Bark River North Star
This is the second BRK&T knife I have reviewed and I believe I have found the perfect CampKnife. I dont mean a large bladed chopping do it all survival type knife but what in Australia has been called a Bushmans knife. That is a knife that will do many of the tasks in camp like:
food preparation;
making camp furniture and accessories;
whittling;
cleaning fish;
field dressing game; and
splitting firewood.
In camp I like to be able to carry a knife that will do these tasks and not have it stowed away until needed. My first camp knife was a 6 Bowie and later on I liked the Green River Dadley or a Green River 6 stiff boning knife that I had customized. Field dressing game is not that important to me but I like to have the ability to do so. I have always liked the spear point shape for a utility blade and the North Star meets all my requirements.
The knife I purchased is one of the first production runs with the tapered tang. It has a black canvas micarta handle with three 6061 Aluminium hollow rivets and an exposed thong holder an extension of the tang. BRK&T describes the North Star as:
The North Star Belt Knife is a true practical, Outdoor/Bushcraft belt knife. We engineer this knife to be as compact as possible and still be stout enough for rugged use. At 4.625 ounces it is easy to pack and carry.
The spearpoint blade has a 4 inch sharp edge from plunge line to point. The back spine of the blade has a slow taper to the point to aid in penetration of wood. The convex blade grind will hold a fine razor sharp edge for carving, notching, and stripping bark. The point is excellent for drilling or boring into wood. The sharp edge has enough straight area from the plunge line to make food prep a breeze. The forward half of the blade has just enough curve on the edge for easy slicing.
The full exposed tang is tapered to the rear allowing a perfect balance on the first finger. The blade spine is notched just forward of the handle slabs for use with a Ferro rod or fire steel.
It is obvious that they put a lot of thought into this knife. Out of the box the A2 @ 58-60HRC blade proved to have a 4 cutting edge and measured just under 4-3/8 from the back of the spine to the tip. The blade is 15/16 at its widest and is 5/32 thick and at about 2 from the tip it starts tapering and is 1/32 just before the tip. The blade has a thumb notch of about 1 immediately following the handle which provides a firm grip without imprinting too much on the thumb although Bark River say this is for use with a Ferro rod or fire steel. There is a couple of notches at the bottom of the ricasso which one surmises are to stop the finger slipping although IMO if this is the case it does not provide any real benefit. The handle is 7/8 thick at the butt and 5/8 at the front. I found it very comfortable to use with no hot spots developing.
The blade was sharp out of the box and easily sliced through 3/8 manila rope, 3/16 leather, bought a ½ hardwood dowel to a point and to my surprise sliced the top off a crisp new carrot without splitting. Proof that Bark River got the profile right. As with all BRs the blade is convex although not as evident as on say the Huntsman and I estimated that the edge is equal to 30 degrees and the blade is less then 1/64 thick just before the edge. I also used the blade to skive emu leather which is a good test of any blade and I was able to basically split the leather in half which is difficult to do without a good edge.
In extended tests the knife made 40 cuts of the 3/8 manila rope easily and whittled a ½ hardwood dowel from 12 down to 3 in no time. At this stage these are the only edge retention tests I have done but I would say that the North Star is equal to the Huntsman I tested recently. So far my major testing has been in the kitchen and in the bush. Firstly, in the kitchen the North Star cut up all the makings for a beef stew and except in the area of chopping performed like my F-Dick Chefs knife and I was even able to thinly slice roasted smoked pork, another surprise. The fine point of the blade acted like a paring knife and I was able to cut up a carrot into strips. All in all I think this knife is going to find itself spending a fair bit of its time in the kitchen.
Well how tough is it if it works so well in the kitchen. I gathered a few fallen Eucalypt branches in the bush some up to 1-1/2 thick and set to work. Firstly, I trimmed the branches using a chopping motion and then proceeded to remove the bark. The North Star cooperated and I soon had a pile of cleaned branches to play with. The knife easily cut notches in the branches with the heel of the blade. Using a wooden batten I was able to sever 1 thick branches into 12 lengths and then again using the batten was able to split the branches in half. Using the spear point I was able to drill a hole through these splits, starting on one side and finishing on the other. After this bush work and a few strops on my leather strop charged with diamond rouge the edge was back to shaving sharp.
