New Knife - Ka-Bar Becker BK7

I just got this little beauty last week. I was able to take it out the other day and put it through a little bit of wood splitting using the baton method. It performed wonderfully. 

The seven inches of steel with the full tang through the handle plowed well through several logs making some nice kindling for the fire. I was wanting a knife that fit between my smaller blades (I.e. The Ontario RAT 3 and Remoras) and the beefy nine inch Ontario Spec Plus Marine Raider Bowie. I have a Kabar Fighting Utility Knife that is also a seven inch blade that I loved for backpacking but the rat-tail through the handle simply won't allow it to handle batoning through wood.  It's a great all around knife but now has a slight bend in it :(

 

I was trying to decide between the BK7 and the Ontario RAT7.  It finally came down to price.  The BK7 was around $68 on Amazon and the RAT7 was around $95.  Looking today the RAT7 has jumped to $106 and the BK7 is about $70.  In the reviews I scoured I couldn't find one that seemed decisively better than the other.  On the BladeForum in the Kabar section they, of course, raved of the BK over the RAT.

The BK7 seems to be a nice compromise for size and weight constraints.  My plans for this blade are backpacking and general outdoor use. Here's what their website says about it...

 

"The ultimate BK&T all-purpose utility knife was designed specifically for soldiers and adventurers requiring a sturdy but lightweight combat knife that can stand up to hard use.
Made in the USA."

I'll probably put some type of lanyard on it so that I can choke down on the handle for a bit of extra length for chopping.  It doesn't have the heft of the bowie but it definitely holds its own in the chopping department.  The blade stood up well but of course the coating began wearing off pretty quickly - which it to be expected.  I want this for a hard use knife not a show piece for display (although I think it only looks cooler with the wear and tear).  Hopefully I can get out in the woods soon for some more fun.  I'll let you know how it handles.

 

~Rhyno

A Little Winter Weather

Just thought I'd post up a pic of some birds enjoying my feeder with our second snow of winter.  We just had our church services cancelled so it'll be a fun snow day at home with the family.  We might have to venture outside for some snowballs a bit later.

Here's this same shot using Instagram...

Get out there!

~Rhyno

Ontario Rat-3 update

Just wanted to give a quick update on the Rat-3 difficulties I had posted about previously. I contacted Ontario and received a quick response and equally quick package in the mail containing replacement inserts and screws for the handle. Way to go Ontario! I haven't had to use them yet since I was able to replace the original insert after I tweaked it. I put the screws back with blue lock tight and have had no issues. I've been keeping the Rat-3 by my wood burning stove and using it to baton kindling. I am enjoying this blade. 

Get out there!

~Rhyno

Firebox Nano Stove - First Impressions

I just received the Firebox Nano in the mail today. 

(Pictured above - Firebox Nano, Trangia, Ontario Rat 3, Olicamp Cup, Light My Fire fire steel)

I had been looking at these for the past couple of months and finally pulled the trigger. I wanted to get a wood burning stove for backpacking and general outdoor use. What finally pushed me over the edge was that I received a Trangia alcohol stove for Christmas...

The Firebox stoves are designed with the Trangia in mind, in fact you can order a Trangia with the stove from the Firebox website. The Trangia uses HEET that is easily found at Walmart or most automotive stores. I need to test how long a bottle of fuel will last and how quickly I can expect a boil. I picked up this bottle for $1.77 at Wally World. 

The Firebox folds up extremely well and there is no assembly required, it simply unfolds into position. 

It's a great size and seems solidly built. I fired it up today with both the Trangia and some wood. I ran out of time to fully test it but am impressed so far. 

It breathes well and the loading holes work well for feeding in the wood. I'll have to post more after I get a chance to actually use it in a camping scenario. I can definitely tell there will be a bit of a learning curve with this stove. 

Get out there!

~Rhyno