Bark River Knife and Tool GamesKeeper?

[JDMSMBACPA]

I've got a Yari and it's OK. I recently got interested in convex edges and put one on the Yari with good results but I've been looking at other small knives with a convex grind and/or edge and the Bark River GamesKeeper looks pretty nice--more traditional than the convex edge Fallkniven F1 and a nice size.

Here's the copy from the Bark River website:

The Big Game Series GamesKeeper and Forager are the true drop point belt knives. The GamesKeeper is the Deluxe full exposed tang version and the Forager is the standard hidden tang version. Both versions share the same stout .217” thick blade that has been one of the most popular and useful styles in recent history. The blade is 4-1/2 inches long and over an inch wide. The convex grind retains much of the weight of the blade allowing incredible strength to the knife. This strength coupled with the hair splitting sharp edge make for an extremely useful cutting tool.
These two knives were designed for robust use in genuine outdoor situations. The subtle shape and contour of the handle almost comes alive in your hand. It is comfortable and secure allowing you to use whatever force or pressure needed to accomplish the given task. The extended ricasso allows for a generous choil behind the cutting edge. This choil permits you to safely choke up with your first finger on to the ricasso for maximum edge control in finer work. The Big Game Series GamesKeeper and Forager are perfect companions for any major hunting excursion that is well off the beaten path.LINK

FWIW the GamesKeeper's size and features are very consistent with the advice Doug Ritter (www.equipped.com) gives HERE

What do people think of this as a camp/survival knife? Anyone tried one?

 

[Brommeland]

Howdy!
I have not yet tried the Bark river line. However, I've had a bunch of high dollar customs over the years that couldn't hope to compete with my BlackJacks. They will cut rings around any other knife that I have. Mike Stewart knew his stuff then, and I have to believe that the new line will be as good or better.

 

[storyville]

The new Bark River knives look very promising -- very good materials, well-conceived designs, and a reputable history behind its makers/ founders. I'm interested in the reviews that are starting to surface, which appear to be quite positive so far.

As a side note on the Ritter site: While there is some excellent information there, his "knife advice" is not among its strengths, IMHO. At least according to what I read, he's unreasonably partial to "stainless" steels (which most of the Bark River line is not), primarily for the unpersuasive reason that they are easier to care for and even "forget about." As countless statements on this forum can attest, the premium stainless steels that one might consider for a "survival" or fairly hard-use knife will indeed rust if not cared for. And, indeed, as Cliff Stamp and others have suggested, the stainless steels may suffer much more severe AND more rapid edge degradation than plain carbons and simple alloys, once corrosion sets in.

Given the sheer quantity of information he expects his readers to absorb, why not include a short paragraph on properly oiling your knife? Downplaying carbon steels really limits your options, esp. for a "survival" knife.

Ritter also doesn't say anything about edge or blade grinds, does he? Obviously, most "non-stainless" steels can go thinner with more acute grinds than most "stainless" steels, without sacrificing edge-holding or toughness.

Again, good site -- but for knives, I'd trust the advice of folks here at BF over his recommendations.

Glen

 

[Nic Ramirez]

That piece looks like a pleasure to hold!