Anyone have any problems with Bark River?

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Esav, do you think that "bad" steel at the edge is caused by decarb from laser blanking or from the heat treatment?
Esav Benyamin said:
It may not all be abuse or inexperienced users -- or someone falling asleep while convex grinding your knives. But thin edges and high hardness will cause relative brittleness. A careful sharpening, back past that thin edge, will get to better-heat-treated steel and a slightly more obtuse secondary bevel, to solve the problem.
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ozgooner said:
Get the best of both worlds - Fallkniven F1 with the BRKT handles. Outstanding package and my favourite knife (well ahead of my BK-2).
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I considered it, but the handles alone are the same price as an additional Fallkniven. I couldn't fathom paying that much for wood handles. I'm between a regular F1, the Bravo-1 in African Blackwood, or the Bravo-1 in generic Black Micarta. How's the grip on the wood scales BTW?
 
HuntBomb said:
... Has anyone noticed a real difference between the A2 and 3V? Besides rust resistance.
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Yeah, The Price. :moody:






The CPM 3V does hold an edge longer, but it's a bit tougher to sharpen.


Mostly, Bark River's A2 works fine for me, especial on thick blades like the Bravo Series.

That said, as new designs come out tailored to take advantage of this steels toughness going back to A2 won't be an option.





Big Mike
 
Thank you so much for the comment! This is by far the most useful one. I was just like you, not abusing them in any way shape or form but they broke. I will be sending them back and hoping for a full refund.

Redford
 
I have a wholesale account with a BRKT vendor. Whenever I buy one for myself as a keeper I usually buy two of the same model. One ALWAYS has uneven grind lines at best (sometimes both have issues). The others go in the case for sale. People get to handle them and see the knife before they buy and a lot of end users simply don't care about these issues. I was told repeatedly by the company and by the sheep at the otherforums.com (don't get me started on those guys.....no offense Big Mike) that this is what happens with "semi-handmade" knives. Funny, all of my other "semi-handmade" knives by other makers can manage to get the grind lines even, and they even get them to meet at the point like they should. My most recent purchase, a Blackjack 125 had a grind line that was over 1/8" off on the point.... When you get a good one they are awesome knives, great steel, comfortable handles, etc. I don't give a darn if I can send it back for free, why don't they just ship it the way it's supposed to be from the start? They just need to limit the grinding to skilled individuals and have trainees work on scrap pieces (or send the training blades to an "outlet store"?). Maybe hire a QC person? I want very badly to really love BRKT knives but for every one great blade I have (Smoke Jumper, Gameskeeper, Highland Special, Little Creek, and Aurora, all purchased as stated above, in two's just like Noah...), I've got to sell three of the "drunk guy on the grinder" knives. I took them up on the spa treatment only once. The knife was a "First Production Run" marked Gameskeeper II. The handle had a very strange piece of micarta where the whole right side looked smudged and/or melted. The knife went in brand new and came back looking brand new with a nice piece of micarta....and no "First Production Run" etch. It had been removed or it was a different knife. The knife has since been moved along in the same unused condition. I have come to the conclusion that it is less costly in time spent fooling around with all of these Bark Rivers (not to mention tying up the funds while I conduct end user quality control for Mike Stewart) to just get in line at Randall. I have had Randalls since my Model 5 graduation gift to myself upon completing my Forestry degree in '98 and they have always been perfect. That being said even my Buck knives (I know, I know... not "semi-handmade"...) have even grind lines. Yeah, grind lines being even and proportional is important to me. BRKT, for the following and reputation they have, is one of the worst offenders in this department.
 
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MJensen said:

People get to handle them and see the knife before they buy and a lot of end users simply don't care about these issues.
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MJensen, I think that statement sums up your problem with Bark River.


Being working knives by design and price point, the products our well received by MOST users.

Even you say that YOUR Customers who get to inspect the knives before buying are happy with knives that you are not happy with.

Obviously, you're more critical then the average Bark River Knife user.


...I don't give a sh_t if I can send it back for free...
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Now, the more critical knife buyer has the option of sending the knife back to fix any perceived visual imperfection, but you have made the discussion not to take advantage of the free services available.

In fact many Bark River Customer's send their knives back for modifications like edge grind mods, ramp removal and point and blade length changes; at no cost other then a 15 Dollar S&H charge.

The Lifetime sharpening and polishing policy (SPA Treatment) is another added value.



I submit, that no other knife company gives it's customers the such a wide variety of models and handle materials, not to mention modification options, period.

And that Bark River will work with users and collectors a like to give them exactly what they're looking for, be they safe queens or just woods bumming tools warrantied to last a lifetime.



I have come to the conclusion that it is less costly... ...to just get in line at Randall.
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If you find Randall Made Knives a better value then by all means get in line.

I just don't use my Randalls, but I have no fear in beating the hell out of Bark River Knives.




Big Mike
 
One of my favorite Youtube knife-related vids is of this Asian guy and his unhappiness with buying a knife fromn their custom line. It's long, but the gist of it is the super thin edge getting dinged/chipped. At one point in the video he is so worked up he says "this...is booshit!!" I laugh my butt off every time I think of that video.
Escalation in temper begins around 8:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4ss8NtqEkw
 
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The two I have arrived very sharp and have held up well with no chips or rolling. They are, Blackwater Bootknife 2 and Big Sky Camp Knife.
 
