Now that I'm retired with more time to enjoy hobbies I've been on a bit of a knife focus.

Santa brought me a Becker BK62 Kephart knife (beautiful knife, but a tad too long for my taste - I would have liked it more with a 4.5 inch blade, though I know historically the buying choices were either 4 or 5). This month I finally gave in to a long-time urge to aquire a Becker BK9 (BIG knife!). I also bought a Becker BK40 folder mostly out of curiosity (similar blade size to Doug's full size Mk1, but sadly a much much lower quality knife than the Mk1. Oh, and it uses a liner lock- ugh!). As you can tell, I like Becker's knives.

I've been using my Becker BK16 more lately, and really enjoy the blade size and geometry, but the curve at the end of the handle is a bit irritating for my ogre-sized (XXL) hands. I also admit that I have a bit of an irrational concern that the blade will rust between uses. Still, it is a great knife especially for the price - highly recommended. I actually bought BK16's for my kids this Christmas.

In the end I keep coming back to Doug Ritter's RSK MK3 as my all time favorite fixed blade knife. For me, it's just the right blade length, the blade shape I prefer, semi-stainless steel, and a very comfortable handle. It might be a minor point, but whoever designed the sheath had the brilliant idea to add a little bit extra plastic above the top of the blade liner pocket. This prevents the tip of the blade from catching (digging/cutting) into the gap between the liner and the nylon. Brilliant!!

I have the original MK3, and probably will eventually purchase the new MK3-G2 so I can keep one in my outdoor pack, and use one around the house. Every day is like going camping when you're retired and living in a national forest in the Wisconsin northwoods!! (... even if it was -17 °F when we woke up this morning ... it's worth it)

If you haven't already looked at the MK3, I very highly recommend you take the time to do so. It's only available at https://knifeworks.com/kw-exclusives/

Here is a good YouTube review of the MK3 https://youtu.be/ktb8P6eKBxs . There are a few other reviews if you search.

And if you don't already have a Ritter MK1, it is honestly worth every penny! Besides, a portion of the cost of every Ritter knife goes to support KnifeRights.org which actively protects your right to carry a knife.