BRK Bravo Necker or Rat Izula

hoopster said:
Well, I ran into some extra money plowing snow today so I ordered a black bravo necker with the ghost green g-10 scales. I figure the sheath leaves a little to be desired so I'll probably bend some kydex for it and compare it to the Izula for EDC. $119 total. Whoa. Not necessarily a bad deal but it does remind me how good of a deal the Izula is.
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:eek: he has gone to the dark side! :D
 
I'm a big Bark River consumer, but for the price the Izula is a great buy. I do wish the Izula was offered in more bright colors like the Bravo Necker. I might consider the Bravo Necker if I accidentally snap my Izula in two. Just wondering, why don't I see any Bravo Necker handle wrapping posts? There are tons of Izula wrap posts, yet nobody seems to be wrapping the Bravo.
 
The Izula is the best deal money-wise, but the Barkie is a full convex grind, which wins in cutting performance. I got both. I've paracord wrapped them both. The Izula has a much more ergonomic handle in this regard, because the Barkie has some sharp, uncomfortable edges on the handle. I rounded those off, so now my Barkie is very comfortable as well. So, comparing the two very similar knives, yet with totally different grinds, comes down to what you're willing to do to it. I had to regrind the edge to 15° on my Izula to get a more refined cutter. The standard 20° gives you lots of retention, but not as much cutting performance as a full convex grind. I've gotta say, the best knife would be a Izula which was reground to a full convex grind, because the hole at the end is very useful in a number of ways — something that the Barkie doesn't have. The Barkie is way too expensive, but it is still a good knife. I had to modify both of these two knives to make them work for me, but they are both really good starting platforms to work from. I prefer full convex edges though. They carve and whittle better than v-edges, save scandi-grinds.
 
First post, hello all. Search for more info on lightweight fixed blade knives with lightweight sheaths for backpacking, and fixed blade EDC and folding knives led me to this post. I'm particularly interested in the Bark River Necker Bravo 2 and the RAT Izula (with Ka-bar BK11 a good value and close runner up). Plan to carry this inverted on my backpack straps, and then remove and place on belt in camp.

I'm interested in paracord wrapping the handles not just to have extra cord, but also to potentially use the space for a small waterproof sack or capsule containing a few items such as water disinfection tablets.

If you use the BRKT scales, is there more space available between the scales than just the little cylindrical cutout in the inside of the scales?

Stoffi, would you say the BRKT Necker Bravo 2 handle is now as comfortable as the Izula's after your mod?

Do you have a photo of the handle after you ground the edges and before you paracord wrapped it?

What did you use to grind it, and did this affect the strength of the handle or mar the color? I was just going to get plain black.

What uses do you have for the hole in the end of the Izula? Did you grind down to a full convex grind? Would this be possible without damaging the Izula blade?

What did you use/do to grind down the Izula edge to 15 degrees?

Really appreciate the tips - looking to potentially do the same.
 
You could wait until the new Becker Brat (Izzy Handle/Becker Blade) comes out. Looks awesome.
 
Dangreco, when is it coming out? Is it a collaboration between RAT and Ka-Bar/Becker? Will the blade be exactly the same shape, size, material, grind as the BK11 Becker Necker?

Any links to description, photos, etc.?
 
Does the BK11 come sharp and does it hold an edge well?

Anything much to maintain other than keeping it lightly oiled to prevent corrosion?
 
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