Recommendation? Bark River handles and introduction

V

voider

Joined
Apr 25, 2017
Messages
16
Hi,

I always liked knives and bought many years ago various leathermans, buck folding knives and a few japanese folding knives. But I bought them since I liked the design and not because I knew what kind of steel and so on was used. I live in Germany and will soon become a hunter and started my serious knife-hobby last year. I am researching a lot on youtube and different websites and learned a lot. I own now an A1 pro, F1 pro, Bark River Bravo 1.2 LT 3V, Malanika Neck knife and soon a Malanika Puukko. I also have a Benchmade 940-1 Osborne and have this one always with me.

The Bark River Bravo 1.2 LT 3V is my newest knife and I like it a lot. I got the Micarta handle.

I want to add the following knives in the future and would like your feedback. Virtuovice helped me with the decision making on these 2
Fox River 3V for deers
Drop Point Hunter Elmax for boars

The next one I will buy is definitely the Fox River knife. But this time I want to have it more custom. I really like the Mosaic Pins. Why are they used on knives so seldom? On the handle I see 6 options which I prefer. Desert Iron Wood, Cocobolo, Ebony, Curly Burl, Impala Horn or again Micarta. I heard that over time the wood changes in size or has the chance to break. So I am not sure if I should just go with Micarta which I find the least sexy but probably the most practical. Does anybody know the pro and cons of these woods?

Last but not least I am thinking about buying a huge knife like the Malanika Leuku or the 1909 Michigan Bowie A2. Not sure if they make sense at all since I have the A1 pro already and I really love my A1 pro. What do you think?

I think then I should have more than enough knives. But since this has become also a kind of hobby and I feel a real passion for knives I watch every day knife videos and want more :)

Best,
Timur
 
:) Welcome voider ! Nice initial post/ thread .

Knife collecting and outdoor activities like hunting , fishing , camping etc are very compatible . You can easily put your collection to practical / functional use . This gives you a basis upon which to evaluate your knives and can help decide what to keep , sell , or add .

It seems you have made an excellent beginning .:thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
Welcome aboard Voider.
When you say the knives are for hunting deer and boar, do you mean hunting with dogs and dispatching the animal with your chosen knife or a knife for the processing of the game? If for processing I think you would enjoy the fox river with some high figured wood such as the ironwood or curly burl. I don't think I could recommend either if you are hunting with dogs to dispatch the animal with your blade.
 
3fifty7 said:
Welcome aboard Voider.
When you say the knives are for hunting deer and boar, do you mean hunting with dogs and dispatching the animal with your chosen knife or a knife for the processing of the game? If for processing I think you would enjoy the fox river with some high figured wood such as the ironwood or curly burl. I don't think I could recommend either if you are hunting with dogs to dispatch the animal with your blade.
Click to expand...

yes, just processing. any advice on cocobolo or impala horn?
 
thank you guys for the warm welcome. I want to start fishing again. in Summer i will make a survival training and hopefully will learn more about bushcrafting.
 
I recently got a Gameskeeper CPM 4V. My knives are all practical , not for show. I got the Micarta [ phenolic/cotton fiber]. It was very highly polished ,too much for me ! I don't think it's the safest thing under field [wet] conditions. I experimented and found a gunsmith's checkering file .A fairly fine one worked well , roughing it just right and exposing the cotton helps when things are wet.
Micarta is a very durable material and has been used for various things for about 100 years ! Ebony I'd stay away from because of a history of possible warping and cracking. My wooden handles are all stabilized with acrylic .You might ask Bark River about finishes on their handles .Cocobolo is dense ,oily and is often just polished.
A Malanika Puuko will spoil you forever !!!
 
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Also consider contamination of the handles when dealing with blood and tissue. The horn material might have more voids where bacteria can grow.
 
So the consensus is: Micarta is the best choice if you look on it from a practical point of view and 2nd is Cocobolo. Horn could be difficult with blood due to bacteria and so on. Thank you all.
 
last but not least: Curly Burch: My Malanika is currently planned in Curly Burch. Should I rather get the stabilized curly burch version? If yes, why? Will I loose the warm and nice feeling of wood once it is stabilized?
 
Stabilizing is not a 'finish' ,it looks just like the wood as it's in the wood not on the surface.
 
The Desert Iron Wood is probably going to be the hardest wearing of the woods?
 
according to the article Desert Ironwood, Rosewood and cocobolo seem to be the best option for fine knives
 
I just ordered the Bark River Fox River knife with CPM3V in Desert Ironwood with mosaic pins. I ordered in Germany from Klingenwelt and they said that in over 10 years they never had complains with Desert Ironwood. Cocobolo did a few times come back since the wood reduced in size. I will post a picture when the knife arrives. I think it will look beautiful
 
Congrats, BRKT's 3v is very nice IMO. I have both Bushcrafter and Ultra-Lite Bushcrafter. The fullsize I've put trough hell and back, it has held up flawlessly.
 
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