Comparison Ka-Bar Becker Combat BK10 vs Ka-Bar Becker Combat BK7

The hardness of the material used for the knife blade. This parameter is one of the key characteristics of the blade. On the one hand, high hardness means that the cutting edge will not deform, wrinkle and dull prematurely, and the blade itself will bend under transverse loads; on the other hand, hard material is difficult to sharpen and is often rather brittle.

For knife blades, Rockwell hardness measurement and designation according to the appropriate scale (HRC) are used. Most good quality steel knives have a hardness of around 52 - 58 HRC - this range is considered to correspond to the optimal ratio of characteristics. For other materials, the numbers can be noticeably lower without any noticeable loss of reliability; see "Blade material" for details. And hardness above 60 HRC is extremely rare - mainly in premium grade steels and higher. In such steels, the brittleness characteristic of hard materials is eliminated through the use of various high-grade additives, and the difficulty in sharpening is compensated by the blade's long service life.

It is worth remembering that hardness is not the only characteristic that determines the quality of the blade: a lot depends on the composition of the alloy, manufacturing technology, etc. However, this is a fairly clear indicator that characterizes the features of a particular material; this is especially true for steel.

The total length of the knife blade. This characteristic is one of the most important, with several practical points associated with it.

Firstly, the length of the blade is directly determined by the purpose of the product, and even within the same type (see above) there may be different options. For example, hunting knives for skinning (skinners) are usually quite short, up to 10 cm - in contrast to general-purpose options. Therefore, it is worth choosing a model according to this parameter, taking into account the work for which you plan to use the knife.

Secondly, the dimensions of the blade determine the overall dimensions of the knife itself. This is especially important for outdoor models (see "Type"): although the knife is usually worn folded, it is customary to indicate its dimensions in the specifications for the unfolded position. And by the length of the blade, you can quite clearly estimate the length of the knife when folded: usually it is 1.5 - 1.7 times longer than that of the blade itself, and in any case, the knife cannot be shorter than its own blade.

Thirdly, the length of the blade can be (and in many CIS countries is) one of the criteria for determining whether a knife belongs to a cold weapon. Usually, regulatory documents indicate a certain minimum length value: shorter blades do not fall into the category of edged weapons, regardless of their design, and for longer blades, specific evaluation criteria come into force...(hardness of the material, shape of the point, blade thickness, etc.).

At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the length of the blade can be measured in different ways: from the point to the beginning of the handle, from the point to the peg used in opening, etc. In practical application, this moment does not play a decisive role, however, it can create legal problems: for example, state examination methods may not take into account the peg. So, if you have doubts about this, it is best to purchase a knife that has an official certificate that this model is not a melee weapon.

The thickness of the knife blade at its thickest point (usually at the butt). According to this parameter, one can to some extent evaluate the strength of the blade for transverse loads: a large thickness gives an appropriate margin of safety. At the same time, one should not forget that the “endurance” of a knife as a whole depends on many other features of its design, and only blades made of materials similar in properties can be compared in thickness. But what this indicator directly affects is the weight of the product.

Also, legal issues can be associated with the thickness of the blade, which determine whether a particular knife belongs to a cold weapon and the corresponding rules for buying, wearing and storing. The relevant rules may state, for example, that blades with a thickness of more than a certain value cannot be classified as melee weapons, regardless of other features.

The total weight of the knife. It is worth evaluating this indicator depending on the type (see above) and purpose: for example, for a compact hiking model, light weight is usually a virtue, among hunting and fishing it all depends on specialization, and a machete, by definition, must be weighty — otherwise, cut with such a blade it will just be uncomfortable.