I ran across an ad for a tiny Ka-Bar knife designed by Nathan Becker called a Becker Remora and found one on eBay for $20.
Becker is known for designing some monster military-style knives, but he also created a smaller model known as the Becker Necker. That isn't a bad knife for hikers, but there are other fixed blade knives of the same weight that are probably more useful. The Necker is made of carbon steel, which makes it difficult to use around salt water and needs a little extra care to keep it from rusting. I do prefer stainless steel knives and eventually sold the Necker that I owned.
Ka-Bar has been manufacturing Becker's designs and recently released the Remora model. It is made of 440A stainless steel. 440A is not considered to be a premium knife steel, but it isn't terrible. Hardening and other manufacturing techniques can make a real difference in how a particular alloy works as a cutting tool. It is inexpensive and soft enough to be field sharpened. I use Swiss Army knives as a benchmark for inexpensive outdoor knives and my first impression is that this steel is at least as good as you will find in a Swiss Army knife.
The knife is 5-1/2" long in the sheath, 5-3/16" long by itself, with a 2-1/4" blade. It is a skeleton style knive, with blade and handle being all one piece of steel, with no handles or scales. There are lightening holes in the handle and three round holes for lanyard and lashing as a spear head. The blade shape is a drop point design and the edge is hollow-ground, all the way to the spine. The handle has a bit of surface texturing.
Weight you ask? [drum roll] It is a mere 1.4oz/40g with the sheath and 1.1oz/30g without.
The lanyards are my addition.
Conclusion:
This is a small, lightweight, inexpensive knife. It provides a sharp edge, useful for fire-starting techniques like making fuzz sticks and scraping firesteels. It could be used for cleaning fish and small game and basic food prep, opening packaging,repairs, etc. With the 440A steel I would not expect long-term edge holding properties, but it is more than adequate and can be easily resharpened in the field with a small ceramic or diamond stone. It should be rust proof. Adding a line for a neck or belt lanyard will keep the knife close at hand and prevent loss. This knife is light enough for comfortable use as a "necker" or can be carried in a pocket. The molded plastic sheath does the job– simple, light, and secure. I like the overall design of the knife and I am satisfied with the purchase.
IMHO, the major drawback for this style of knife is the handle size. It is difficult to really bear down with a handle like this. Adding a small loop lanyard as shown in the photos helps stabilize the knife a bit, with the loop wrapped around the ring and little finger. Skeleton knife handles are commonly wrapped with cord, which improves handling and provides an a supply of line in an emergency. A handle this small should be wrapped using small diameter braided line like the 1.5" reflective cord I used for the lanyard.
