Bark River has taken $16,000 of My Money

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i frequent another forum(not KF) where mike is a regular and everyone treats him like a god.....and when i read his posts, he appeared to be a standup guy worthy of all the praise......

not anymore......i was just about to purchase a BRKT blade because of all the good things i've heard about them......one of the biggest factors i considered was their "busse-like" no questions asked lifetime warranty......

however, i no longer trust mike stewart, and if i don't trust the man, how can i trust his warranty???? but that is besides the point.....


like many have said before, mike just got an interest free $16K loan from snarls.....and he is using paper-thin, transparent excuses to justify his criminal actions......

i wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire...perhaps i would stoke the fire with some gasoline...
 
Someone touched on this. What is the sale of the knives to the distributors going to be? I bet it's more than 16k. 175 knives for 16000 is 91.43 per knife. These, I would have to believe, would be sold for a similar amount as the Manitou/ another recently released knife of a similar size. Those are being sold for nearly double that. I would guess that they will go to snarls competition for a bit more than $91 a knife. Im not a distributor, so non of this is based on anything but speculation. It makes you wonder though doesn't it?

It seems to me that a main argument the Barkieites have is that Mike didn't like SS marketing plan, and that gave him the right to breach the contract. Not one of the ites arguments would ever be entertained by a judge. He would laugh them out of the court. Courts deal in facts. MR, because mikes name is on the blade has zero meaning as far as the contract is concerned. What you said has no legal basis. His reputation being affected by SS marketing plan is not a justification. There are several former LEO's over there who seem completely oblivious to this. Affected by KOOLAID. If 16k is petty change, pony up for Mike and put your money where your mouth is. It is clear that MS is in the wrong to anyone not under some BS spell. I'm done. Long live HONOR, and HONESTY. A couple of forgotten concepts by some. And Yes, that guy who fancies himself a sharp shot is quite a piece. :D
 
CDNWIDE said:
What's it take to make the Hall of Shame?
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I think Mike Turber and Spark were onto Mike Stewart years ago. He is banned from BF after all. Yes, I second the motion that Mike Stewart belongs in the Hall of Shame. Richly deserved.

I feel very badly for the good folks already mentioned in this thread, plus Oupa, Tom Maringer and others that Mike has managed to screw out of royalties.
 
cody1 said:
Someone touched on this. What is the sale of the knives to the distributors going to be? I bet it's more than 16k. 175 knives for 16000 is 91.43 per knife. These, I would have to believe, would be sold for a similar amount as the Manitou/ another recently released knife of a similar size. Those are being sold for nearly double that. I would guess that they will go to snarls competition for a bit more than $91 a knife. Im not a distributor, so non of this is based on anything but speculation. It makes you wonder though doesn't it?
:D
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Cody, you are spot on. This is all about money, plain and simple. Mike Stewart saw a chance to make a few more $$ and decided to go for it.

This reminds me of the circumstances of why Jim Behring dropped BRKT. Mike Stewart raised the price of knives already on order and Jim dumped BRKT on the spot. Jim was furious. Mike Stewart, spinmaster that he is, told his adoring minions that Jim was leaving to "concentrate on making his custom knives". :jerkit: That was a simple money grab and so is this. :thumbdn:
 
The internet has created a new generation of online knife collectors that have no idea about the history of the knife business. They would rather create and worship heros (That pay them a lot of attention) than listen to the truth. I am one of those people that believe that someones past actions are relevant today.

Ask the Lauermans (Past owner of Marbles)about Mike Stewart.

Ask anyone in Gladstone, MI for that matter.

Ask Jemmy Ishihara the owner of Seki Cut.

Ask Howard Hitchmough.

Ask John Greco.

Ask the estate of John Ek and Gary Ek.

Ask the American Historical Foundation.

Ask Gary Randall.

Ask Bob Terzuola.

Ask Vaughn Neely.

Ask Adirondack Leather.

Ask Altamont grips.

Ask Berger America.

Ask 300 below.

Ask. See what response you get.
 
This thread is a great example of how Mike Stewart operates.

1) Find unwitting sucker who is a neophyte in the knife business to propose a business deal.

2) Lead the sucker to believe he could make an easy, quick return on his investment.

3) Take suckers money (loan) for a long period of time with no interest, no strings and no ramifications.

4) After a while with no activity on project decide that the sucker wasn't worthy to receive the knives as he disn't like their "marketing plan". This is pretty hilarious as most distributors of Bark River knives aren't real knife distributors at all and have no real marketing plans. Most are internet or catalog retailers. Most real knife distributors wouldn't touch a Bark River knife.

5) Fail to ever pay sucker since money went to pay back taxes, payroll or for handle material or heat treat of existing stock anyway...

Please don't take offense to the term sucker. We all get "sucked in" from time to time.
I did at one time too.
 
Well, I have thought about buying a Bark River knife, but when a guy does business like this...sorry....no way! What a horror story!:thumbdn:
 
whitie said:
I think Mike Turber and Spark were onto Mike Stewart years ago. He is banned from BF after all.
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Mike Stewart has never been banned from Bladeforums (and never posted here). He could respond to this thread if he chose, and if he had anything to say.
 
You could also ask Ethan Becker, Jerry Fisk, Bob Cargill, Chris Reeve....
Allow me to quote Bob Cargill:
"During this project I realized that something was wrong with my ability to hold on to the knives, My wrist’s became so weak that it was all I could do to grip them tightly while finishing them to the final polish. Decades of "hanging on" to hundreds of knives, all that grinding that each one required, the repetitive motion and something that I never thought of called Vibration!