I did a fair about of work with the tip in the kitchen, drilling wood and carving a spoon. How strong it is I dont know but it showed no sign of failing in the work I did, as Ive stated before Im not into destructive testing. As far as penetration testing goes I normally dont do such tests because it is so variable between reviewers. The blade did easily penetrate a topside roast up to its full blade length and did it just as well as a 6 stiff boning knife I have in the kitchen. One problem I did find with the extended thong hole was that it did make using the normal thrust hold uncomfortable and in fact it could prove painful and it does not provide a secure grip for the thumb in the reverse stabbing hold. It would also inhibit you punching holes in tin cans EG with the palm of your hand. In the long term I might grind it off but at the moment I like the look of it.
Well road kills and time have been scarce plus it has been raining off and on for a week so I havent had a chance to check to North Star out on field dressing and skinning but given the shape and the profile of the blade it shouldnt prove a problem. Also it would be good for gutting and cleaning fish and for those used to a stiff blade for filleting it would take the fillets off medium sized fish. Of course being A2 it would have to be cleaned immediately.
The sheath is the basic BR pouch type which was easy to mould to the shape of the knife. The belt loop like the Huntsmans sheath is riveted. BRK&T enclosed a card to be returned as they are having new sheaths produced and will forward you a new sheath free of charge. Having seen a pic., of the new sheath it is a vast improvement and should add to this fine knife.
I could not find much to fault in the North Star, probably the thong hole it would be interesting to hear other users views on this. And, an extension of the grooves on the underside of the handle and ricasso to provide a bit of grip to save the fingers slipping. Whether or not you like the hollow rivets is a matter of taste and it doesnt worry me one way or the other. This is a preliminary review and there is a bit more work I would like to do with the knife but at this stage I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a general duties or utility knife for camping, bushwalking and the like. With its light weight the North Star is easy to carry and rides well and doesnt get it in the way and therefore is always there to use a good point, a bit of belly and plenty of edge with cutting and slicing power.
This is the second BRK&T knife I have reviewed and I believe I have found the perfect CampKnife. I dont mean a large bladed chopping do it all survival type knife but what in Australia has been called a Bushmans knife. That is a knife that will do many of the tasks in camp like:
food preparation;
making camp furniture and accessories;
whittling;
cleaning fish;
field dressing game; and
splitting firewood.
In camp I like to be able to carry a knife that will do these tasks and not have it stowed away until needed. My first camp knife was a 6 Bowie and later on I liked the Green River Dadley or a Green River 6 stiff boning knife that I had customized. Field dressing game is not that important to me but I like to have the ability to do so. I have always liked the spear point shape for a utility blade and the North Star meets all my requirements.
The knife I purchased is one of the first production runs with the tapered tang. It has a black canvas micarta handle with three 6061 Aluminium hollow rivets and an exposed thong holder an extension of the tang. BRK&T describes the North Star as:
The North Star Belt Knife is a true practical, Outdoor/Bushcraft belt knife. We engineer this knife to be as compact as possible and still be stout enough for rugged use. At 4.625 ounces it is easy to pack and carry.
The spearpoint blade has a 4 inch sharp edge from plunge line to point. The back spine of the blade has a slow taper to the point to aid in penetration of wood. The convex blade grind will hold a fine razor sharp edge for carving, notching, and stripping bark. The point is excellent for drilling or boring into wood. The sharp edge has enough straight area from the plunge line to make food prep a breeze. The forward half of the blade has just enough curve on the edge for easy slicing.
The full exposed tang is tapered to the rear allowing a perfect balance on the first finger. The blade spine is notched just forward of the handle slabs for use with a Ferro rod or fire steel.
It is obvious that they put a lot of thought into this knife. Out of the box the A2 @ 58-60HRC blade proved to have a 4 cutting edge and measured just under 4-3/8 from the back of the spine to the tip. The blade is 15/16 at its widest and is 5/32 thick and at about 2 from the tip it starts tapering and is 1/32 just before the tip. The blade has a thumb notch of about 1 immediately following the handle which provides a firm grip without imprinting too much on the thumb although Bark River say this is for use with a Ferro rod or fire steel. There is a couple of notches at the bottom of the ricasso which one surmises are to stop the finger slipping although IMO if this is the case it does not provide any real benefit. The handle is 7/8 thick at the butt and 5/8 at the front. I found it very comfortable to use with no hot spots developing.
