Hunting Knives: Bark River vs Dozier???

Good comments from all. Thanks.

I know that Mike Stewart is not well-liked. I personally don't know all the details or background to pass judgement, but the vast number of people who dislike him is telling. That being said I want a good knife and am not buying it based on principle or my thoughts about the owner of the company. If that were the case I would not shop on Amazon nor buy a lot of things that I buy.

On that note I have never met Mike. I did meet Bob Dozier at a knife show in approximately 2002 and maybe I caught him on a bad day. He was very short, unfriendly and somewhat condescending to the point that he really irritated me....and I went by his table a few times that day. Again, maybe I caught him on a bad day but I am not going to refrain from buying his knives as a result.

I do get the whole matter of principle thing, but that's not my major deciding factor. i respect people's choices not to buy from him though.

Would a Buck suffice? Absolutely! I have had a 110 folding hunter for about 40 years and it has been used on lots of game, but I want something a bit higher end now...for no real practical reason other than the enjoyment I get from high-end tools.

From what everyone says though it sounds like Dozier is significantly better. My main issue with BR would be questioning if I got a good or bad one.

As to "paid reviewers" my comments are largely about the guys on YouTube with huge followings who who review dozens of BR knives. Same goes from many other products. Some are legit, others are getting free stuff to review which may influence their reviews (Virtuovoice, PinkG10, Dutch Bushcrafters, etc)

Matt
 
bowler1 said:
Yes! I like that guy and watch a lot of his videos. He seems to be a huge Bark River fan, but again I question if he is being paid by them, along with several other of the Bark River fan vids.

I have not really seen him test too many other knives so I can't use his videos as a good basis of comparison.

Yes, on the Ingram knives. I would buy one but they seem to be impossible to find.

Matt
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Mr Suzuki isn't being paid by MS. Believe it or not Bark River has a fairly strong following in Japan, although mostly I think because it's "Made in USA".
Which is considered "cool" by many.
Don't know about other youtubers though.
 
bowler1 said:
I have no issues with his reputation as long as the product is quality; however, my comments above probably indicate that I have doubts about the quality of the blades I got from him. They look great but the blade staining and edge durability have me questioning a bit.
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So you DO have issues with his reputation, because you’ve PERSONALLY experienced quality problems.

I’ve never owned a Bark River because I’ve read so many posts where either Stewart or his knives were of low quality. Why would so many people take the time to lie about it? Nobody’s paying them…
 
I've never had any problems with my Marbles (Campcraft, Fieldcraft in 52100) or Bark River (Woodland Professional in A2) that came from Mike Stewart's shops. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Bark River knife.
 
Alberta Ed said:
I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Bark River knife.
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So you agree with supporting criminal actions, fraud and immorality?

I just don't get some of you people and your "he's done nothing to me" defense.

Stewart has f'd over a lot of other people in this hobby, some right here on this forum.

Considering the stance that many people take on this forum by not supporting Chinese-made knives for various reasons (mostly far-removed political and ethical beliefs), I simply cannot fathom how some people turn a blind eye to the proven criminal actions of someone in this hobby, right in our own backyard.
 
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bowler1 said:
Additionally, I washed the blade and left on my counter wet for about 10 minutes and there was a permanent water stain from on of the water drops. I found this surprising from "3V" as well since I don't think it should stain this easily.
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That should not happen. I wash and air dry 3V knives all the time, sometimes keep them in wet sheaths for half hour, etc.

Should tell you something right there. But I see you already made the right call.
 
