Bark River Blade / Link

Svashtar

Svashtar

Joined
Dec 28, 2003
Messages
4,793
http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_maker/a_through_d/bark_river/bark_river_evolution_i_green.html

Wanted to share with you this new blade I have been waiting for. Just got one of the last of these with the green micarta scales. I used to consider this a huge knife (at 9.5" blade), but after handling all of these HI blades it doesn't seem so big anymore! Overall length is 15", but weight is right at about one pound so it handles really nicely. Has a very well done convex grind, and only required a touch up on the leather to get very sharp. Very khukuri-like as far as the grind and blade shape are concerned, at least to my eye. It came with extra black zytel scales and some exotic wood ones as well, plus a good kydex sheath with tie downs. I always wanted one of these back when Blackjack was making them (the Mamba), but never got the chance. This is one of those that like a well-made Khukuri just seems to say "weapon!" even when just laying there.

Of course, a 15" Sirupati would probably do as well or even better for 35-40% of the cost (!), but this shape was just appealing to me. Hard to explain...

Regards,

Norm
 
I don't think you'll have to explain to anyone here why you like a certain slab of steel.

It is kind of a neat knife.


I've given up on knives smaller than a 15 AK. Unless I can keep in in my pocket.



munk
 
Has an elegance about it. For the price, though, I already have a Bauchop Alley Cat. But that is my preference. You are entitled to yours. Just that when you pay more than $150 I want it to go bang.
 
The Evo 1's are right as rain, though I doubt they'd 'out perform' a standard Kukri in the right hands...but then again, what will?

That said, they are freakin' way sweet knives, and due a consideration... ;)

Mel
 
entitled to yours. Just that when you pay more than $150 I want it to go bang.>>>>>>>>

That's a classic line. Kind of inspires me to pick up a few more hi capacity mags.


Rusty, when I pay more than 150 for anything I want it to go bang. I resent buying vehicles because they're not firearms. I really resent fixing them with money that would get more firearms.


munk
 
Rusty said:
Has an elegance about it. For the price, though, I already have a Bauchop Alley Cat. But that is my preference. You are entitled to yours. Just that when you pay more than $150 I want it to go bang.
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Well, the BAC is at least $70 more retail, but I like both. (And I'm hoping this one will become collectible down the road as the last few are sold.) For an all around carry fighter this is really too big, and a 6" to 7" blade is probably best. Anything over about 7" and extra thought has to be given as to how to carry it, which is why I like the Reeve knives in that size. The Reeve Yarborough and Mountaineer II are my favorites, at 7" and 5.5" respectively, although for sheer unbreakable punch-through-the-car-door strength and sharpness the early Reeve tantos can't be beat.

My favorite of the Bauchop knives is the dagger he made (or maybe still makes) with about a 7" or 8" blade, which name escapes me. But it has a very unique kind of black wasp-wasted handle that looks good plus has a nice feel to it. A friend of mine has one but won't part with it.

If you can find anything between $150 and about $400 that goes bang, let me know. From buying and selling guns all the time I'm lucky if I do one deal a year anymore at the cost of those things now. Every gun on my wish list is at a minimum $700 or $800, with most being far more, and those are for nothing particularly special, just normal list prices at the local gun shop. :eek: For the price of one new gun I can collect a half-dozen or more very nice knives, which is one of the reasons I have gotten more into them in the last few years.

Regards,

Norm
 
Norm, Me Likey!!!!:D I can definitely see the appeal but then I liked the Mamba when it was around too. Regretfully I'm back in the same shape I was when the Mamba was around or I would have one too.:grumpy: ;)

Actually I liked most of the Blackjack line. IMO they were ahead of their time with old time quality...And a convex edge.:D
 
Mike Stewart, the creative guy behind the old Blackjack Knives (RIP 1997), turns out some nice stuff under the Bark River brand -- and other brands.
 
