BlackJack 125 stacked leather

J

JamesofArc

Joined
Apr 19, 2016
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Am thinking of getting rid of all my knives except for my Ontario SP10 Marine Raider but i want one belt knife .

I am thinking of getting the BlackJack 125 as my only carry knife. It will have to be for most all chores such as hunting and bushcraft.

Do you think this knife is up to the task? Why or why not?

Is Bark River still making them or are they made in China now?
 
dirc said:
according to knifecenter, they are made in the USA, and the price is over $200, which honestly seems a bit much for a2 steel

a2 is not stainless, but decent knife steel when heat treated well
http://www.zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=a2

for that range you could get a fixed blade in s35vn or even 3v (like benchmade's 200 puukko, or cold steel's ak-47 in 3v, each of which are under $140)
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Thanks for the reply but truth be known i like older designs and i am not a fan of stainless and i really dont care for s35v. I feel s30v and the likes dulls too fast for being such a super steel. I dont think the s30's steels are even stainless are they?

A2 tool steel is more than enough for me. I love carbon steel and have not jumped onto the super steel wagon yet. To me D2, A2 and O1 are super steels.

But how about design, think it can cross over to a bushcraft knife while also being a hunting knife.
 
I have a stacked leather 125. It seams very well made and quite sharp. I have never used it, but it seems like it would take a beating.
 
I agree a2 can be excellent - but you need to try some 3v if you haven't yet - it is NOT stainless - it only jumps the chrome a bit higher - from 5% in a2 to about 7.5% in 3v

It's the other good bits which make 3v really excellent.
http://www.zknives.com/knives/steels/steelgraph.php?nm=a2,3v

(oh, and fwiw, s30v and s35vn have a bunch of chrome, like 14% which does qualify them as stainless)
 
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The Blackjack 125 is a very good general purpose woods knife. I feel that it's a little big for medium sized game in terms of field chores, but it's a well designed blade. A2 is good steel. I assume you know it's made by Bark River for Blackjack (Blue Ridge Knives). I have one in micarta and I like it. If you have large hands, you will appreciate the handle length. It was my standard woods knife for a couple years (carried often, used little). I don't hunt any more, so it has never been used for that purpose. I would welcome carrying it if you're comfortable with the blade length.

DLT is probably their biggest Blackjack dealer. The classic line is entirely made in the USA.
 
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I have never owned a convex edge but i bet it's easier to take care of then a v grind since all I have to do is strop it after use.
 
I have had a micarta handled 125 for years and used it extensively. I use it hunting and for general use outside. Its a great knife, if I could only have 1 knife, that would be it most likely. Its a good size, maybe slightly large for some people. The convexed A2 steel is absolutely great, holds a great edge and is very tough (and resharpens well). The design is top notch and the fit and finish is gorgeous. In short, you probably wont regret a 125. Its an almost perfect hunting knife in my book.
 
I think it can be a good general woods knife. I don't do much "bushcraft" in the woods. Not really sure what that means in reality. I would suggest that you shouldn't beat the hell out of it with a baton due to the reduced tang. Overall, great knife. Very flexible in terms of use.

I have quite a few choices these days for woods knives, but it used to be No. 1 for that activity. It is one of the reasons I chose to get the Bark River Wilderness Explorer model.... I like the bottom guard and was ho hum about the fairly large ricasso. The size of the ricasso does allow you to choke up on the blade safely for more detailed tasks.

I bought the knife because I like the classic Randall look. It was one of those "that's a knife" kind of feelings for me. At the time, I had no intention of getting the assortment of fixed blades that I now own. I've owned the 125 for about 15 years. It was clearly purchased to be my one and only woods knife and I feel confident that it can fulfill that role.
 
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I pulled the trigger and ordered the BlackJack 125 with stacked leather Handel today. You guys are going to be hearing about this knife for a long time to come. You'll get tired of my reviews of it cutting eggs in the morning, taking a shower, its drive to work in the morning and anything me and it do together.
 
Enjoy your new blackjack. They seem like well made knives of great design. Why choose the sp-10 as your only other blade to keep. It seems like a lot of people are enamored with it & think it's cool. One guy said it chops hard and is still a good slicer. Why do you like it?
 
