BRK&T Kephart or Northstar?

Foilist said:
Does anyone have the Mini Northstar? They seem more plentiful right now and I'm wondering if it's a little too small or not.
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The Mini-NorthStar is a great knife in its own right. As Derrick said, it makes a great EDC knife. Think of it as a very sturdy paring knife, and you've got the idea!

I'm guessing for what you want, the NorthStar (regular size) is better.

Or the Canadian Special, better yet! :D
 
Grampa said:
The Mini-NorthStar is a great knife in its own right. As Derrick said, it makes a great EDC knife. Think of it as a very sturdy paring knife, and you've got the idea!

I'm guessing for what you want, the NorthStar (regular size) is better.

Or the Canadian Special, better yet! :D
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I think I'll skip the mini NS then, since I already have a good edc fixed blade. The Canadian Special looks good, but seems a bit more spendy than the Northstar for some reason.
 
I much prefer the handle on the canadian special and the aurora over the north star. Much more secure in my hand and more comfortable in multiple grips.
 
Okay, I've given more thought and read some reviews of the Canadian Special, and I'm warming up to it. I had a Grohmann #1 for awhile, and I liked its shape although I disliked its steel and grind (I could never get it sharp).

So, I guess it's down to Northstar or Canadian Special. Start talking me into one or the other now. Will the spine of the Canadian throw sparks from a ferro rod decently?
 
All of the Barkies I own (5 now) have a very fine radius at the spine/blade junction. They'll spark, but it takes extra pressure and just the right angle. As Longbow said, you may have to file it nice and square (almost sharp) to get a good bite.
 
Foilist said:
Okay, I've given more thought and read some reviews of the Canadian Special, and I'm warming up to it. I had a Grohmann #1 for awhile, and I liked its shape although I disliked its steel and grind (I could never get it sharp).
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I had the same problems with the Grohman. The BRKT Canadian Special, with Mike Stewart's A2 and convex grind, does not have this problem.

Foilist said:
So, I guess it's down to Northstar or Canadian Special. Start talking me into one or the other now. Will the spine of the Canadian throw sparks from a ferro rod decently?
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Mine sparks just fine, but I agree with Stretch that the edge does have a very small radius to it, and could be sharpened slightly for maximum spark generation, though with less comfort should you put your thumb or finger there to force a tough cut.
 
I second that--you won't have any trouble keeping a BRKT knife sharp. Easiest knives in the world to maintain--convex is king!
 
okbohn said:
I second that--you won't have any trouble keeping a BRKT knife sharp. Easiest knives in the world to maintain--convex is king!
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I agree 100%. My Mini Canadian is a cinch to keep very sharp, and I am terrible at sharpening knives. The "sandpaper on a mouse pad" stropping technique is idiot-proof (I should know).

That Mini CDN has ruined me for other brands of fixed blades; all I ever look at is Barkies anymore. I've been turned to the Bark Side!

Ideally, I'd buy about a dozen of the BRK&T models that I'm thinking about, handle them for awhile, choose one and sell/trade the rest. . . or keep them all. That kind of expenditure is likely to get me divorced, however, so my other option is to obsess over them, make annoying forum posts, and choose carefully. I can't go wrong with a Bark River, and both the Northstar and Canadian Special would suit my needs.

I wish there was a way to handle them before I buy. Does anyone know of a brick and mortar Bark River dealer in New England?
 
If you are worried about using a ferro rod, the North Star has notches on the spine for just that purpose.

David
 
I noticed today that DLT has the new Northstars. They changed the forward part of the handle slightly, made the spine notches more defined for the ferro rod, and added a second lanyard hole (for some reason).

The curly maple one is looking pretty good to me!
 
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