The blade was sharp out of the box and easily sliced through 3/8 manila rope, 3/16 leather, bought a ½ hardwood dowel to a point and to my surprise sliced the top off a crisp new carrot without splitting. Proof that Bark River got the profile right. As with all BRs the blade is convex although not as evident as on say the Huntsman and I estimated that the edge is equal to 30 degrees and the blade is less then 1/64 thick just before the edge. I also used the blade to skive emu leather which is a good test of any blade and I was able to basically split the leather in half which is difficult to do without a good edge.
In extended tests the knife made 40 cuts of the 3/8 manila rope easily and whittled a ½ hardwood dowel from 12 down to 3 in no time. At this stage these are the only edge retention tests I have done but I would say that the North Star is equal to the Huntsman I tested recently. So far my major testing has been in the kitchen and in the bush. Firstly, in the kitchen the North Star cut up all the makings for a beef stew and except in the area of chopping performed like my F-Dick Chefs knife and I was even able to thinly slice roasted smoked pork, another surprise. The fine point of the blade acted like a paring knife and I was able to cut up a carrot into strips. All in all I think this knife is going to find itself spending a fair bit of its time in the kitchen.
Well how tough is it if it works so well in the kitchen. I gathered a few fallen Eucalypt branches in the bush some up to 1-1/2 thick and set to work. Firstly, I trimmed the branches using a chopping motion and then proceeded to remove the bark. The North Star cooperated and I soon had a pile of cleaned branches to play with. The knife easily cut notches in the branches with the heel of the blade. Using a wooden batten I was able to sever 1 thick branches into 12 lengths and then again using the batten was able to split the branches in half. Using the spear point I was able to drill a hole through these splits, starting on one side and finishing on the other. After this bush work and a few strops on my leather strop charged with diamond rouge the edge was back to shaving sharp.
I did a fair about of work with the tip in the kitchen, drilling wood and carving a spoon. How strong it is I dont know but it showed no sign of failing in the work I did, as Ive stated before Im not into destructive testing. As far as penetration testing goes I normally dont do such tests because it is so variable between reviewers. The blade did easily penetrate a topside roast up to its full blade length and did it just as well as a 6 stiff boning knife I have in the kitchen. One problem I did find with the extended thong hole was that it did make using the normal thrust hold uncomfortable and in fact it could prove painful and it does not provide a secure grip for the thumb in the reverse stabbing hold. It would also inhibit you punching holes in tin cans EG with the palm of your hand. In the long term I might grind it off but at the moment I like the look of it.
Well road kills and time have been scarce plus it has been raining off and on for a week so I havent had a chance to check to North Star out on field dressing and skinning but given the shape and the profile of the blade it shouldnt prove a problem. Also it would be good for gutting and cleaning fish and for those used to a stiff blade for filleting it would take the fillets off medium sized fish. Of course being A2 it would have to be cleaned immediately.
The sheath is the basic BR pouch type which was easy to mould to the shape of the knife. The belt loop like the Huntsmans sheath is riveted. BRK&T enclosed a card to be returned as they are having new sheaths produced and will forward you a new sheath free of charge. Having seen a pic., of the new sheath it is a vast improvement and should add to this fine knife.
I could not find much to fault in the North Star, probably the thong hole it would be interesting to hear other users views on this. And, an extension of the grooves on the underside of the handle and ricasso to provide a bit of grip to save the fingers slipping. Whether or not you like the hollow rivets is a matter of taste and it doesnt worry me one way or the other. This is a preliminary review and there is a bit more work I would like to do with the knife but at this stage I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a general duties or utility knife for camping, bushwalking and the like. With its light weight the North Star is easy to carry and rides well and doesnt get it in the way and therefore is always there to use a good point, a bit of belly and plenty of edge with cutting and slicing power.
