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Bark River OMF

E

expwmbat

Joined
Jan 5, 2006
Messages
496
Hey All,

Does anyone have one of these little knives? Can't find a review of it anywhere, but seems pretty ideal for a little EDC pocket fixed-blade.

I'd be interested in any comments or thoughts, as I'm getting close to getting this, or a cool Schoeman fixed-blade I found. Anyone know anything about it?

Cheers,
Daniel
 
Don't have this specific Bark River but have several others. Great Quality and Value. Scary Sharp. I am looking for a Bark River OMF and found very good prices on DLT knives web site (and other places). I confess I'm a fan but if you decide on the OMF and don't like it let me know and I will be happy to take it off you hands.:D

Jon Davis
 
It's very sharp and a pretty good design. A bit small in the hand, I'd like a bit more handle to it. But it's an amazing cutter and worker.

Phil
 
I got to handle one. Great blade shape for small utility. The handle itself is OK, but as phatch says, it isn't all that big. Have you seen the Micro-Canadian? That's also a small fixed blade, but grips very well. (My favorite. :)) I also have a Micro Slither, which is the smallest fixed blade you can imagine, short of a miniature, and it makes a great neck knife, in a neat leather sheath.

All of these Bark Rivers will cut you for staring at them. :cool:
 
Daniel.

JDBLADE member here, has done a review of OMF. You can view it on his site rusticforge.com/knives. Jdee is the only Aussie authorised bark river dealer & tries to review the models.
Cheers
Mitch
 
Don't have that knife, but do have several other models.

You just about can't go wrong with BRKT blade as far as I can tell. Great cutters for a great price.
 
Mississippi_Dave said:
Don't have that knife, but do have several other models.

You just about can't go wrong with BRKT blade as far as I can tell. Great cutters for a great price.
Click to expand...


Amen to that!:thumbup:
 
I wouldn't buy one and I'll tell you why.

They have A2 blades that are too sharp not to have a larger blade guard. One slip of your hand when wet or bloody onto that blade and you are in for a world of stitches at minimum. Probably hand surgery to repair tendons and rebuild joints will also be in your future.

I wouldn't buy that model. There are better ones. However the Barks aren't for the casual knife flipper/usser because they are too wickedly sharp, IMHO.

This is the Bark River model I use and highly recommend. It has a 4.25" blade which isn't much longer than many of the big folders. It definately isn't a Rambo knife and is an easy carry in the woods.

http://www.barkriverknives.com/gameskeeper.html
 
I found it very helpful--searches hadn't turned up many reviews of that specific Barkie, but the blade shape seems much more appealing as an EDC than the Micro Canadian skinner-type blade shape.

DGG--why wouldn't you buy that model? Which ones do you think are better, and for what?

Cheers,
Daniel
 
There are times for guards and times for no guards. The OMF was designed as a companion knife for fine work. Not heavy work, or wet work or bloody work. For its purpose, a guard would hinder the knife's usefulness.

However, the OMF was not intended to be the only knife you had with you.

http://www.xmission.com/~phatch/kydex15.jpg

is how I carry mine, piggybacking with a Northstar, another knife for which a guard would hinder it's intended uses.

Phil
 
How much would a "Bark River Knife and Tool OMF with big horn
sheep scales" be worth if it was mint / LNIB?
 
If someone were to tell me (after I had stated I had no idea what said knife was) that it's value is $150 during "trade talks" .. Is there any chance at all that he is not trying to rip me off?

BTW, I'm not going to name names until I know exactly what's going on so don't ask. There's a chance I just misunderstood something, or it's modded in some way... or something like that that'd make me out to be an A-hole if I called him out. In my original post, the sentance in quotations was copy and pasted from his email saying that's what it was.

I'm really sorry if I semi-hijack this thread. But the guys/gals posting in this thread would know the answers to my questions best. That was my last question.
 
No worries--sounds to me like "trade value" is equal to MSRP in this trader's view. I haven't done any knife trades (but plenty of watch trades), and have NEVER considered MSRP as the standard trade value, although it's a nice reference point.

IMHO, if you can get a brand new one from DLT for $84, then that's what the value is, not $150.

BTW--I went with the OMF in Thuya burl. Beautiful knife, VERY solid and heavy for it's size. Wood was a but dry, so I oiled it up and shaped the sheath. Oh, and everyone was right, it's amazingly sharp. Easily cut through some leather and the catalog under it with little pressure. Actually, it cut it better than my new M2 Ritter Grip!

Only downside is the sheath--anyone have thoughts on where/how to get a nice, simple leather pocket sheath (for front pocket), maybe with a clip?

Daniel
 
phatch said:
There are times for guards and times for no guards. The OMF was designed as a companion knife for fine work. Not heavy work, or wet work or bloody work. For its purpose, a guard would hinder the knife's usefulness.

However, the OMF was not intended to be the only knife you had with you.

http://www.xmission.com/~phatch/kydex15.jpg

is how I carry mine, piggybacking with a Northstar, another knife for which a guard would hinder it's intended uses.

Phil
Click to expand...

I disagree. Any camper or hunter knows that wet and/or bloody are everyday occurrances and can't be ignored. Why does anyone need a "companion" knife if a primary knife will do the job. I usually have two hunting knives with me, both very well made, because I never have to stop and sharpen and if one were to get run over by a vehicle or get lost I have a backup. I would rather carry two Gamekeeper model knives than one and a small backup companion knife. They are not that big that they are an inconvenience and I like the safety aspect of the blade guard that they have. It's a free country and anyone can buy whatever they want. I'm not trying to scare anyone. But this hand slipping off the handle onto the blade is a real-life problem with very serious consequences. EM me and I'll send you some really neat and colorful pictures of knife wounds to hands.

I guess if you want to chop celery it would be a great knife but a little overkill. Darn things are just too sharp for the average knife owner, IMHO.
 
*shrug*

I got it to serve as and EDC fixed-blade/gentleman's knife. Seem perfect for that purpose, while sturdy enough that it would be fine for a lot of other fine work. it's definitely VERY sharp (anyone yet bought a knife and not immediately cut themselves with it to see how sharp it really is?) :D

I can't imagine this knife with a guard on it--it's much too small to being with. Nor would it ever serve as a primary hiking/camping/hunting knife. Moreover, there are plenty of nice knives out there without guards, and they have their purpose. But they aren't all-purpose, nor are they trying to be sold as such.

The OMF is small, and clearly designed for precision work that requires something pointier than a skinner or drop-point hunting knife. It's perfect for that, IMHO. You could probably do surgery with it if you wanted, but it's definitely not the tool for gutting a deer.

Cheers,
Daniel
 
You're welcome to disagree.

Knives have been made without guards for a very long time with excellent results. The most commonly used, sharpest knives, are commonly used wet slimy and guardless in the kitchen. And in the woods and hunting.

And all those sharp folders that are guardless, SAKs without locks or finger indexes, every bit as sharp out of the box as a BRK. Just not as long lasting for the edge.

I guess if you want to chop celery it would be a great knife but a little overkill. Darn things are just too sharp for the average knife owner, IMHO.
Click to expand...

This just makes no sense. Sharp knives are safer than dull knives. Require less force and are less likely to slip.

Not that it matters, but no-one on these boards is an average knife user, nor are BRKs sold where an "average" knife user will find them.

That you find them so dangerous says more about you than the knife IMHO.

Phil
 
I agree, how many people have dressed deer with a guardless Buck 110? More than I would ever care to count. Also, I understand a lot of traditional Japanese fighting knives are guardless. When someone tells me a knife is "too sharp", it just makes me want to buy it!
 
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