BRKT Aurora's First Hike

theonew

theonew

Joined
May 16, 2006
Messages
2,724
So I got the BRKT Aurora out to the woods for the first time today. Oh what a pleasure it was to carry a 6 ounce knife on my belt. I got used to carrying a Busse SJTAC (+/- 14 ounces) in a dangler sheath but honestly the weight was always noticeable. With the Aurora I kept looking down to make sure is was still attached. Its been raining a lot the last few days and the black flies were out in force, so I didn't get a chance to really stop and play for any length of time. But along the way I whittled a bunch of fresh and dried branches and stopped to baton through some very old deadwood, some hardwood, medium-hardwood, and some softwood. I've never really done much batoning and seriously need to work on my technique, but even in the hands of a clod the Aurora batoned through a fresh, recently downed black birch tree 3 inches thick in 1 to 2 minutes. But perhaps the most striking thing about this knife is something I would never have expected from A2 steel - edge retention. When I started the hike today the blade was hair whittlingly sharp and when I returned and washed it off it was still hair popping sharp, cleaning a patch of hair in one pass. To give you another idea of just how little edge was lost, I restored it to hair-splitting sharp in about 5 minutes using only an ultra-fine Spyderco ceramic hone. It seems to me that Mike Stewart really knows how to make A2 shine. :D

Nice and clean at the start of the hike:
DSC_2310.jpg


At home, before taking a shower:
DSC_2325sml.jpg
 
Son, you'd best get rid of that Barkie right now, or before you know it, you're gonna have more Barkies than Rats! ;)
 
Grampa said:
Son, you'd best get rid of that Barkie right now, or before you know it, you're gonna have more Barkies than Rats! ;)
Click to expand...

I'll give up this Barkie when someone pries my cold dead fingers from around it. :D
 
I have been lusting after a Aurora for awhile, and this thread isn't helping!

Wish I could afford one!
 
I want one. Oh well...
 
Great looking blade. Knives of that size always get the most carry and use from me too. They just carry so easily, like you said, you forget they are there until needed.
 
I have an Aurora in Osage Orange. You're right. It's a great knife. Thanks for posting your pics and story.

Did you get a matching firesteel yet for your Aurora?
 
The Aurora really appeals to me, except for the price tag. Just having a hard time justifying the more than $40 difference between the aurora and northstar.......I know thicker and longer scales and tiny weeney bit more blade length.....I will probably go for the northstar as I actually want more compact. I wish the mini-NS came in A2 as well!
 
Nice pics Theo,
Sooo...you like it? LOL. They are great blades! Gene
 
thanks for the review.

my experience with the BRKTs is similar to yours...they like to hang onto that sharp edge for quite a while.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top