Bark River STS 5 - Thoughts?

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Feb 27, 2013
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I hardly hear anything about this knife but it looks great? hardly any youtube reviews and not much on blade forums. What do people think about this knife and is it worth the 200$ or so dollars in costs?
 
Still no replies!!! i don't get why this knife doesn't get any feedback on the web it seems great to me?!!
 
I had the STS-8. Good knife, a bit heavy. Sharp as a razor too. I would imagine the 5 to be a good blade for fieldwork. If you were to buy one, what would you be doing with it? Camping, bushcraft, etc?
 
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I have one but I can't offer much feedback since I rarely used it. My only complaint with it and a few other Bark River knives is that the black powdercoat comes off too easily. Although BR said they would recoat it at any time free of charge, I just have to pay the shipping. But I can tell you it's a reall pig sticker of a knife. I had no large K-Bar style knives so I got this one. It is well made and quite sharp. I only used it to cut up a few boxes. If the coming insurection ever happens this is a good knife to own.

IMG_2473.jpg
 
It's a bit too thick at the spine for my taste. I have an STS-8 that I quite like, but the longer blade makes it more of a chopper so the thickness isn't quite as detrimental. The 5 isn't my thing, but it's a big, stainless beast if that's what you're looking for. I think I would personally go for an Entrek if I was in the market for that, but the STS-5 certainly has some appeal.
 
I had a appeal for this knife for quite a while. But, looking at the pics and reading the (very rare) discussion available about it, I came to the conclusion that it is quite overkill. Too heavy and too thick to carry and the false edge makes it uncompatible with most of the wood tasks.

It looks awesome, tho. Of course.

But then Im thinking about the esee 5 and this knife is also overkill but seem to be a good seller among knife fans. I dont know.

These 2 knives arent meant to be used as survival knives. They are meant to pierce and pry throught metal fuselage (weight and thickness). And also, in the case of the STS-5, to pierce throught body armor. So unless you are a military pilot behind enemies lines or a collector of radicaly specific designs like this, you wont use 20% of its capacity but still carry 100% of its weight.

This and its price point probably explain (partially) the lack of interest about the STS-5.

But its an awesome knife. Dont get me wrong.
 
I have one but I can't offer much feedback since I rarely used it. My only complaint with it and a few other Bark River knives is that the black powdercoat comes off too easily. Although BR said they would recoat it at any time free of charge, I just have to pay the shipping. But I can tell you it's a reall pig sticker of a knife. I had no large K-Bar style knives so I got this one. It is well made and quite sharp. I only used it to cut up a few boxes. If the coming insurection ever happens this is a good knife to own.

IMG_2473.jpg

Oh I really wish you hadn't posted that knife....i think I'm going to have to buy one as a result. That looks awesome, love the handle shape, grind, and looks perfect for a hiking/camp knife. Thanks ;)
 
I like the design of this, and the STS-8, but my concern is the bolts sticking out of the scales. Seems like they could be rough on the hands.
 
haha i know exactly how you feel! i just ordered one lol..too beautiful a knife to pass up for me, even tho I know I will probably not be using it much ;)
 
thats great thanks for the pic! yea i hav heard a lot about the coating too, pretty impressed with BR for offering to recoat their blades tho!
 
what do ppl think about the 154cm steel? how does it hold up against say s30v in regard to toughness/edge retention/sharpening difficulty?
 
probably won't be using it too much, i have an esee 6 that i think is way better suited for camping/bushcraft..i'm just a sucker for a good lookin blade at times haha, and haven't treated myself to a knife in a while so I thought what the hell:)
 
haha i know exactly how you feel! i just ordered one lol..too beautiful a knife to pass up for me, even tho I know I will probably not be using it much ;)

Which one are you gettingz. I'm really liking the 5. The agony!!!!!
 
i'm getting the sts-5, black blade, black canvas micarta..cant wait! how bout you are you getting one?
 
154cm is a great steel. I find it a bit tougher than s30v and is easier to sharpen. Dulls quicker than s30v, but not a whole lot. Less chippy if heat treated right.
 
probably won't be using it too much, i have an esee 6 that i think is way better suited for camping/bushcraft..i'm just a sucker for a good lookin blade at times haha, and haven't treated myself to a knife in a while so I thought what the hell:)

And why shouldn't you treat yourself, I ask? You only live once, so get what you can while you can. Now you have me looking at them. Maybe, just maybe...
 
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