June 30, 2023 Rick Stowe

An Interview with Ethan Becker of Becker Knife & Tool

While it's probably a safe assumption that most knife and bushcraft enthusiasts have heard of Ethan Becker, we want to make sure that no one misses the details of how impressive this gentleman is. For starters, his family is responsible for one of the most influential cookbooks of all time. The Joy of Cooking has been revised several times, but it all started with Ethan's grandmother, Irma Starkloff Rombauer, in 1931. Since then, the book has seen several revisions, including a couple that were supervised by Ethan and his son, and it's sold over 20 million copies.

Ethan is also the designer of the famous and sought-after Becker Patrol Pack. The Becker Patrol Pack originated as a frameless alternative to the ALICE pack, the most widely used military pack of the era. It was produced by Eagle Industries, and it became a favorite pack for special forces. With pockets sized to hold a load of sustainment equipment, sleeves behind the side pockets for long objects, and interior organization, it was years ahead of its time. Even today, it's highly sought after, with examples fetching $300 plus on the secondary market.

Of course, we'd be remiss, not to mention the huge impact Mr. Becker has had on the world of knives and cutting tools. Since the formation of Becker Knife & Tool in 1986, numerous award-winning designs have hit the market. We've previously highlighted the Kephart-inspired BK62, and this year we were able to get a look at the BK19, which is a modern reimagining of the Nessmuck pattern.