Defiant7’s founders, Les George and Chad Nichols, love to collaborate with other knife makers. That’s the entire basis of their Project M320-X line. They also have standalone designs they’ve done with others. For example, the Defiant7 BK is the result of a collaboration.
The BK is a collab with Allan Elishewitz. He has been training in various combative martial arts since a very young age. He also served as a Recon Marine. This training and experience serve to inform his knife designs. He makes knives that function in the real world, rather than ones that just look cool sitting on a shelf.
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According to Defiant7, the BK is a fighting knife that’s sort of a modern take on a dirk.
Defiant7 BK Design and Materials
The S45VN steel blade of the BK runs 4.75 inches, and the knife has an overall length of 9.38 inches. It’s not a small knife, but it’s also not something you’ll find awkward to carry.
The blade is a spear point design, with a nice swedge running most of the spine. The jimping is kind of thick and chunky, rather than feeling like tiny serrations. The end result is something that doesn’t feel painful under your thumb.
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The handle scales are contoured and textured G-10. Orange liners add a little visual pop to the mix. The knife is also available in orange G-10 rather than black, if you’re looking for something that’s a bit bolder.
Side to side, the handle is about 0.5 inch thick. On paper, this sounds like it would be too thin, but it’s actually very comfortable in hand. In fact, this is one of the most ergonomic knives I’ve evaluated in quite some time.
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The BK comes with a Kydex scabbard that’s equipped with an Ulti Clip. This can be removed via two screws, should you want to explore other mounting options. The retention is strong without causing problems with deployment.
That said, it is not suitable for handle-down carry, such as affixed upside down on a backpack strap or something. The knife will slip out eventually as you move about. Not at all a deal-breaker for me, but I know some folks like to get creative with where and how they carry a fixed blade.
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Does It Make the Cut?
I’ve had the Defiant7 BK for a few months. It’s come along hiking and camping, as well as running errands and whatnot. Honestly, it’s not the type of knife that I’d usually grab for EDC, as it’s a bit on the large side for that. Don’t get me wrong, it fits just fine in a cargo pocket on pants or shorts. And I love to EDC a fixed blade, preferring it over a folder all other things being equal. But, yeah, the BK is an investment in pocket real estate.
I tell you all of that to tell you this. I absolutely love this knife. Like, bordering on having an inappropriate amount of adoration for it. The handle seems custom-fit for my grip. It’s slightly handle-heavy in terms of the balance point, so the knife feels like it almost falls into the hand.
After carrying it for several weeks, I put it through a few more or less objective tests to gauge its ergonomics, cutting ability, and such.
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I started by boring a hole in a thick board with the tip of the BK. This tests a couple of aspects of the knife. First, will the tip hold up to this sort of work? Second, how easy is it to control the knife with this sort of twisting motion? The BK did very well with both elements. The blade’s tip didn’t deform in the least as it dug into the wood, twisting and prying out chunks. And there were no control issues with the handle.
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Next up was slicing. I grabbed a piece of scrap leather first and began using long, dragging cuts into it. From there, I used shorter cuts that utilized more of the tip than the belly of the blade. In both cases, the leather parted easily. I did the same with a cloth webbed belt that was a bit thicker than the leather. Again, no issues at all, though the belt did have to be held securely or it would drag along with the blade rather than be sliced cleanly.
Cardboard is by far one of the most common materials we end up cutting and slicing. Fortunately, there are always boxes sitting around that need to be broken down, though perhaps not always in this particular manner.
I sliced off part of a box, then began cutting up that scrap. The blade of the BK is just thick enough to cause some drag when it’s cutting through, sitting on end, rather than lying flat. It isn’t awful, but it’s definitely noticeable. On the other hand, slicing the cardboard on a cutting board or other surface caused no issues at all.
Recommendation?
I can’t recommend the Defiant7 BK highly enough. Five stars across the board.
Find it at all of the usual suspects, including DLT Trading, KnifeCenter, and KnivesShipFree.