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- Feb 23, 2001
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Bark River Knives Bravo 1.5
By: Kevin Estela, Founder and Head Instructor of Estela Wilderness Education
A few years back, the Bravo 1 was introduced with great enthusiasm in the knife world. Created based on feedback from an elite division of the United States Marines torture test, it became one of the top selling knives in Bark River Knife history. The Bravo 1 spawned the shorter Necker and Necker II models as well as the Gunny and the Bravo 2. However, there was a demand for a knife not as stout as the Bravo 1 and not as long as the 2. Out of this demand was born, the Bravo 1.5.
I have used the Bravo 1 during survival courses and lent it out to students. It was the tough as nails knife in the loaner box and many students remarked how comfortable the handle was. The only criticism the knife generated was the shortness of the blade. If only the blade were longer, it could be a general purpose blade. The Bravo 2 was made to closely resemble the dimensions of the Ka-Bar. This knife was too long for those students I had who strapped it on their belts and often replaced it by the end of the week with something smaller. With both Bravos 1 and 2 already on the market, the 1.5 was conceived. After seeing the initial sketch in Mike Stewarts office about a year ago, I knew I had to handle one.
Fast forward to early November 2012 when Jacquie Stewart handled my request for a Black and Green Canvas Micarta 3V steel model, with ramp and 3.5 unsharpened swedge.
I was told the knife was on its way and with great timing. I had a couple trips coming up and wanted to test it as an overall field knife. There is no secret my personal preference of knives is a 4 belt knife and this blade with a slightly longer blade would be outside my normal specs. The knife arrived and I quickly became attached to it. Immediately, I noticed how agile it felt in my hand. Thanks to the skeletonized but full-exposed tang, the balance is just behind the ricasso. The palm swell is generous and the ramp is not too large to impair choking up on the grip for fine work. My particular knife has a matte finished handle and it feels slightly more secure in the hand than higher polished micarta.
My testing of this knife involved using it for general camp craft. My testing was almost daily and included slicing food for camping meals, the occasional kitchen knife substitute on busy weeks when I couldnt get out to the field, fire starting with the sharp 90 degree spine, cutting cordage (including 1" tubular webbing that it went through with minimal effort), removing bark from birch trees and trap making/practice.
I am not one to become attached to tools as they are just that but this knife is a great companion and one I am quite fond of. That said, I dont hesitate to use it as a knife and never baby it in fear of scratches or patina. Scratches from using your knife are like tattoos but with cooler background stories.
Of course, by the looks of my particular Bravo 1.5, you would say it has more of a fighter appearance than a field knife. Youre partially correct. While any knife can be used as a weapon, this knife was deliberately given more of an aggressive look with the unsharpened swedge. The folks at BRK had previously given my CPM 3V Necker II a bit of flair with an unsharpened swedge and I thought,
why shouldnt I match it? Now, looks aside, I know there are folks out there who will purchase this knife with fighting or tactical scenarios playing out in their mind. I wanted to test the various attributes of the knife in unconventional ways. Please dont reattempt these!
Part of my unconventional testing involved using the knife with various substances on the handle. From water to animal fat to gun oil, I tested the tendency of the knife to slip in my grip with and without gloves on.
If you cant gain a purchase on your knife, you cant use it. This is why this test came before all others. The culmination of the grip test involved performing a plank supporting my upper body weight on the knife. PLEASE DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! ONE SLIP AND YOU CAN SERIOUSLY HURT YOURSELF.
Throughout the testing, the combination of the palm swell, ramp and self guard gave me a secure grip.
I also tested the knife in terms of slashing. At less than 6 long, the blade makes an inefficient chopping tool and the design lends itself to more thrusting and slashing techniques. Slashing requires little to no wrist whipping motion and I decided to see how well the knife would work on various fabrics. The ¾ height convex edge made short work of all and the knife performed well. Even when caught on zippers and buttons, the steel maintained a field edge quickly returned to shaving sharp with mere sandpaper.
In terms of maintenance, the 3V steel developed a rich gray patina quickly. There was no need to remove rust as it never developed. Light stropping after each use maintained the edge and the 3V steel required slightly more passes on the rubbing compound given its toughness. I carried the knife in the provided kydex sheath and the leather sheath I made for lower profile carry. I intend to send it off to my Sayoc Kali training partner Nick Sags at Bladerigs.com to make me an extremely low profile sheath for IWB carry. Nick is the maker behind the new ambidextrous STS knife sheaths by the way.
Overall, I believe this to be the finest mid-sized knife on the market. I rarely will make a claim like that but as I feel each person needs to find what works for their own attributes and needs but, if this knife fits your hand and your needs, you wont find one better. My review cannot express my level of satisfaction sufficiently. This knife exceeded my expectations and if you find yourself in need of a single knife to do a variety of tasks, it will definitely exceed yours.
