Ultramid handle and sheath, the knife feels powerful in hand and when put to purpose.

The high quality steel requires the occasional cleaning and bit of care, as one would expect when dealing with a knife of this caliber. However, with some sporadic maintenance and sharpening, the knife holds its edge like few other knives on the market today, regardless of price range. The knife can withstand a remarkable amount of abuse and maintain its quality build and edge. The makers of the knife designed it with an extensive list of uses and applications in mind, which is apparent in the build of the knife – the versatility of the blade is clear when considering the serrations, sharpness, size, shape, and quality of the knife. The conception and design of the BK3 being carried out by a combination of expert knife maker, expert tactical operator, and the world class production qualities of Ka-Bar have made for a simply incredible knife.

Ka-Bar Becker BK3 Tac Tool Review

BK3 Handle

I’ve carried a vast number of knives in my time, from the cheap and ineffective to the high-priced and exorbitant (recently I carried the Spyderco Autonomy Knife), and I can say for a certainty that the Ka-Bar Becker BK3 Tac Tool is one of the very best I’ve had the pleasure of using. I hesitate to even refer to the BK3 as a knife because, like Ka-Bar, I tend to view this as more of a life tool than a conventional knife – the blade simply offers too many uses to be unfairly limited that way in its labeling. As an outdoorsman and hunter, as well as a handyman by trade, I have found no limit to the number of ways to use the BK3 in my everyday work and life.

From prying things open, to making repairs, to cutting, to skinning and separating in hunting, the BK3 does it all for me. The truly multi-purpose tool has been serving me well for over a year now, and I can confidently state that it holds its edge as well today as it did the first day I used it, even after a tremendous amount of use, wear, and tear. I have used this knife on a variety of materials and in a number of climates and settings, from hot and humid to cold and rainy, and still the knife does every job it’s asked to.

BK3 Sheath

What’s incredible about this knife is that not only has it become my go-to knife to carry – for self-defense purposes as well as for other uses – it has replaced so many of the cutting tools that I had been using for years. A number of blades, knives, and cutters that I used to rely on are now essentially obsolete, as the BK3 does the same job that they did but even more effectively. At around $100-$150 the tool isn’t cheap, but it’s important to keep in mind that you’re getting more than a simple knife when purchasing the BK3 – you’re getting a tool that can aid you in a large variety of areas in life. Therein lies the most primary selling point behind this knife, tool, or whatever you’d like to call it. Not only can it provide you with a new cutting tool, it can change the way you approach many of your knife or blade-related tasks in life – making this a value purchase and an incredible tool to own.

Conclusion

Simply put, if you’re looking for a knife that can serve you in a variety of tactical areas including self-defense, as well as for home applications and purposes, look no further than the Ka-Bar Becker BK3 Tac Tool. Effective, durable, and powerful, the BK3 gets the job done every time. Although the price may seem steep, when you consider all that there is that this Ka-Bar life-changer can do for you, it actually seems to come in on the cheaper side. This will be the last knife-life tool you’ll have to purchase for some time.

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