BRK&T Northstar or Canadian Special?

F

Foilist

Joined
Dec 20, 2004
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One of these will be my next knife for all-purpose camping and woodsloafing use. I love my Mini Canadian, but would like something a bit bigger for a solo fixed blade. I'd love to hear some more opinions/reviews/rants about these two.
 
I don't have either, however I have used both. I must tell you I like the Canadian Special better. It does everything very well. There are other knives that are more speicalized in certain areas and will out perfrom it. However, for a general woods loafing knife as you describe, I would choose it. Afterall it is a Bark River and you can never go wrong with one of those.
 
Mini North Star? Awesome blade and the new Sharpshooter sheaths kick *butt*
 
Foilist, you know my opinion already, but I'll throw it in here anyway! :D

I'd go with the Canadian Special. It's the best general purpose "woods-bumming" knife I've found, bar none.

If you want more than that, consider teaming it with a BRKT Golok for clearing, chopping, batoning, and a Mikro-Canadian or Pro Scapel for fine work (the Lil Tusk would be another good one for the "fine work" category).
 
CANADIAN SPECIAL: A2 4.000" 8.750" 0.170" 5.750oz Convex Exposed
Nice design but has a "swayback" design. This gives the appearance of allowing more of the blade to be used at once before the hand on the hilt begins to interfere, however, the bottom of the knife does not truly follow the humpback contour of the spine of the knife so it seems to be more esthetic than anything else.

NORTHSTAR: A2 4.000" 8.500" 0.170" 4.625oz Convex Full Exposed
Beautiful design: the Northstar, like the Highland, Fox River, and others, has the convex "skinner" curve from the tip of the blade through the end of the scales. This follows through on the bottom of the knife too and could limit some skinning or cutting ability of the entire length of the blade because at some point the hand on hilt can interfere.

I like the Northstar but these two are virtually the same knife with slightly different esthetics.

The Fox River is somewhat of a compromise between the Canadian Special and the Northstar. This is my opinion through observation, NOT that I think BRKT intended it to be. The Fox River still has the convex spinal curve of the Northstar, but the edge of the blade hangs lower on the plane of the knife than does the handle. This allows more of the blade to be used for a given task before handle interference. Plus, I like the lanyard extension on the end of the tang.

Fox River: A2 4.250" 8.250" 0.170" 5.625oz Convex Full Exposed
 
I have both. On backpacking trips I take the North Star because, as a package, it is slightly smaller and lighter. For car camping, the Canadian Special wins out. Total blade length is the same, and the Canadian Special has a slightly finer point. The Canadian Special has a meatier handle - fatter, longer, and with finger grooves. So if you have big hands, it would be the better choice. Both have about the same amount of belly to them. The handle/blade angle is different. With the North Star, the blade is dropped below the handle line. With the Canadian Special, the blade is almost in line with the handle, perhaps pointing slightly above the handle line, which would make it better for kitchen duty when using a cutting board.
 
Thank you for the very specific descriptions. Please keep 'em coming! Particularly discussion of the functional differences. Both knives "do it" for me aesthetically. What sparked this hunt for a new camping/bushcraft knife was a recent trip during which my only fixed blade, a Mini Canadian, was too small for me to perform some important tasks well. Admittedly, the shortcomings were more in my skills than in the tool, but I would like something a little larger.

I have slender, medium sized hands, so I doubt I'd have a problem with the small handles that Barkies are notorious for. I'm not a huge fan of finger grooves, but they are shallow enough on the Canadian Sp. so as not to be a problem. I'ver read that the swell at the base of the Northstar's handle is uncomfortable for some.

I don't hunt, so I'm not likely to use the knife to dress game; skinning performance isn't that important to me. I would like a good point in line with the handle for other work. I will be using it to prepare food, fire materials, mend/adapt gear, and the usual stuff. I would also like it to be capable of shelter building, firewood batoning and other bushcrafting tasks in case of an emergency (or for fun).


I wish there was a shop in New England that carried Bark Rivers so I could handle them.
 
Perhaps this will help

NS-CS001.jpg
 
The Northstar is certainly more to my preference, but it is mostly a preference issue. I think the NS has a more versatile handle for varied grips. It is smaller in the grasp though which is a problem for some people. It's got a smaller footprint sizewise which makes it easier to pack, strap and carry.

Phil
 
Incidentally there's also a "New 2007 Version" of the NS. Main differences are the the "zero" plunge line connecting with the handle for better notching and slightly different thumb notches, but do check them out the Gallery shots at their corner over at the "other" forum.
 
StretchNM said:
CANADIAN SPECIAL: A2 4.000" 8.750" 0.170" 5.750oz Convex Exposed
Nice design but has a "swayback" design. This gives the appearance of allowing more of the blade to be used at once before the hand on the hilt begins to interfere, however, the bottom of the knife does not truly follow the humpback contour of the spine of the knife so it seems to be more esthetic than anything else.
Click to expand...

Er, I could be wrong too StretchNM and needing clarification as well but I thought I read Mike Stewart term the Canadian "humped spine" design (as in the Grohmann's as well) as a "bowback"; the blade doesn't really follow the curve of the of the spine as in "true" swaybacks?
 
Since Stretch mentioned the Fox River I'll provide this photo. Much like the North Star with a bit more belly. I really like this knife, the size, the convex edge, the A2 tool steel, yada yada yada:)
 
I considered the Fox River, but decided that I want something with a more defined point and less of a hunting knife profile.

Thanks for the side-by-side shot of the two blades in question; now I want them both! I think I may prefer the compactness of the NS.

Bark RIvers have vastly improved sheaths now, right?
 
untamed said:
Er, I could be wrong too StretchNM and needing clarification as well but I thought I read Mike Stewart term the Canadian "humped spine" design (as in the Grohmann's as well) as a "bowback"; the blade doesn't really follow the curve of the of the spine as in "true" swaybacks?
Click to expand...

No, Untamed, you're probably right about the terminology, but a little clarification is in order:

The blade (only) is humpbacked. There is a noticeable hump from the tip to the hilt, then the apex of the "sway" (or maybe more correctly, the "bow")begins and follows out to the end of the handle. This could make for more efficient cutting because, IF the bottom of the knife follows the same contour, more of the length of the edge can cut before the fingers of the hand interfere. However, while there is some of the contour on the bottom of the knife, the Canadian Special doesn't follow the sway the same as the top. So.... some relief is provided but not as much as the top profile of the knife would have you believe.

Now that doesn;t make it less efficient than the Northstar. In fact, the fingers of the hand will interfere on the Northstar before they will on the Canadian Special, because the NS has little or no relief.

Now....did I muck that up pretty good? hehehe (((:D)))

My preference for the Northstar is aesthetic only (thanks for the correct spelling on that word, Foilist). But seeing the Candian and the Northstar side by side, I'm beginning to like that Canadian more and more.

FOILIST: Considering your most recent post and preference for a more "pointed" blade, have you looked at the Aurora?
Aurora: A2 4.500" 9.500" 0.170" 6.000oz Convex Exposed
 
Not to keep throwing more knives into your pit of confusion (although that's what I'm doing, aint it?) but the Snowy River might be pointy enough too. Hidden tang, stainless, and .130 steel though.

Snowy River: 12c27 4.000" 8.125" 0.129" 3.375oz Convex Hidden
 
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