Yvsa said:
Norm, Me Likey!!!!:D I can definitely see the appeal but then I liked the Mamba when it was around too. Regretfully I'm back in the same shape I was when the Mamba was around or I would have one too.:grumpy: ;)

Actually I liked most of the Blackjack line. IMO they were ahead of their time with old time quality...And a convex edge.:D
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Yvsa, I agree about their knives, and they had good customer service as well. I remember when I got my Blackjack 1-7 (Randall R1 copy) from them in 1993 or so, and it had the convex edge, I couldn't figure out how to sharpen it correctly. All I did was scrape up the sides of the blade. It was a while before I polished out my trial and error and figured out how to get a fairly good edge on it. Bark River now makes a similar knife called the Classic 7" Fighter which looks almost exactly like the old BJ 1-7. They make it with black micarta and stacked leather handles, while the old 1-7 also offered stag for a while. I'm hoping to get the micarta copy some day. Cold Steel also makes a copy of called the R1 military classic, but I don't believe it has the convex edge, the handle has no buttcap, and it is overpriced in comparison. (Not surprising!) :)

Regards,

Norm
 
I always loved that Randall copy that Blackjack made!!!! I went searching and found all of the Bark River line on AG Russel's site... Hmmm, for some reason I can't get the link to paste but a search on Google for Bark River Knives will bring it up.:D
 
Norm- list five guns you want that are 800 bucks. I'm curious. Most the ones I'd like are 500 ish. It has to be real special for me to want to spend 800 bucks. I could get two revolvers for 800.


munk
 
I've got a Blackjack 1-5 second with leather handle. Had it twelve or more years. If Bark River has the 1-7 equivalent for under $150...

My next to last gun was a LNIB Beretta 950 that I paid $150 Then a 308 Model 99 Savage for $250/275 used, that needs a new stock, and my next gun, already paid for but have to pick it up on my next trip to Reno around the 15th, a used Savage 24 22lr/20ga,

But notice the Evo/Mamba is 15" and 16 ozs. Close enough to my an inch an ounce rule of thumb for a fighter.
 
Rusty said:
I've got a Blackjack 1-5 second with leather handle. Had it twelve or more years. If Bark River has the 1-7 equivalent for under $150...
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The Blackjack 1-5 was a great knife and you are lucky to have one. I had the 1-7 in leather, but returned it for a stag model later. The leather handle I got didn't handle moisture that well, although I've seen other leather handles from them that were fine. Maybe it just hadn't been finished properly...

For the 1-7 copy, I think the AG Russell price is $174, but they are usually a bit high. I haven't checked if anyone else is selling these, but I'm sure you could do a bit better if you shopped around.

Regards,

Norm
 
Rusty said:
1- I've got a Blackjack 1-5 second with leather handle. Had it twelve or more years. If Bark River has the 1-7 equivalent for under $150...

2- But notice the Evo/Mamba is 15" and 16 ozs. Close enough to my an inch an ounce rule of thumb for a fighter.
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1- Bro, sorry to say but they're $175.00 but methinks well worth it. And $25.00 bucks shouldn't stand between you and a good knife that you like.:D :rolleyes: :p ;) :D

2- Bro methinks that at a pound or under the rule doesn't really mean that much anyway.;) :D

I'm wondering if the Bark River Knives are drop forged or what? That would seem to be the simplest way to do 'em IMO.:D
 
Man, I really like the warmth and consideration that you put into your posts...'top shelf' all the way! :cool:

As to the Mike Stewart-'Bark River Knives' questions, Mike is pretty easy to get in touch with at... http://www.barkriverknifetool.com/ or via phone at 906-789-1801...

Mike has been a friend of ours ever since we started the Applegate/Fairbairn 'Fighting Knife' research project some four years ago, and now, after almost single handedly resurrecting the Marbles knife brand, he's started up BRK&T...

Fine knives they are, and an easy going guy to speak with to boot...

Mel
 
munk said:
Norm- list five guns you want that are 800 bucks. I'm curious. Most the ones I'd like are 500 ish. It has to be real special for me to want to spend 800 bucks. I could get two revolvers for 800.


munk
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Well, the new Smith 1911 is at least that. A Sig 220 is at least that, even without the Sig-lite night sights, and a Sig 245 is somewhere around there. A Wilson CQB 1911, which is not even their highest end and is equivalent to Ed Brown or Les Baer's best is about $1750. Wilson's Scattergun Technologies Standard Model 12 ga. is a thousand, (but I'm getting by with a souped up M500 and a nice old CHP issue Rem 870.)

