BA-KOR DC53 Steel 36CM (14.3IN) Full Tang 6mm Thick Fixed Knife+Sheath&(5.9IN) Cerium Igniter, Suitable for Outdoor Hunting, Camping, Survival Exploration, EDC

Edit: This knife continues to impress me beyond anything I could have hoped for. I'd post pictures for proof of this next bit, but gore, so I'll have to refrain. I was hanging and skinning a deer today. I did NOT need a saw. One chop, and this knife cut cleanly through the entirety of a deer's neck vertebrae. Not between the vertebrae..Through it... Absolutely zero edge damage of any kind. It still shaves. I do not understand. Original: This knife doesn't make any sense. It's good. Really good. At the price point, there are of course going to be imperfections. Inconsistencies with edge degree per side, minor fit and finish issues, sub-par sheath, blocky handle scales, etc. I Don't Care.. At all. 10 minutes with a Dremel and sandpaper fixed the handle, for one thing. Second, The inconsistencies with fit and finish were mostly handle centric and were easily fixed in the process of sanding the handle. The sheath is whatever. Needed a lot of leather treatment (pine tar/beeswax/oil mix is great), and it will take a couple more applications before the "leather," is pliable. I'll probably end up making my own. Where this thing really shines is the steel. I couldn't believe it. The heat treat on this thing is immaculate. Nearly shaving sharp right out of the box and took 2 minutes on a 1000 grit stone and a strop to make it shaving sharp. After fitting the handle the way I wanted, I immediately tested it by batoning through a log so large the blade could barely accommodate the width. Then I chopped through a dry log of Douglas fir roughly 8 inches in diameter. After that, I proceeded to make 20+ single stroke clean cuts through an inch and a half diameter branch. Don't get me wrong, I'm strong, but I couldn't do that unless the blade geometry and steel were up to the task. Anyway, after all that abuse the knife still cut cleanly through paper and took five or six passes on a strop to have it back to shaving hair off my arm in a single pass. At this price, I cannot possibly understand how you can do better. Plus, it doesn't cost enough for you to care too much about it, so you can use it for what it's actually designed to do. Which is hacking things apart brutally and with reckless abandon. Just buy it and have a blast. It's a knife, it's an axe, it's a machete, it's a cleaver, and it's damn good steel. Aside from my rifle and pack, it's going to be my best friend come hunting season. One thing to be mindful of though. Edge burn is definitely going to be a risk factor in purchasing a budget knife like this. Mine was pristine right out of the box, but if you notice that it's not holding an edge quite right I can practically guarantee it will after you've sharpened it enough times and ground down to the steel that wasn't heated too much when the factory edge was put on it.

For the money definitely a hard choice to beat. It’s well built and doesn’t feel like a cheap chinese stamp with low grade wood grip nor does it look like it. Mine arrived quickly and was well sealed it had a small amount of oil that wiped right off, not sure if the dry climate was to blame but the wood pieces were fit very nicely no gaps anywhere on the knife. Only dig was the blockiness of the front portion on the grips definitely could use a bit of sanding there but overall nothing that impeded the comfort and functionality of the knife. As for the size this is a big knife however the weight is well within controllable and for the thickness it is actually pretty reasonable. When it comes to the sheath yes I’ve seen nicer but for the price point and the knife quality I’ll take the solid stitching and thickness of the leather it’ll hold up fine for most any use. The steel is not something I have any experience with but after using this knife I can say that it holds up great. My edge had no difference from the box to cutting through branches this thing was great it stayed shave sharp with no damage to the finish. I’ve had a good bit of large bladed knives this is now one of my favorites to throw in a bag or keep in a vehicle, after putting it through my test it seems to hold up to abuse and at the same time it’s a good price point to not stress about it. I haven’t heard of the company or seen much information on them which gave me some hesitation at first but this is definitely a knife; I’d recommend buying if you’re looking for a good large thick blade or like me just interested in the BA-KOR products.

What a beautiful knife..it’s very well crafted and the sheath is top notch. It is very sharp and well weighted and fits well in the hand. Definitely one of the best knives I’ve ever owned. Well worth the price

The knife if really good but the sharp edges of the handle needs some sanding to remove hotspots when using,...now the sheath is another story,it looks fancy and pretty but is total crap....it's fake leather and cheaply made....they should just junk the pleather and use a polymer sheath and maybe raise the price $7-$10......the Ferro rod is good d size and throws a decent shower of sparks after the initial scrapes to remove the coating

Great knife for outdoorsmen. I usually carry a Bowie when in the woods either hunting or camping. This knife is not only a thick blade, but it came shaving sharp out of the box. It has a thick handle also, which helps get a great purchase on this blade. The sheath is also very nice. As far as a hard working no nonsense outdoors blade, this will git er dun with little issue. For fine work, I use a folding trapper knife but for most hunting, this knife will perform perfectly. As far as self defense goes, this blade is perfect for 4 legged or 2 legged critters.

I purchased two of these when they were on sale, but even today they are priced at $39 - which is a bargain. The knife is built like a tank, very thick DC53 stock with a good factory edge. Suitable for a camp chopper, perhaps more. The pommel is exposed and ridged so that it can be used as an improvised hammer, and the handle scales are large and fit the hand well. I’ll know more about any blockiness on the scales after I whack on it for awhile. The spine has sectional jimping for different choke up grips, but also for scraping. While the included ferro rod comes with a striker, I’ll be curious if the spine has enough edging to strike on its own. It would have been nice to have something incorporated into the sheath to include the rod and striker, perhaps a loop or pocket. The sheath seems ok, it’s not a premium grade like I have seen on Cudeman or Jeo- Tec, but this is not a $100 plus knife. The retention strap seems solid. I’ve said this about their other models, but I’m not a big fan of the Miller Bros. induced blade treatment. However, that should not take away from the fact that this is a really good knife for the price. AA++

Absolutely great heavy camp knife / chopper. DC53 steel (for comparison, an upgraded D2) holds a sharp edge very well. Wooden handle is fairly thick, but provides excellent grip in medium to large hand. Included heavy leather sheath is good quality, large loop will fit most belts. Also included is a large fire steel with striker. Excellent rugged set for very affordable price. Definitely would buy again! Robert B.

Very well made knife and heavy duty for survival. I sharpened it up a bit more and it’s shaving sharp now. Only weakness is the sheath but it’s not terrible. I bought a BK9 Kabar sheath for it instead of the leather it came with. Can’t complain for the price, size, and sturdiness of this knife.

I will have to sand a small section of the handle near the hilt it has a bit of an uncomfortable edge. I was able to get a regular piece of paracord through the handle hole. Just melt the end just enough so it does come undone and slowly twist it through the hole. I might have a Kydex sheath made for the knife later. It's a Beast of a knife and I like it alot. It will be interesting to see what I can do with it in the spring & summer.

Solid

Pretty good overall. Heavy chopper type blade. Good fit and finish. Came with a small nick in the sweep toward the tip. Difficult to see unless light reflects on the deformation or chip. Can feel it easily. Should not come from the factory like this.