BARK RIVER KNIVES quality control

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I have 3 or four Bark river knives and have had quite a few in the past and have not had any QC issues with any of them.
 

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I have exactly one Bark River Knife; it's in a style that suits my fancy - a Bravo 1 and is (purportedly) 3V, which I like. The knife is nice enough and the handles are very nice, as is the sheath.

That being said, I then come to learn that what Bark River "says" is 3V may not actually be 3V according to what others have reported. That, plus reports of business shenanigans that bespeak a lack of moral compass do prevent me from enjoying this knife as much as I should and certainly as much as I enjoy owning other brands. Shout out to Ethan Becker, Sal/Spyderco, Buck Knives and others.

Knives, unlike so many products, are a personal item that - at least for us here at BF is a relationship with a company. After sale connection (read: service) is important to us - even if we never use it.

The QC issue at Bark River may be, to some, more the owner and company than a slightly off grind or proud spacer.
 
OP has not given much detail or any pictures of the flaws so its hard to assess the severity of the infraction. But for me personally, if I stare it long enough I'll find a flaw, yeah that's what she said! But seriously I have a Randall that has uneven jimping. Not to say Randalls are perfect, although I have another which is dam close. Handmade stuff is like that. The CNC machines do a better job than humans when it comes to stuff like that. I recently made a knife for a friend and I think its the best one I have made so far. He has been carrying it for over a year and showed it to me the other day and an irregularity between the scales jumped out at me. He'll never notice it though. Nothing is perfect.
 
Y’all ever been to the UP? 🧐

You don’t see corporations racing to build factories or plant their HQ there, do ya? 😆
 
Michaux111 said:
And here we go again. lol. While most here abhor BRK and the owner, of the many BRK knives I've acquired over the years, I've never had an issue. The ones I own and use are great knives. Yep, one or two didn't have perfect plunge lines but it never bothered me. The one time it did I was going to gift the knife to someone so I returned it and they made it right. No questions asked. They've refurbished a knife for me that was a total wreck from abuse (not by me) with no questions asked and no charge and it came back as new. Bottom line for me is I like their knives. I like the quality of their knives. And I will continue to purchase from them if I feel the need. Others disagree; understood. So I'll leave it be at that.
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Wait….. I’m not saying you are lying but how/why did they do a refurbish for free? They just don’t do that. It’s 30-40 dollars wether it’s your fault or not. The CS lady I spoke with about a JX6 that broke (very small, I fixed it) during normal use made sure I understood that. Rude as well.
 
Bigburly912 said:
Wait….. I’m not saying you are lying but how/why did they do a refurbish for free? They just don’t do that. It’s 30-40 dollars wether it’s your fault or not. The CS lady I spoke with about a JX6 that broke (very small, I fixed it) during normal use made sure I understood that. Rude as well.
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My guess it’s like everything BRK does, depends on whether the staff is having a good day or not.
 
I once had a Jesse Hemphill Town Creek, made by BR, and really liked the knife. It was an attractive design, A2 steel (according to the markings), solid handle, and thin convex grind that was great for slicing. It was a great user until I used it to slice a frozen steak and it developed a serious 1/4" wiggle along the edge. Sure, I probably put a little lateral stress on the blade but no more than I've done with dozens of other knives of equal thinness.
I traded the knife before I learned of BR's reputation (I disclosed the wiggle to the recipient) and haven't bought another since. I miss the design but maybe I'm better off without it. Real shame, BR makes some handsome designs.
 
Bigburly912 said:
Wait….. I’m not saying you are lying but how/why did they do a refurbish for free? They just don’t do that. It’s 30-40 dollars wether it’s your fault or not. The CS lady I spoke with about a JX6 that broke (very small, I fixed it) during normal use made sure I understood that. Rude as well.
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The extent and conditions of their warranty are stated on their website barkriverknives.com. Something about badgers (OK, they're trying for funny there). I guess you could file a small claims court case if they do not abide by those stated terms. Not that many would go through all the hassle.

 
pondman said:
When will Bark River Knives start making perfect knives. It seems like this will never happen. The quality control is awful. It is literally almost impossible to buy a BRK without a flaw on it. And when you address this issue with them , they tell you that it’s because they are hand made. Yet I buy many knives which are hand made and are done so perfectly. And believe it or not, another excuse they have is that “their employees get upset when told to fix a knife which has a flaw” yes you heard it right. What ? that is what I said. And you can’t complain too much cause they will answer with “maybe bark River knives is not for you” believe it or not again. Wow wow wow. Arrogance at its best
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...maybe bark River knives is not for you...

😅
 
Maroco said:
I have over 25 bark river knives. I've bought and sold many more than that in my time in this hobby. I've seen one knife from them, in that time, that had a flaw on the handle.

They sell alot of knives. A few bad ones are bound to make it into the wild. No one is perfect
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From Spain 🇪🇸 where knives were born, when America yet did not exist , all have arrived perfect to my house. Not one single flaw , and they are made by hand , which is the excuse BRK uses to justify their issues with quality control. 👂 Listen, I love BRK , and the reason I am doing this post is to bring attention to the issue and make them , BRK , better. It is not out of spite or hate in any way , fir if so was the case , I would not of bought 25 BRK in the last 3 months. That would be a lot of money to invest in hate.
 
donnord said:
UP Michigan? the population density it too low, to find employees, unless it's a family business.
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Their employees get paid too little and when they find a better paying job they bail. And they also get upset when they are told to go back to the grinding wheel and fix a knife, so we end up with the bad end of the stick. They are young and some have a young like attitude. Inside info, brother inside info. I held back their salary out of respect
 
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