Hey everyone,

I had been looking for a good all around big knife for a while, something I could backpack with in leu of an axe, saw, survival knife, etc. And for general camp use. Wanted something with at least 5" blade, and wasn't too picky about overall length as long as it was under 12. I ended up buying an Ontario Afghan Bush because I got a screamin' deal on it from a guy at the SHOT Show, haven't used it yet (but don't have box).
Now though I have been hearing a lot about the Ka-bar Becker BK2. Don't know how I missed it at the SHOT Show or why I hadn't heard about it before. Starting to wonder if I made the right choice, so before I use the Afghan I am asking you all, should I just keep the Afghan and not worry? Or which one is better? I think I'm going to order the BK2 and compare them, but would love to hear opinions as to what you all think of either/both knives.

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Still just a kid at heart

The Becker line is known to be extremely tough, and Becker fans (known as Beckerheads) will wax poetic about their chosen brand, and claim it is second to none. I cannot disagree, and I will be adding a Becker Airman to my collection soon.

I happen to like Ontario products, and have owned numerous OKC knives over the years. Better or worse than a Becker? That's subjective, but you'll be hard pressed to damage either in the course of regular chores. If you were to suffer a catastrophic failure, both companies offer a generous warrantee.

You can't go wrong with a Becker or OKC.

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I'm with the banned ...

Buy the Becker and keep them both. We just had a long thread with a guy who was trying to settle on just one knife. I think the Becker and the Ontario both came up (or was that another recent thread?). He ended up realizing he would need at least two.

I don't have either, so cannot advise you, although the Becker has been on my want list for some time. You could be the guy who can speak authoritatively to both.

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Not in jail.

I do love Ontario's products, they have a great reputation. I can't afford two knives right now though, and frankly can't justify it in my mind...but maybe I'll just have to haha. I have never owned anything Ka-Bar except for a Short Black Tanto, with which I was SORELY disappointed.

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Still just a kid at heart

What are the weights between the two? Remember, ounces feel like pounds when you do a lot of hiking.

I have the Becker BK-2, it weighs a pound, think of it as a pry bar with an edge... it is 1/4" thick and can field dress a Buick.
If you can deal with the weight while backpacking, go for it.

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"Life is short, hunt hard"

Welp, selling the Ontario in the Classifieds section. The BK2 has a couple things that I like better, namely a lanyard hole, and the pommel.

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Still just a kid at heart

Go over to BladeForums.com and go to the Becker Knife & Tool sub-forum; there is a wealth of information on the BK-2 and the modifications you can do to enhance it.

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"Life is short, hunt hard"

Say Heah Guy's and Gals, I like both my O. K. C. Ranger Afghan and my Becker BK-2 prolly equally. Although for the last two weeks I used my Ranger Knives alot. I like knives and I go in the bush alot. Sometimes just for a Butcher Shop Hot Dog and mustard/onions and some Pork and Beans Coffee and a nice Cigar I call it my Afternoon Delight. No I don't usually take my Rangers for a Afternoon Delight, but I did take them last weekend to bush craft a little.
But I did modify my Rangers. I took a smooth file and rounded the corners and took off the hot spots so now my handles fit my hand near perfect.
I also sharpened my Rangers with my Work Sharp and now both are very sharp.
But what I did notice and kept the continuous curve on my Afghan. I think that's very important to be able to slice with any knife when ever possible to keep that type of curve on the edge. According to Mors Kochansky.
I also agree a knife should be strong that's why weekends I test combo's because I like doing solo scouts in New area's.
Infact I added my Ranger RD-9 to make a very strong combo. Getting them sharp on my Work Sharp wasn't that hard either.
Yeah, It's a hefty set, but if ever I was in a survival situation, I definitely wouldn't mind having my Ranger Knives.
When I got back from our weekend trip, I continued using them because all I needed to do is strop them back to how I like my knives to be.
Mors said in one of his books that a knife should be able to slice smooth so you didn't have to sand the wood. Well maybe their not that sharp, but I can make good enough tinder and what else do I need. Yeah, I can do it with my Afghan and almost with my RD-9.
So, Yeah, and besides, I use my RD-9 more as a Survival Knife, but mostly to baton chop. It's a great chopper, and I always liked Choils.
To me Choils is like having two knives in one. Actually I can finish most jobs with either knives. But for task specifics, especially fine tasks, I prefer my Ranger Afghan.
I think guys think too thick of a Knife can't do fine tasks,. But my friend could carve a spoon with his BK-2.
I like my Ranger Afghan a little better in that case because of the Choil, I never ran out of blade length because of a choil. I also like the fact my Afghan doesn't have jumping, I can really choke up on mine, now that both my handles fit real good.
I know they use the 1095 CroVan also for car springs, but I had a real good experience with my 5160 Ranger RD-9. I had it Curved alot once that I thought it was ruined, Yup, It straightened out true, and I've been using it ever since.
Too bad both have been discontinued, and I wanted to buy another set. But I saw a $300.00 price tag in just a Ranger Afghan. Go figure WoW.
I just feel more conformable beating on a hunk of 5160, so I guess mentally it has the edge.
I'm just glad I have the both Ranger Afghan and my BK-2 because I would still have a hard choice if I had a choice to buy just one after having experience with both. I hope this helps someone if they have a chance to buy a Ranger Afghan at a good price. I say most definitely buy it. Because later one you could always buy a BK-2 unless they discontinue it also.
Well Boys and Girls. That's my 00.02 worth, Enjoy the rest of your summer and stay safe with your sharp knives. Oh, Go Browns, They most certainly played Great against New Orleans 20-14 (Exhibition). Go Browns.,,. p


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Not sayin' you shouldn't buy or keep both of the knives you are talking about, but if you will try the Ontario ( I think ) brand of short machete that was designed by Blackie Collins for the military, you will not be disappointed. They run about $20 to $25, and if you look around you can find the military issue heavy-duty sheath for about $12 to $15.
I like them so well that I have two of them. One of the reasons they cut so well is that they are pretty thin, but not so much so that they are very flexible.
Their thin but deep blades cut almost anything better than any of the heavy blades that are the rage now that measure nearly 1/4" in diameter. Especially smaller limbs and brush.
On two different occaisions I have cut down trees with trunks approximately 10 to 12 inches in diameter with less trouble than you would expect.
These short machetes will not make as good of a pry bar as the heavy-bladed Becker-type stuff, but one should not be using a good knife for that anyway.
Another bonus of the machete is that they weigh much less than the other knives being discussed here.
Remember, I am talking about the short machete only.

UpNo preference between those two. Pick the one you like. I will make a suggestion in a different direction. I have an Opinel saw that I love looks like an Opinel knife but has a very good saw blade. It's light, handy, and locks open and closed. I would not go camping without it.

Sucked in by a zombie thread again. ����

This zombie thread seems to have lost its original focus during its three years of dormancy. Accordingly, just two words: Varusteleka Skrama.

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Not in jail.