I had to start thinking of the future of my knifemaking and the well being of my body. What would become of Cripple Creek if I could not make them?

In early 1993 I decided that if I could find a company that could carry on the traditions I would sell the brand to them. I found, what I thought to be the ideal company in Effingham Illinois and with my help Cripple Creek could continue it’s phenomenal growth. I was very excited about this venture because I knew that I had created a winner in the cutlery industry and in order for it to survive I had to take this step. All seemed well in the beginning and a few knives were released that were well received by the general public but unfortunately this was short lived. This company that I had practically hand picked was headed by a Pea Brained Egotistical Idiot that thought he knew more about anything than anybody. He could not accept the fact that my knowledge in the pocket knife field was superior to his and thus destroyed any hope of making a good quality Cripple Creek product.

I regained the ownership of Cripple Creek in 1995 but I was unable to recoup the majority of my machinery and the means to make the knives as I had in the past. This fact plus a major financial loss from the endeavor has all but destroyed what I had created. I am no longer able to make knives in the quantities that would be required, leaving Cripple Creek in limbo, and to me that was the biggest hurt of all! "
 
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I really wish I never read read this.Ignorance is bliss sometimes.I have my eye on a few Barkies & now I'm having second thoughts.:(

C'mon Mike, get in here & defend yourself!
 
I only own one BRKT, and I think I'll simply sell it now. Yes, it's just a knife, and I've already supported Mike Stewart by buying it. But I probably wouldn't use it, the more and more I find out about this guy's practices, past and present. It just feels wrong. If Ethan Becker weren't associated with the couple of Blackjack users I own, I'd sell those too.
 
Angus McGunnigl said:
Wow. I think the Bark River knives are nice, but expensive.

Waste of cash I think.
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I have several and say what you might about mike, the knives are a bargin. He seems to go out of his way to satisfy his customeres.


But this incident leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I read his reasons/excuses for doing what he did and I still don't get it. He seems to have delayed production on the knife based on actions from steven Y he was not happy with, but then kept the 16K and started production when steve wanted money back.

It would have been easier and more ethical just to refund the money. Refusing to give a date seems like a way to push someones buttons.

At least my barkies seem so well made I will probably never need the customer service. I'm kind of embarrassed to discuss or post pics of them on the web now though.
 
No one is badmouthing the product. Bark River knives are solid users that fit a niche.
Mike has always made good knives. Some were great knives.

If he didn't make a good product he would never be able to reinvent himself every few years. That is his saving grace.

There are a few Bark Riverites and even Stewart family members viewing this post right now. I hope they comment and refute some of these posts. But I doubt it.

Remember, 40,000 posts in 5 years=Instant credibility!
 
MRpink said:
Apparently, it will have Bark River's (Mike Stewart) name on it, and he didn't want it to get into the "wrong" hands because it'd make him look bad; still that's no reason to do what he did, after all he did sign the contract.

Until this case is solved, all my Bark River purchases will be on standby.
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That's understandable and if that's the case then he could have simply returned the money. If he had actually had the knives ready by the deadline maybe he would have had a leg to stand on.
 
MRpink said:
Apparently, it will have Bark River's (Mike Stewart) name on it, and he didn't want it to get into the "wrong" hands because it'd make him look bad; still that's no reason to do what he did, after all he did sign the contract.

Until this case is solved, all my Bark River purchases will be on standby.
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What are the wrong hands? Most Bark River "Distributors" currently sell their knives at deep discounts online or on Ebay. I guess I am not sure what the wrong hands are. Since Bark River doesn't have a true ditribution system, per-se you end up with people like the OP that are new to the knife business that fund BRKT's projects/payroll by bankrolling "exclusives" or "first production runs" or "one of a kinds". Those 3 stencils have to be worn out by now.

Jim Nowka was warned by many people in the industry that giving Marbles/BRKT a "legitimate" home would hurt his credibility and his web site.
 
Look, I could be called a fanboy, i suppose. IMO the Aurora is the perfect bushcraft blade.
Also, while I don't like his business dealings, I won't libel by saying that my relations with BRKT as a customer have been anything but top-notch. So let's not say his knives are crap, or the customer service is crap, because it isn't and the knives really are all that.

That being said, I have an extremely bad taste in my mouth over his business practices, and I'm probably just going to sell my Aurora (probably be a bitch to get rid of now). I was waiting for the OD/Orange RC-4 when I bought the Aurora, and I'll probably just get one of those to replace it. Mike (Perrin) and Jeff (Randall) are stand up guys and were on the wrong end of a similar screwjob.
 
I always want a BRKT knife, still do but there are similar knives sold by people with better business practices.

Lost another buyer, maybe next time he'll smarten up but I doubt it :(
 
Guyon said:
I only own one BRKT, and I think I'll simply sell it now. Yes, it's just a knife, and I've already supported Mike Stewart by buying it. But I probably wouldn't use it, the more and more I find out about this guy's practices, past and present. It just feels wrong. If Ethan Becker weren't associated with the couple of Blackjack users I own, I'd sell those too.
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Yep, I've sold all mine so far and am selling the last one, never to purchase another.

It's a shame.

Brett
 
What is selling a perfectly good knife going to achomplish?!? If anything the buyer may really like it and get others?

Not taking MS side here but some of y'all are acting like little kids. The knife you used yesterday doesn't get cooties today because the person that made it was an asshole. Nobody cares what you don't have, if it bothers you that much go to the other forum and post threads.
 
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