Beastchopper said:
Enjoy your new blackjack. They seem like well made knives of great design. Why choose the sp-10 as your only other blade to keep. It seems like a lot of people are enamored with it & think it's cool. One guy said it chops hard and is still a good slicer. Why do you like it?
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SP10 is just a simple sharp edge that is easy to pack around. It can process lumber to build shelter very easy and fast. Its easier to carry than a hatchet and it has more edge than a hatchet. In general day to day chores its over kill but in bug out survival it is a choice tool to me. And it's only 49 bucks.
 
I look forward to hearing about it. Came close to pulling the trigger on that one a few times.
 
JamesofArc said:
I pulled the trigger and ordered the BlackJack 125 with stacked leather Handel today. You guys are going to be hearing about this knife for a long time to come. You'll get tired of my reviews of it cutting eggs in the morning, taking a shower, its drive to work in the morning and anything me and it do together.
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I do look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Blackjack 125. I think when you get it, unless you have really large hands, you're going to think the handle may be a tad long. I hope you're tickled to death with the the 125. That handle length reduces the convenience of carrying the knife as an edc type knife for me unless you're a mountain man. ;)

Take a look at the Condor Mayflower knife (440C) which has a 3" blade for a possible edc. Sheath is typical Condor leather. The White River Backpacker Pro is another nice edc type fixed blade that works perfectly well in most any environment.

Again, congratulations on choosing the BJ 125. The 124 is a smaller version of it just in case you're interested. Have it too. The old BJ Trail Guide is another one that works. Found it at a knife show.
 
This thread has nudged me to dig out the BJ Trail Guide. It has ~4.5" blade (or an inch shorter than the BJ 125) and I really like it. Believe it was made in the 90's. Can see why I bought it immediately at a show when I saw it and I was comfortable with the condition and price. Wiped it off with oil and treated the leather sheath. The sheath had a couple little spots of mold on it and as a result needed a little attention.

Thanks for making me dig this one out and take a look at it again. I tend to just move onto the next knife and often don't really look at the ones I already have unless I'm using them. I personally think a 5 to 5.5" blade is about the right size for a general purpose woods knife; 4.5", yeah I could easily become accustomed to the BJ Trail Guide and it would make an excellent knife for whitetail chores if you like a pointy blade, which I do. Like it better than the Buck 192 (Cabelas Alaskan Guide Series).

Time to dig out my 124 and 125 to rekindle my affection for them. I also have the BRKT Nomad Hunter which is a bird & trout sized one in the same design vein as the BJ's with the bottom guard.
 
JamesofArc said:
Do you feel it can also be a good bushcraft knife too and general all around use knife. An edc for country boys that can carry a fixed blade all day with out law enforcement looking at them?
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It works for me. I dont baton though, so I cant speak to that. Its a strong knife with a thick blade but it isnt full tang. Im pretty sure it would hold up. For feather sticks it takes a bit of getting used to, the convex edge is very sharp and strong, but takes a bit more practice to get good feather sticks with in my experience (you just have to find the right angle).
Overall it works just great in the woods. And it is a large knife, but doesnt look too scary so people dont get as weirded out by it. A more "tactical" knife tends to get more looks. I dont think cops would hassle you unless youre breaking a law with it.
 
22-rimfire said:
J JamesofArc You get that BJ 125 yet?
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I ordered it a couple of weeks ago and the place i ordered it from must be out of business or something. They took my money out of my account on a monday but returned it the following friday. I spent all week trying to contact them to find out why they did not sent it to me but it appears nobody wants to answer the phone or return my messages, its some place in Northern city MI (part of Detroit) so i gave up on them and this morning I ordered it from a diffrent place that i know is a authorized dealer so i now have to wait again. Hope its here by next friday. when it arrives i will first do a box opening review. I drive truck so i am only home on the weekends.
 
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JoA, did you ever get your BJ 125? I too have one with the stacked leather handle. Haven't had a chance to use it, so I have to experience it through you.

Thanks,
 
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