Bark River Bravo 1 ... Good/Bad ??

Also don't forget that in the process of using them, you may break them. For $15 you can send them in for the spa treatment, apparently they'll fix anything. I've only bought used Barkies and a couple of them need the spa to glue the scales on tight.
 
shunsui said:
Which one you planning to buy ? Comes in five different steels now.

A2
CPM-154
CPM-3V
CPM-S35VN
Titanium - Limited Run

I'd recommend the 3V version for you. It's in heat treat. Expect it soon.
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Buying some of the US made knives here in Finland is pretty hard.
There's only one shop in Finland who sells Bravo 1, and the only model they have is in A2.
Ordering international would be an option as well, but I want to support this business so that they can import more knives in the future.

I'm planing to force patina on B1 for rust resistance. We'll see how that works.
 
OREGON FAL'ER said:
Also don't forget that in the process of using them, you may break them. For $15 you can send them in for the spa treatment, apparently they'll fix anything. I've only bought used Barkies and a couple of them need the spa to glue the scales on tight.
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That's good to know. I hope they'll deliver the service to the international customers as well...
 
Bad reviews of BRKT products? Based on brand (dis)loyalty. Anyone I've ever spoken to, who has actually used a BRKT knife, loves it. I certainly am in love with mine.
I have a Settler that has similar edge geometry to the Bravo 1, and have had nothing but good experiences with it.
Again, don't chop concrete blocks; it's not a Busse. But, if you're cutting things softer than steel or stone, you'll be fine.
Plus, the Bravo 1 has a really comfy handle, and it's a slick-looking piece of gear.
 
puukkoman said:
Bad reviews of BRKT products? Based on brand (dis)loyalty. Anyone I've ever spoken to, who has actually used a BRKT knife, loves it. I certainly am in love with mine.
I have a Settler that has similar edge geometry to the Bravo 1, and have had nothing but good experiences with it.
Again, don't chop concrete blocks; it's not a Busse. But, if you're cutting things softer than steel or stone, you'll be fine.
Plus, the Bravo 1 has a really comfy handle, and it's a slick-looking piece of gear.
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That's good to hear puukkoman! Esspecially now that I've ordered one. Should be here on monday.
After writing on this forum, and receiving all this positive feedback I'm pretty confident it'll serve the purpose.

Cheers for everyone for their input!

BTW puukkoman ... Do you speak Finnish? I was wondering because of your forum name: puukkoman.
 
I am looking at a Bravo 1 for field/soldier use as well. I have the ability to buy the type I want (rampless/field) in the handle I want BUT- I can get either A2 or 3V. The 3V is an extra
100 Dollars- is it worth 100 Dollars? (use would be field cutting, cordage etc. on a regular basis with sharpenings weeks apart)
 
I just ordered a pair of rampless 3V Bravo 1s in green Micarta -- I cleaned out that site's rampless 3V Bravo 1 stock, so there's no sense mentioning from where. My fall-back source was dlttrading.com (I've ordered from them before -- no problems), although the only handles they currently have in stock are black Micarta (regular and matte). Your $100 difference between A2 and 3V must be because of the handle. Rampless 3V models seem a bit scarce, and I wasn't too particular about handle material (although I did pay a little more for green), but black Micarta rampless 3V Bravo 1s are $224.96 at DLT; I don't think you'll find any rampless A2 Bravo 1s for $100 less than that. I was more concerned about the steel than the handles.
 
Had the B1 with A2 and used it on camping trips, set up fire with it, prepped food and chopped, sliced random wood/wood end products. Great knife, held edge well and easy to bring back that hair popping sharpness. Enjoyed the way it handled. However, fit and finish was spotty, especially for the price. Also, wouldn't bring it during trips that had damp environments- F1 would come along instead. Moot point now since there is a stainless steel version of the B1.

Try one in hand and see how you like it.

Am actually looking into getting an A1 (one of these days when I stop getting distracted with other purchases), as the F1 I'm presently using has been more than capable and not necessarily weather specific.
 
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I am wrong, the same rampless bravo 1 with green matte micarta handles- is $50.00 more in 3V than
A2. Really my concerns are 1. Stain Resistance, 2. Ability to hold an edge and be resharpened.

So is 3V worth 50 dollars more, or is stainless worth it. I know it's relative but I appreciate the input.
 
Don't have a Barkie (yet) but have only heard good things about the company and their products. Surprised your research seemed to indicate mixed reviews, but obviously you can't
please everyone.
 
I've had a B1 for about a year, and there are a lot of things I love about it, and one thing I hate about it.

It's got great ergonomics, balance, and general handling. The flat ground blade cuts like a freaking razor, and I can get that knife as sharp as any knife I own.

That said, I've had extreme problems with the edge chipping. It chips cutting green bamboo using nothing but hand pressure and extreme care not to scrape or twist the edge. I'm not talking battoning or chopping or anything even remotely abusive. Frankly, the knife I got would be perfect as a flesh-only butchering tool, but that's not really how it's marketed.

I contacted BRKT and they said to send it back and they'll regrind it. I haven't received the new grind yet, but I'm pretty skeptical of the whole deal. The best part of the knife was how well it cut, which I attribute to the grind. I've used a lot of knives and edged woodworking tools, and I understand the inherent fragility of the B1's grind, but frankly I'm not convinced that the steel in my B1 is up to par.

I also have a fallkniven F1, and I'll say flat out that the ergonomics of the Bark River Bravo blow the F1 out of the water. I've seen F1's that have custom handles (which look remarkably like the handles BRKT puts on their knives), and if I was going to do the buying over again that's probably what I'd choose. In my one-to-one comparison, the F1 seems to have much better steel, and the B1 has better ergonomics.

That said, I'm considering one of the Bravo-1's with a better steel, as I really do like the ergonomics. For what it's worth, I ground the thumb-spur off with a dremel tool, and it came off really, really easily. If the cutting edge was tempered similarly to the spine, it's no wonder that the edge fails under routine use.
 
Jim

jimwalter said:
do barkies not come with sheaths?
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They come with a sheath. Usually leather on most models however, some come with a Kydex sheath instead, with some there is a choice. For example, the Bravo 1 ships with either or, your choice.
 
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............The flat ground blade cuts like a freaking razor, and I can get that knife as sharp as any knife I own........
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Bit of a nit to pick. Actually it comes with a Convex grind, not a Flat grind. There is a difference with a distinction!:D

Having said that, I couldn't agree more with regard to the "freaking razor" part!:eek:
 
The edge problems you hear about are mostly factory edge problems. It's a hand ground blade so they won't all be the same and adjusting the edge geometry might be needed out of the box. I had to do it will my brothers B2 because the last part of the cutting edge was ground so thin it was like tin foil.

A bit of sharpening took care of that issue and it has served exceptionally for a few years now. Only real issue was the handle, glossy micarta is slippery.
 
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