Have you ever gotten to the point of not needing another knife maker?

[Boats]

This morning, surfing the internet for more knives to buy after a spectacular month at work, I realized that except for a Ka-Bar TDI and a carbon Iisakki puukko/leuku combo just to try out the type, I haven't bought a fixed blade knife from any other maker than Bark River Knife and Tool in almost two years. I haven't even seriously looked at anyone else's fixed blade offerings in my recent memory either.

I just don't see myself buying anything other than one of their convex ground pieces as nearly the rest of my users have become safe queens since I got my first Gameskeeper in '04.

Seven total BRKTs from a Mini-Canadian, to three of the aforementioned Gameskeepers, to my recent Teddy, have served to turn everything else I own not from BRKT--that isn't a machete--into conversation pieces. I suppose I could get a BRKT that would function as a $170.00 machete. The puukko was just retired after one summer of service now that I had a double sheath made for the Mini-Canadian to bunk with a Gameskeeper and a fire steel loop.

The thing I love most is that the BRKTs are bombproof and still the easiest to sharpen knives I have ever seen or owned. The Gameskeepers in particular are sharpened prybars that just cut like lasers due to the convex edge. I have never come close to breaking any of them, and come to think of it, never seriously challenged their strength even though I have batoned firewood, disjointed and dressed an elk last fall, drilled a hole through a cabinet in a spot no drill could be manuevered, broke North Dakotan lake ice to get a fishing hole, fire sticked the spines and pried out heartwood, among other hard uses.

No reprofiling, no beveling, no magnifying glass looking for wire edges and the stray burr, just stropping and cutting through just about anything with minimal effort. Why bother with knives that are larger hassles in use or in field maintenance?

The only things missing from their line-up are a larger bush craft knife in the 7-9" range and a few decent folders. If they ever make a larger A2 convex version of the Gameskeeper, Teddy, Fox River, or Montana Guide, and a convex ground lockback or something, I would be done shopping around for good long while as I would have all of the tough users I could ever need.

Anyone else becoming, or has already become, a one company or maker aficionado?

 

[ph.ht1]

Glad to hear your descriptive Bark River experience. I am leaning toward Chris Reeve knives. CRK knives give me great satisfaction. I know they are tough and dependable. However, they are a bit pricey so I won't be buying too many. I have 4 CRK and 2 more on order. I think that will be the extent of my collection for a while.

Your post has peaked my interest in BRK. I will look into getting one if I ever go camping.

 

[kerryd]

I like the option of designing a knife with a maker. The blade style to the handle material and shape, spacers etc...for that reason, I'm not becoming a one company afficianado - flexibility.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

There are so many talented knifemakers and innovative companies out there, that I think I'll never stick to one brand.

 

[MikeH]

I feel the same way about Busse Combat. I cannot imagine a fixed-blade knife need that one of my presently owned Busses wouldn't fill, all the way from a splinter picker through field dressing to wood splitting. (There are many thin Busses, by the way. In fact, I gravitate to the thinner Busses.)

However, that doesn't mean that I don't occasionally pick up another maker's knives. I have a couple of Grecos. My daughter has a Branton, a Greco, and an EK in addition to her Busses. And for some reason Ruanas have a particular appeal to me.

When I find myself admiring another maker's knife, like the Entrek Javalina for instance, it occurs to me that most of the knives I like look like Busses and have many of the same characteristics.