EDC Review: KA-BAR Becker BK2 Campanion

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The KA-BAR Becker BK2 Campanion is a robust fixed blade that is world-renowned as the go-to camp, survival, and bushcraft knife. The Becker BK2 is one of the oldest and arguably the most popular in the entire KA-BAR Becker BK series. Ethan Becker, the knife’s designer, refers to the BK2 as the “Armageddon Knife.”  In this KA-BAR Becker BK2 review, we’ll see if it lives up to that moniker.

KA-BAR Becker BK2 Blade

1095 Cro-Van Blade Steel

Look, I’m no metallurgist. To my understanding, 1095 Cro-Van is a derivative of the tried and true 1095 steel. Without getting too technical, it’s OG 1095 steel with the addition of chromium, molybdenum, nitrogen, silicon, vanadium, and a bit more carbon. Here is a quick rundown of the benefits for each elemental addition:

• 1.1% Carbon: All steels have carbon. Carbon adds hardness and strength properties. Any steel with 0.6% or more carbon content is what the industry calls “high-carbon” steel. 
• 0.6% Chromium: Chromium adds hardenability, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. There’s a caveat to corrosion resistance in 1095 Cro-Van — there’s not enough chromium to make it stainless steel.
• 0.06% Molybdenum: Molybdenum adds hardenability, strength, and toughness. 
• 0.25% Nitrogen: Nitrogen adds strength and edge retention. 
• 0.25% Silicon: Silicon adds strength.
• 0.25% Vanadium: Vanadium adds hardness and wear resistance.

This isn’t the complete composition of 1095-Cro-Van. Only what’s been added above and beyond regular 1095. However, in practical use, I can’t tell the difference between 1095 and the Cro-Van version. Both are high-carbon steels that are hard, tough, and easy to sharpen. On the flip side, they’re not stainless steel and need a bit more care to keep rust-free.

Saber Flat Grind

I’m not quite sure why KA-BAR lists the Becker BK2 as having a flat grind, but it’s clearly a saber grind. I guess you could call it a saber flat grind. The edge and main bevel are a flat grind and stop approximately 2/3 up the blade stock. Using a saber grind instead of a full flat grind means retaining more spine and tip strength, but also adds a bit more weight. Retaining a thicker spine also provides more wedging power when chopping and batoning.

With a 1/4” thick blade, the Becker BK2 is a pry bar with an edge. Some might think the 1/4” stock is overkill, but we’re talking about the “Armageddon Knife.” I don’t think anyone would disagree that having more strength is good, especially in a heavy-use camp knife. Also, more weight is not necessarily a bad thing as we’ll see in testing.

Testing the Becker BK2

I’ll start by noting that the tests are based on my needs in a camp knife. I don’t do much backpack camping anymore. In addition, the Becker BK2 is a tad too heavy to be lugging for 30-40 miles into the wilderness. We do have a nice fire pit in the backyard and we partake in glamping once in a while. This means that I never have an axe too far from reach to handle the big stuff. And for the little stuff? I can’t remember the last time I didn’t carry a pocket knife. That said, my primary uses for the BK2 include chopping, batoning, and making kindling/tinder.

Chopping

We live in a 2.5-acre forest. Let’s just say we don’t have a shortage of fallen branches in our neck of the woods. It takes one good thunderstorm to create an afternoon of work clearing trails. I’ll get right to it — the Becker BK2 is an exceptional chopper.

Remember when I mentioned that having more weight wasn’t necessarily bad? The combination between weight and the saber grind ejects wood faster than my body rejecting food bought on the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. That is to say, it chops through wood with great efficiency.

Batoning

“You have access to an axe. Why baton?”  For those of you unfamiliar, batoning is a wood processing method. This method involves repeatedly striking the spine of a blade using a baton-sized stick or mallet. Thus, the blade acts as a wedge to split or cut wood. I typically baton pieces of wood that are too thin to safely split with my forest axe. It provides a bit more control on splitting, especially to make kindling to start a fire.

The upper limit of batoning for the Becker BK2 is about 3 inches. You could get away with a 4-inch wide piece of wood, but you’re making life harder for yourself with the 5.25” blade. I have full confidence in the strength of the Becker BK2. Batoning is no exception. I’m able to baton 3-4” wide pieces of wood all day, every day. Even when I’m only striking the blade tip, the Becker BK2 takes the beating like an undisputed heavyweight champ.

Kindling and Tinder

I baton wood so that I can process it even further. Sure I can use the plethora of sticks around my property, but what’s the fun in that? As I’ve mentioned, I always have a pocket knife to handle the small stuff. Making kindling and tinder is about as intricate of tasks as my Becker BK2 will handle. Not surprisingly, it has no problems turning logs into fast-burning fuel. While I would reserve feather-sticking to my pocket knife, the Becker BK2 has no problems producing paper-thin wooden curls. In addition, producing a bundle of small sticks only takes a few light taps. From log to fire starting material, the process takes me about 5 minutes with the Becker BK2.

KA-BAR Becker BK2 Sheath

Ah, the sheath. Probably the most controversial item that comes with the Becker BK2. Earlier versions were made from glass-filled nylon. Consequently, there were reports of premature edge wear when using this early version. No bueno. KA-BAR must have changed the polymer or the design as I have not had issues with premature edge wear.