Kevin Estela
By: Kevin Estela, Founder and Head Instructor of Estela Wilderness Education
A few years back, the Bravo 1 was introduced with great enthusiasm in the knife world. Created based on feedback from an elite division of the United States Marines torture test, it became one of the top selling knives in Bark River Knife history. The Bravo 1 spawned the shorter Necker and Necker II models as well as the Gunny and the Bravo 2. However, there was a demand for a knife not as stout as the Bravo 1 and not as long as the 2. Out of this demand was born, the Bravo 1.5.
I have used the Bravo 1 during survival courses and lent it out to students. It was the tough as nails knife in the loaner box and many students remarked how comfortable the handle was. The only criticism the knife generated was the shortness of the blade. If only the blade were longer, it could be a general purpose blade. The Bravo 2 was made to closely resemble the dimensions of the Ka-Bar. This knife was too long for those students I had who strapped it on their belts and often replaced it by the end of the week with something smaller. With both Bravos 1 and 2 already on the market, the 1.5 was conceived. After seeing the initial sketch in Mike Stewarts office about a year ago, I knew I had to handle one.
Fast forward to early November 2012 when Jacquie Stewart handled my request for a Black and Green Canvas Micarta 3V steel model, with ramp and 3.5 unsharpened swedge.
I was told the knife was on its way and with great timing. I had a couple trips coming up and wanted to test it as an overall field knife. There is no secret my personal preference of knives is a 4 belt knife and this blade with a slightly longer blade would be outside my normal specs. The knife arrived and I quickly became attached to it. Immediately, I noticed how agile it felt in my hand. Thanks to the skeletonized but full-exposed tang, the balance is just behind the ricasso. The palm swell is generous and the ramp is not too large to impair choking up on the grip for fine work. My particular knife has a matte finished handle and it feels slightly more secure in the hand than higher polished micarta.
My testing of this knife involved using it for general camp craft. My testing was almost daily and included slicing food for camping meals, the occasional kitchen knife substitute on busy weeks when I couldnt get out to the field, fire starting with the sharp 90 degree spine, cutting cordage (including 1" tubular webbing that it went through with minimal effort), removing bark from birch trees and trap making/practice.
I am not one to become attached to tools as they are just that but this knife is a great companion and one I am quite fond of. That said, I dont hesitate to use it as a knife and never baby it in fear of scratches or patina. Scratches from using your knife are like tattoos but with cooler background stories.
Of course, by the looks of my particular Bravo 1.5, you would say it has more of a fighter appearance than a field knife. Youre partially correct. While any knife can be used as a weapon, this knife was deliberately given more of an aggressive look with the unsharpened swedge. The folks at BRK had previously given my CPM 3V Necker II a bit of flair with an unsharpened swedge and I thought,
why shouldnt I match it? Now, looks aside, I know there are folks out there who will purchase this knife with fighting or tactical scenarios playing out in their mind. I wanted to test the various attributes of the knife in unconventional ways. Please dont reattempt these!
Part of my unconventional testing involved using the knife with various substances on the handle. From water to animal fat to gun oil, I tested the tendency of the knife to slip in my grip with and without gloves on.
If you cant gain a purchase on your knife, you cant use it. This is why this test came before all others. The culmination of the grip test involved performing a plank supporting my upper body weight on the knife. PLEASE DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME! ONE SLIP AND YOU CAN SERIOUSLY HURT YOURSELF.
Throughout the testing, the combination of the palm swell, ramp and self guard gave me a secure grip.
I also tested the knife in terms of slashing. At less than 6 long, the blade makes an inefficient chopping tool and the design lends itself to more thrusting and slashing techniques. Slashing requires little to no wrist whipping motion and I decided to see how well the knife would work on various fabrics. The ¾ height convex edge made short work of all and the knife performed well. Even when caught on zippers and buttons, the steel maintained a field edge quickly returned to shaving sharp with mere sandpaper.
In terms of maintenance, the 3V steel developed a rich gray patina quickly. There was no need to remove rust as it never developed. Light stropping after each use maintained the edge and the 3V steel required slightly more passes on the rubbing compound given its toughness. I carried the knife in the provided kydex sheath and the leather sheath I made for lower profile carry. I intend to send it off to my Sayoc Kali training partner Nick Sags at Bladerigs.com to make me an extremely low profile sheath for IWB carry. Nick is the maker behind the new ambidextrous STS knife sheaths by the way.
Overall, I believe this to be the finest mid-sized knife on the market. I rarely will make a claim like that but as I feel each person needs to find what works for their own attributes and needs but, if this knife fits your hand and your needs, you wont find one better. My review cannot express my level of satisfaction sufficiently. This knife exceeded my expectations and if you find yourself in need of a single knife to do a variety of tasks, it will definitely exceed yours.
Kevin Estela