There have been tales of bad edge grinds and heat-treatment but every time I messed up a BRK knife they fixed it. If it's messed up and it's their fault, they would probably replace it, but all failures I have experienced were my fault.

in sum they have awesome products and while grind lines may not be perfect I don't care, because they still work the same for me.
 
xiaxia said:
Well don't buy these knives. Buy something better. Buy cold steel
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I laughed! As one of the original Bark River dealers, prior to the Escanaba move, and still a believer/user of their scary sharp knives; I can agree with two of the previous comments - occasionally stuff gets out that might need to be reworked due to edge geometry; and, cut with knives...chop and pry with other tools. ;)
 
I've got a Necker. It's Sandvik, so I don't expect too much of it and I'm happy with how it works (like a Mora).
 
For the kind of money you pay, grinds should be even.......no excuses! I have 2 Bark river knives, one is perfectly ground, and other one has uneven grind lines.......I fixed it myself on a belt sander .Very good heat treatment.....the knives cut like crazy and keep edge much longer than most production knives from other companies!
 
While I agree that for the Kind of Money Most Bark River knives sell for these days that their QC should be MUCH more consistent, Fallkniven is NOT the answer.

They are not even honest enough to even be TRUTHFUL as to where their knives are REALLY made. They are Japanese made knives. Nothing wrong with a Jap knife, but I am not going to buy int the "Swedeish made" BS because it's just that- BS- Fallkniven makes NOTHING themselves. Nothing.

When you consider that Mora at least can actually make a $12 knife in Sweden and yet Fallkniven cannot seem to build one themselves that sells for 10 times that price, the only conclusion you can come to is that the Fallkniven is a bunch of hucksters.

Yes, the knives are quality, but I have an even lower opinion of their marketing honesty than anything anyone can claim Mike Stewart has ever done.
 
some may be too thin
I have 5 and had like 8, all have been used, 4-5 tested after talking to Mike Stewart who personally told me, "use them and if they have issues I'll make it good"
fox and northstar have been batonned heavily and one suffered a light "wavy" edge after being struck on a wood knot (15 cm diameter seasoned log...), MIke said strop it on another knife's spine and it'll be fine, done that and it's like new :thumbup:
aurora got stuck while testing, hammered it heavily to take it out, no problems whatsoever, B1 is fine too
only the gunny was fine and I rolled the edge, resharpened it a bit and it held fine for a loooong while, never resharpened it ever since

Mike's and my suggestion would be: change the geometry by resharpening them, they are awesome knives, that you can modify to accomodate your taste and for the desired use
in case, send them back and they'll take care of you

they are fine knives, than hold well even havy use, hold an incredible edge and are easy to maintain, a pity not to use them :thumbup:
Maxx
 
I am a pretty big Bark river user and collector, I have had a few blades come and go because of bad grinds for sure, one was absolutely sad that it even left the building, I've had a couple that 'waved the edge" doing some simple cutting, sharpened it out and been fine ever since- with that said- we can go to my next biggest user and collection-- Busse and swamprat ... way more often that not, I have to sharpen these things to even cut paper right out of the box, and then INFI in my experience does not hold an edge worth a darn, and once sharpening is done its cutting ability still pales in comparison to Bark River,..but If I'm doing heavy work I like the thicker edge spines that the Busse family offers... I have noticed that some of my Bark river 3V versions have a thicker edge spine, which I absolutely love, now I'm getting the best of both worlds really.
 
I have a problem with Bark River Knives. After acquiring seven of them, that's right, not '4 or 5' or '10 or 12' but an exact number, I had all bases covered. I bought the least expensive handle material, too - except for the bocote handled Boone. Most were 'sale priced', too, and bought as I searched for the ultimate 'bushcraft' knife. Not great at re-edging a convex edge hasn't been the problem I thought it would be - they stay sharp through a lot of cutting chores - and that's the key - they are cutting tools - for wood & flesh. I have hacksaws, axes, and prybars. My problem with the BRK's is simple... I haven't seen a new model I really wanted. I can't use the 'afford' rationale now... I bought a couple of CRK's! Biggest fault I found was with the fit & retention of some of the sheaths - but that wasn't a deal-killer, either. My BRK's all came sharp & evenly ground. Quite decent product!

Stainz
 
Bowxpress said:
I am a pretty big Bark river user and collector, I have had a few blades come and go because of bad grinds for sure, one was absolutely sad that it even left the building, I've had a couple that 'waved the edge" doing some simple cutting, sharpened it out and been fine ever since- with that said- we can go to my next biggest user and collection-- Busse and swamprat ... way more often that not, I have to sharpen these things to even cut paper right out of the box, and then INFI in my experience does not hold an edge worth a darn, and once sharpening is done its cutting ability still pales in comparison to Bark River,..but If I'm doing heavy work I like the thicker edge spines that the Busse family offers... I have noticed that some of my Bark river 3V versions have a thicker edge spine, which I absolutely love, now I'm getting the best of both worlds really.
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I love when people aren't fanboys of a product everyone likes, so I can get an even story about said product. Your words about Busse will keep me from wasting the extra money for some "super special steel" when my Junglas and a CS Kukri machete work wonders. Btw the Junglas hardly ever needs to be sharpened. Sometimes hype is just that...hype. Like Nike.
 
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