Blade Retention

For the most part, I really like the OEM sheath. It has rock-solid blade retention with a minute amount of blade rattle. I debated whether or not to even mention the blade rattle since it’s negligible. Regardless, it’s there but does not reduce my confidence in its blade retaining ability.  The sheath also has an oddly satisfying snap upon blade insertion.

The blade retaining ability is so good, that some may find it hard to remove the knife. It includes a thumb ramp to press the knife out of the sheath. The thumb ramp is ridged and provides a decent amount of surface area. Even with thick leather gloves, I can press the blade from the sheath. Unless you’re a fan of shoulder dislocation, you’ll want to get used to using the thumb ramp. Okay, I’m being a bit hyperbolic, but seriously use the thumb ramp.

Belt Loop

The OEM sheath comes with a fully detachable nylon belt loop. It’s mounted to the sheath with four screws and can be relocated for all the southpaws. There’s also a snap fastener to keep the BK2 handle from hanging at an awkward angle. It’s a simple design and one that I could not stand after the first use. Sorry, I don’t have a picture of the OEM belt loop since it was replaced immediately with a Blade-Tech Tek-Lok belt clip. Here are my reasons for replacing the nylon belt loop:

1. The nylon loop is too floppy for my tastes. I’m constantly moving when I’m outdoors. The BK2 is not a light knife and I found there was too much movement when I’m performing my outdoor tasks. 
2. I like to resheath my knife when it’s not in use. This is especially true when my young kids are around. Just the thought of having to use the snap fastener with gloves is reason enough to replace the nylon belt loop. 
3. You have to partially remove your belt anytime it comes on or off. This is just inconvenient.

The Blade-Tech Tek-Lok belt clip solves all these issues and it’s easy to install. Once you drill out the rivets holding the nylon loop, you just use the provided screws to attach the Tek-Lok. The holes line up so perfectly, it makes me wonder if KA-BAR intentionally had this modification in mind. Finally, the Tek-Lok also allows me to scout carry the Becker BK2 if I ever choose to do so. Definitely not an option with the OEM belt loop. You can find the Blade-Tech Tek-Lok on Amazon.

Other Sheath Features

I realize I’ve spent a lot of time on the sheath. I’ll quickly mention that the sheath also comes with Molle webbing slots. Great attachment points to mount to a pack or anything you can think of. Finally, there’s a drainage hole located at the bottom to keep the Becker BK2 from swimming in liquid. I will note that there is another version that comes with a fully nylon sheath. If that’s your cup of tea, I would recommend getting the KA-BAR Becker BK22. Same knife, different sheath.

Fit and Finish

Ultramid Scales

Ultramid is just the name of the performance polymer (plastic) created by BASF. The properties of Ultramid include high strength, rigidity, impact strength, chemical resistance, dimensional stability, and it’s simple to process. The Becker BK2 scales are injection molded and have great fit and finish. They are perfectly molded and completely smooth. I did worry about the smoothness of the scales, but it surprisingly provides excellent grip. I found this to be true even when wet.

One of the main reasons I went with the BK2 over similar knives is the ergonomic handle. The scales are perfectly contoured for my hands. As a result, the contouring and smoothness provide blister-free operation for any length of time. If you prefer to have a little more grip, KA-BAR does offer micarta or G10 scales with the same excellent contouring. 

Powder Coated Blade

From tip to tang, the Becker BK2 blade comes fully powder coated. Naturally, this provides protection from corrosion. The powder coat is even and adequately tough, but it is starting to abrade where the saber meets the flat grind. I don’t blame this on KA-BAR. I don’t expect any coating to last on a hard-use knife such as the BK2.

While I do like the corrosion protection the powder coat provides, I would prefer the blade to be uncoated. The BK2 is sold as a camp and hunting knife, but many in the bushcraft and survivalist game also use this knife. The powder coat doesn’t allow me to strike a ferrocerium rod. There’s something so satisfying about sending a shower of sparks from a ferro rod to start a fire. Certainly not a deal-breaker since I can strip the coating off myself. But I do wish KA-BAR offered an uncoated version of the Becker BK2.

Full Tang

As you would expect from a knife such as the Becker BK2, it is unequivocally full tang. That 1/4” blade stock? Yeah, it runs the length of the handle as well. Not only that, the tang extends slightly beyond the scales and is squared off. This creates a pommel with a striking surface. While I personally wouldn’t drive tent stakes with the pommel of a BK2, it is capable of doing so. I’d say it’s more suited to cracking shells, especially the ones in the black walnut variety found on my property.

Final Thoughts

There isn’t much to say that I haven’t already stated. The KA-BAR Becker BK2 is a beast, a tank, a pry-bar with an edge. A knife that I trust in pre-apocalyptic times and would trust in post-apocalyptic times. The BK2 is cheaper than most knives in the same size and class, but by no means is a cheap (quality) knife. Part of those savings come from the Ultramid scales and plastic sheath. I personally don’t have an issue with either. On the other hand, there is no shortage of custom scales or sheaths in the market. Hell, even KA-BAR offers replacement micarta or G10 scales. If you’re in the market for a camping, hunting, survival, or bushcraft knife, look no further than the KA-BAR Becker BK2.

Technical Specifications

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KA-BAR Becker BK2 (Plastic Sheath)

KA-BAR Becker BK22 (Nylon Sheath)

Blade-Tech Tek-Lok Belt Clip

KA-BAR Micarta Scales (Black)

KA-BAR Micarta Scales (Tan)

KA-BAR G10 Scales (Grey)