I saw this and said to myself, I give this thread maybe 10 posts before Shane45-1911 comes in shouting and calling names but I was wrong, it was post #11. He's like a Bark River seeking missile lol. Seriously though, just get whatever you like... in reality a Buck 110 would do everything you really need and cost a lot less. That's what (*scoff*) normal people would get :rolleyes:. And the normal folks are probably right. So just get whatever floats your boat and don't sweat the small stuff I say. I think you made a good choice OP on going with the Dozier. Just learn to sharpen that steel better and you'll be fine I'm sure. I think a better choice would be to just find something that really makes you happy, so if Bob Dozier was a jerk to you and you dont like his steel then I would go to a custom maker like any of the great ones here on Bladeforums and get EXACTLY what you want in EXACTLY the steel you want. You are obviously a pretty discerning person if an expensive Dozier leaves you cold, so I say just get a full custom made for you. :)
P.S. Not defending Bark River, I dont care. Please no one attack me like a rabid animal for what I'm about to say. Remember, I am just a nerd on the internet and not a Nazi supporter for liking Bark Rivers lol. However, remember that an online forum like this is an echo chamber of grumpy knife nerds so take everything with a grain of salt. For example, no one seems to care that Bob was a jerk to you and that his steel left some to be desired, yet Mike Stewart has never done anything to you and his steel left some to be desired and people are dogpiling on Bark River. Every maker/company has plenty of happy customers and some unhappy ones. That's real life. Don't let the internet get in your head and make you unhappy with a knife or anything else. :) You can keep your Bark RIvers without supporting terrorism or whatever. Don't let anyone guilt you, life is too short. :) And by the way, a knife edge getting dinged after working over a whole deer is no big deal, that is pretty hard work and will do that to any knife. Bones and hide are rough on edges, so I wouldn't worry too much about the 3v. Just sharpen your knife.
 
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shane45-1911 said:
So you agree with supporting criminal actions, fraud and immorality?

I just don't get some of you people and your "he's done nothing to me" defense.

Stewart has f'd over a lot of other people in this hobby, some right here on this forum.

Considering the stance that many people take on this forum by not supporting Chinese-made knives for various reasons (mostly far-removed political and ethical beliefs), I simply cannot fathom how some people turn a blind eye to the proven criminal actions of someone in this hobby, right in our own backyard.
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Or... they just like the knives that they bought? That is quite a leap. Please don't be rude to people.
 
CVamberbonehead said:
Or... they just like the knives that they bought? That is quite a leap. Please don't be rude to people.
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There's no leaping or rudeness involved.

Some people know the history of Mike Stewart, and still choose to support him. That is selfish and does no one any good that enjoys this hobby. The "he hasn't done anything to me" defense is pretty lame, considering there are so many other above-the-table makers who go out of their way every single day to set the bar higher, and do it with honesty, integrity and morality.

People who don't know Stewart's history get a free pass. Once.

If someone supports criminal and fraudulent behavior in order to have knife they really want - want does that say about that person?
 
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shane45-1911 said:
There's no leaping or rudeness involved.

Some people know the history of Mike Stewart, and still choose to support him. That is selfish and does no one any good that enjoys this hobby. The "he hasn't done anything to me" defense is pretty lame, considering there are so many other above-the-table makers who go out of their way every single day to set the bar higher, and do it with honesty, integrity and morality.

People who don't know Stewart's history get a free pass. Once.

If someone supports criminal and fraudulent behavior in order to have knife they really want - want does that say about that person?
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k
 
CVamberbonehead said:
Or... they just like the knives that they bought? That is quite a leap. Please don't be rude to people.
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Where was he rude - I must have missed it..?

So just to bring your argument to a logical conclusion, you’d be ok buying a knife from a known (EDIT: person who sells crack to kids) , as long as YOUR kids hadn’t been (EDIT: sold crack)?

Silly.
 
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scdub said:
Where was he rude - I must have missed it..?

So just to bring your argument to a logical conclusion, you’d be ok buying a knife from a known child molester, as long as YOUR kids hadn’t been molested?

Silly.
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Wow. Now THAT one is a leap. lol And yes, it's kind of rude to jump into a thread and tell people that if they like their BRKT's than they are "selfish" and must support crime and sin and yadda yadda etc. ad nauseum. Casting stones on peoples character for the knife they buy is a little over the top. It's just a knife. Sometimes a knife is just a knife. It isn't a political statement or supporting the mafia or anything. Just a stupid knife.
So, I am not gonna bother with this. I am not gonna derail OP's thread. You guys win, I quit. I am raising the white flag. I give. Uncle. Mike Stewart is the great white satan who kicked my puppy/pissed in my cheerios/banged my mom or whatever. No one came in here aggressively calling Mike Stewart a "douchebag" or telling people that they are scumbags by association if they buy BRKT's. Must have been my imagination.
The Bark River haters convention can continue without me. You guys really came in swinging here. Can't you people put this kind of "I'd like to speak to your manager" energy into something more productive? There are real problems out there in the real world that you could be arguing with people for, and worse people out there than Mike Stewart too.
Who gives a crap? People just want to buy cool knives and I think that that is ok. Have a nice day.
 
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