Here’s an update on my case. The return went smoothly and I received my replacement a few days ago. It took a while because of 5 (or 7?) days of quarantine for returned packages. Overall, I had a pretty positive experience with DLT Trading and definitely can recommend buying from them.
Now, about the replacement. They did not have a direct replacement, so I ended up ordering a bit longer Bravo 1.25 LT in CPM S45VN, the same limited edition. As for now, I can say that I’m pretty happy with it. Compared to a previous piece, its grind is almost perfectly even, the edge is leveled, and it’s hair-popping sharp! Zero convex with no signs of the micro-bevel (as far as I can see without a microscope). It has some tiny and truly cosmetic blemishes here and there but totally acceptable for my taste. And no bark river sticker in the box this time . Handle ergonomics is really good and despite me having small hands (between S/M) I prefer it over a smaller gunny handle. The blade length is a bit longer than bravo 1 and bravo 1.5 and this is the golden middle in my opinion. The CPM S45VN is quite new stainless steel (supposedly a marginal improvement over VN35V). I have not used it for really tough work yet, but I hope the heat treatment and quality are ok despite it being new on the market. It is stainless, and considering the G10 handle, I should not worry about this knife in any condition including saltwater. The sheath is ok.
And some of my thoughts about Bark River as a company and about their knives. Yes, I read and heard all these stories about mislabeled steel, uneven grinds, micro bevels, baked edges, poor heat treatment, Mike Stewart’s personality, etc., and was aware of risks. But there are also plenty of positive reviews. I want to believe that mislabeled steel was an unintentional mistake, it happened quite a few years ago and hopefully, they learned something from it. The owner’s personality doesn’t bother me too much as long as his product is good. But I have to admire that in a short period of time he was able to build a knife company which is one of the most recognizable in the US and quite famous abroad. Convex grind isn’t the easiest to do and it has to be done completely by hand so I understand that quality may vary. I don’t have illusions about “made in the USA” and I’m pretty sure that grinders from Taiwan or Japan are generally more skilled than not very high-paid country folks from bark river (no offense guys ). At the same time, I feel much more connected to the knife if I know the exact address where it was made and when I see all these youtube videos from the factory with the whole process shown (btw. they definitely have issues with workplace safety). Maybe these knives a bit overpriced but as long as it sells - it sells. And resale value, according to eBay, holds very well.
In my experience, before, I only had a chance to use a borrowed bark river gunny in A2 steel for a few heavy tasks and was pleasantly surprised with its toughness and edge holding (but it rusted/stain easily though).
So, to conclude, I am not planning on becoming a big BR fan and buying more stuff from them any time soon. But I’m happy with my current Bravo 1.25 LT and I hope it will serve me well for a long time.
Thanks.
