If you really want an eye opener, dig up the old threads and search else where on the web for info on the person behind the company.
Saying that he is a 'bit controversial'(yes, I know you said the company), is like saying Pol Pot was a people person.
I personally wont buy blades from BRK. The reputation of the person behind the company, the shady affair of the mix and match steels, many BRK just being pale imitations of other knives (in the best Blackjack tradition), blurry grind lines etc etc keeps me from doing so.
Only a few days ago I happened upon a thread in which a kind fellow forumite had made a compilation from old threads about the BRKT controversy. I read the most recent thread in that compilation, hence my summary in the above post. Sadly, i couldn't find this thread again, or I would have linked it.
I still stand behind the things I said though. I think that when you consider their knives purely on their own merit, it is still fair to consider them as higher end knives. However, I think it's a good thing to take a company's ethics and business practices into account (if possible) when you buy something. It's why I try to avoid amazon (they treat their workers like crap, they treat the environment like crap).
Your advice is a good one. Ideally, one should read those old threads and form their own opinion. Just keep in mind that some of these things were years ago and ask yourself how things might be different today.
Edit: To be honest I would be looking at other models than the two mentioned before, but that is outside the scope of the OP's question.