Bravo 1? Now I'm worried

EVERY knife will break, however my purchases with Bark River are on temporary hold until someone gets it together, there has been far to many problems with such an expensive knife..

Don't make me start comparing them to a $25 Condor Bushlore.. :eek:
 
Karda said:
In short, you should not base your purchasing habits on what you see in the knifetest videos. Read user reviews of how it performs during actual use, they are a far better gauge of what you might expect.
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I agree with this 100%. I would also add that your opinion of your knife ought to be formed based on how it performs for you in your uses. Like most of us here, I read reviews and try to research a knife before I buy it, but if I like it enough to buy it after my research, then I'm gonna take it out and use it for what I bought it for before I form an opinion of how good a knife it is.

FWIW, I've had several Barkies (never a Bravo, though) and every one of them has performed very well for me with no surprises or letdowns.
 
Bark River makes a Great Knife that the owner(Mike Stewart) stands behind 110%

Get one-use it.

If you have a problem--Mike will fix it..
 
WILLIAM.M said:
Bark River makes a Great Knife that the owner(Mike Stewart) stands behind 110%

Get one-use it.

If you have a problem--Mike will fix it..
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I agree. I called up to ask some questions about their knives because I was going to purchase one. Mike spent 45-60 minutes with me on the phone talking about the blade geometry and styles, applications, steel type plusses/minuses, grinds, etc. I have taken an ABS blade making course in the past and am no pro, but it is very clear that Mike knows what he's talking about.

Honestly I'm surprised about what people expect from knives. They want them shaving sharp, hard as a diamond for edge retention, flexible as a rubber hose for use as a pry bar, a thick wedge geometry to baton 12" pieces of frozen Oak and gold inlayed handle scales that can resist battery acid baths.

All knives are going to have their limits. You can have good edge retention but the edge may be brittle. You can have flexibility but the edge may be softer to resist cracking. You can have shaving sharp but the thinner edge may roll if you abuse it. Sometimes hand ground blades aren't perfect.

I now own two of those Bravo 1's (Carbon A2 and Stainless). They are a very versatile and stout blade. I'm still surprised at how well such a thick blade can do so many tasks well. Also I'm impressed with how well they hold their edges after a lot of use.
 
Good post Craig!!

The negative reviews seem to be getting lots of attention. I own 6 Bark River's and have made no videos, destruction tests, etc..
I can appreciate a knife's design and limitations, and use them accordingly. Maybe some of them have been ground too thin, or some problem could exist. But, they stand behind their knives.
Dale at The Knife Connection, and Derrick at Knives Ship Free would also assist in an warranty issues with BRKT.
 
barkies are very good cutters, however sometime the convex grind is a little on the thin side so warping can happen. This however can be remedied when sharpening to put a thicker edge I hear. I need to do that with my Fox river, since it has a warp on the edge.
 
in search of the "perfect knife"? It is right next to the holy grail. Basically there is no such thing. All knives have an intended purpose.....most of the time this does not include the stuff some "knife reviewers" do. Keep in mind that you can do 99% of the stuff you would do with a $150 knife with a $40 knife. IMAO, the expensive blades are great, and allow you to appreciate the finer things in life, but STILL they have intended purposes.

I spend 4-6 weeks a year in the field hunting/camping/fishing. I have never had a situation where my knife broke or became un-usable. BTW: chopping with a knife makes no sense when you can get very light weight saws that are much more efficient. You dont need to split 3 inch diameter logs if you know how to make a fire!!!

Learn what the knives you like were intended for, how to use them and how to sharpen. The bravo is a good blade. See if you can get your hands on one. If it fits/feels good just go out and enjoy. If you have problems, BRKT will make good on it.
 
My wife got me one for christmas,being a former Marine she thought it would be great(plus I told her I wanted one).I planned on useing it when I hike part of the AT next month,when I opened it this morning it was so dull it would not cut through paracord.Now I know things happen and some times things just slip through the cracks but come on,now I have to send it back that really sucks I hope I get it back in time to use it.I've never had this problem before with other makers.
 