An M1-A Supermatch is somewhere around 2 grand, and even the standard M1-A is $1600. I'm saving for a factory blue 6" Python, which is about $1300 from the Colt Custom Shop, and a pair of Colt SAA's with 5.5" barrels, which run about $1100 each (add 10% to each for my dealer to use his FFL to ship them from Colt.) Browning has a new O/U I'd like to have for my son to match my $1400 Special Sporting Clays, and it is about $1200. I'd love to have a Pigeon Grade or higher Citori, and that's a couple thousand there, and I'd also love to get a very nice Beretta O/U as well, and the sky's almost the limit when you're talking custom Beretta shotguns.

What else? My local gun shop has a mint .38 Cold Diamondback, but that's $650. I'd also like to get a new Bushmaster upper 24" competition assy for my AR, and even without the $600 Leopold Scope the upper with all the goodies is close to $700. Check out Uberti's beautiful single actions and Navy Arms Henry and Winchester replicas for some real sticker shock.

Any quality bolt action / scope combo will cost at least a 1000 bucks, and that's not even getting close to rifles with custom wood or bottom metal touches. I'd like to get a Blaser R3 straight pull rifle, but last I checked they were somewhere around $2400 for the base model. I also wouldn't mind getting a Steyr Scout .308 bolt-action, but I think they are also close to 3K if not more. Finally, I'l like to get a Robar .308 longe range rifle with all the go-with-its, but they are about $5200. I'd settle for an H&K equivalent (the SPR?), but they have a base price of $2200. I believe that practically all of Glocks line up are in the $7-$800 range, and the Kimber and SA and other production auto's are all in that range as well, if not more.

The Garand that I just got from Springfield Armory has a MSRP or around $1150, but I was able to get it for an even thousand, but it took me several months to put that together....

Believe me, like most folks I wish I had the finances to buy everything I wanted :D , but even one or two a year is pushing it nowadays with today's prices. Guess it depends what you want or are into. Except for the Python and the Colt SA's, and maybe the extra AR upper, I'm sure I will never get most of these guns on my wish list, unless I win the lottery or something. They are just guns I dream about owning. I have plenty of revolvers already, pretty much to cover any situation I need them for, and misc. other stuff, but every year the prices go up on the ones I dream about, making it harder to even consider budgeting for them.

When property taxes are due and the kids want $ for everything, it's hard to convince my wife that the $1700 Wilson auto I want is really necessary! (and I honestly can't blame her. They are low on the list of important household items, and food and shelter unfortunately have priority!) She doesn't understand why I can't shop around and get the same thing for $300 or $400 :) :) She's stuck in the 1980's price wise as far as sporting goods are concerned, and with the new laws prohibiting most private sale of firearms and with everything having to go through a dealer, prices have definitetly gone up and it is very rare to get a good deal on a well cared for used gun.

Well, that's more than 5, but you asked! :)

Regards,

Norm
 
Yvsa said:
1- Bro, sorry to say but they're $175.00 but methinks well worth it. And $25.00 bucks shouldn't stand between you and a good knife that you like.:D :rolleyes: :p ;) :D

2- Bro methinks that at a pound or under the rule doesn't really mean that much anyway.;) :D

I'm wondering if the Bark River Knives are drop forged or what? That would seem to be the simplest way to do 'em IMO.:D
Click to expand...

I agree. $175 is a fair deal for these, especially compared to the price of similar knives. Similar SOG and CS offerings are all around $200 or more.

I am not an expert and don't quote me, but I believe that all these knives are cut from bar stock and then finished individually on belts and buffers. I think that's the way Randall made them as well.

However, if as Melvin-Purvis says Mike at BRK&T is that accessible, we could just ask him! ;) :)

Regards,

Norm
 
ARRGHH! Stop torturing me! Umm... could you do that a little higher and to the center? ;) ;) ;)
 
Wow, they have some nice knives on their site. Prices are a bit hard to believe though. A 4" convex ground A-2 blade and micarta handles for $79??? :eek: What's the catch :confused:

--Josh
 
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