Dude, ANY knife can break. Don't worry about it Mike Stewart stands behind his knives %100
 
luke2236 said:
My wife got me one for christmas,being a former Marine she thought it would be great(plus I told her I wanted one).I planned on useing it when I hike part of the AT next month,when I opened it this morning it was so dull it would not cut through paracord.Now I know things happen and some times things just slip through the cracks but come on,now I have to send it back that really sucks I hope I get it back in time to use it.I've never had this problem before with other makers.
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that is not uncommon for high carbon steel blades. That Bravo may have been on a distributors shelf for a long time, and a little oxidation is going on. Get yourself a strop and some green compound, you should have this anyway, and you can sharpen that convex edge in no time. I put a little rem oil on the blade, wipe it down and it is good to go.
 
While Bark River does make a good knife. Mike Stewart is pretty dishonorable man and lacks a great deal of integrity. Besides, ESEE makes a knife that is backed by one of the best warranties in the business. It's a simple fact that their warranty cannot be matched by Bark River and that's why ESEE sees my business...... :)

With all that said, I hope those who enjoy their Barkies keep on enjoying them...... but understand that they are not for everyone, especially those of us who look at the integrity and reputation of the company...... which is lacking from Mike Stewart... :(
 
Knifein said:
Dude, ANY knife can break. Don't worry about it Mike Stewart stands behind his knives %100
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Look through the mans history. He might stand behind his knives but he has screwed over MANY people along the way..... to each there own but, I don't care to associate myself with him.
 
Why do people drone on about warranties, I don't care that someone offers a great warranty I want a knife that won't break in the first place !

I keep hearing people say that any knife can break but I can't ever recall seeing a SR101 Swamprat blade or a Busse blade that has broken.
 
Karda said:
So will many others, this type of warranty is not new or special.
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Agreed...... However, I am unable to afford the high quality that Busse Knives group offers. Jerry is a great man and one day I might be able to swing one of his knives that are of SUCH high quality. Bark River, in my experience, has been a hit or miss in terms of quality and the 'man' who owns the company is NOT honorable or honest and lacks integrity. ESEE is owned by a much greater man who is honorable and has plenty of integrity. They make knives that don't disappoint at a price point that I can manage as a college student. When Bark River is owned by an honorable man and makes knives that are consistent in quality, they might see my money...... That is, if I don't choose Busse instead. Hope you have a Happy New Year!:)
 
mmmotorcycle said:
Agreed...... However, I am unable to afford the high quality that Busse Knives group offers. Jerry is a great man and one day I might be able to swing one of his knives that are of SUCH high quality. Bark River, in my experience, has been a hit or miss in terms of quality and the 'man' who owns the company is NOT honorable or honest and lacks integrity. ESEE is owned by a much greater man who is honorable and has plenty of integrity. They make knives that don't disappoint at a price point that I can manage as a college student. When Bark River is owned by an honorable man and makes knives that are consistent in quality, they might see my money...... That is, if I don't choose Busse instead. Hope you have a Happy New Year!:)
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I didn't mention Busse specifically. Nor Bark River. There are still others with similar warrantys at very good value for the money.
 
Luke, LEARN TO SHARPEN


mmmotorcycle, I could easily name 10 knife companies that have a similar warranty, its nothing special. Plus the knives themselves are pretty plain and lack a lot of performance that the BRKT has. And finally who gives a rats ass about someones personal life..... Ooo wait, were on the internet.

+1 Pitdog
 
pitdog said:
Why do people drone on about warranties, I don't care that someone offers a great warranty I want a knife that won't break in the first place !

I keep hearing people say that any knife can break but I can't ever recall seeing a SR101 Swamprat blade or a Busse blade that has broken.
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There are no knives that won't break in the first place, that is why there are warrantys and why due care should be taken, as with any tool. Like i said before, any knife can be broken. I found these in about 5 minutes. you werent looking hard enough.

Broken Swamprat:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=592536&highlight=broken
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=418286&highlight=broken


Broken Busse:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136634&highlight=broken
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7589274&postcount=17


knifenut1013 said:
And finally who gives a rats ass about someones personal life..... Ooo wait, were on the internet.

+1 Pitdog
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You'd be surprised how many people care about the integrity of the manufacturer, as well as the integrity of his product.
 
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