Impressions of the Bark River Golok, Upswept Tip

Status
Not open for further replies.
vmmvmmm

vmmvmmm

Joined
Jan 8, 2015
Messages
660
Just received my BRK Golok purchased specifically for winterizing the yard this year. Have to say it seems to have done a great job once I got my technique down. I cut down grasses, and smallish shrubs as well as trimmed a young tree. Great tool.

I purchased the Golok with the upswept tip, because I just thought it looked better, with a maroon linen micarta handle. Maroon linen is my favorite material BRK uses, and all of the knives I've had from them but one have had this type of handle.

I received it yesterday without a sheath for some strange reason. I'm sure the folks at KSF will get that straightened out soon.

Here are some pics of the knife and it's handiwork:

22791117267_e76b1a2114_b.jpg

22556763754_3fd4b2a29a_b.jpg

22556747544_2c66625d00_b.jpg

22558210153_bf2a8ba890_b.jpg

22558183573_6dec937488_b.jpg


Took some time to clean the blade with some acetone, and here's how it looks a bit cleaned up after work:

22791375217_18dfcb5fa2_b.jpg

22791363837_2a7e58ee10_b.jpg

22558455273_f2a9af069c_b.jpg

22817557609_7c70f98a5c_b.jpg


Going to have to figure out how to hone the edge a bit. Even though I never got it into the dirt, it looks like I have some light chipping on the belly of the tip.

22889722190_ff54fddf3b_b.jpg

22558445203_100476dca6_b.jpg


Didn't think it would do that if I kept it out of the rocks, but maybe I just worked it really hard.

Overall, I'd say I really like the knife. The handle is a bit bigger than I think is ideal for me, but it's a large knife and allows for a couple of ways to hold on tight. I wish I had a sheath to put it away in now that I'm done, but I'm sure that will come along in good time. It's pretty, and it felt manly hacking away at things rather than holding a power tool and making a mess. I like it, I just need to figure out how to get the edge back in shape for the next time I need to use it.
 
That is really bizarre. Shoot Tyler an email and we will get one right out to you.
 
It chipped doing so easy work? Again one more reason why im never buying a bark river..

Se so many people having major and minor chipping with easy tasks..then the owner goes on saying they abuse the knife bla bla bla.. When a cheap mora or schrade or esee etc can withstand more...
 
mrbushido said:
It chipped doing so easy work? Again one more reason why im never buying a bark river..

Se so many people having major and minor chipping with easy tasks..then the owner goes on saying they abuse the knife bla bla bla.. When a cheap mora or schrade or esee etc can withstand more...
Click to expand...
Couldn't remember why I had you on ignore,,, thanks for the reminder!
 
okbohn said:
That is really bizarre. Shoot Tyler an email and we will get one right out to you.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Derek. I sent one late Friday to him, so I'm sure he'll be on it first thing Monday. Love the knife, otherwise.
 
mrbushido said:
It chipped doing so easy work? Again one more reason why im never buying a bark river..

Se so many people having major and minor chipping with easy tasks..then the owner goes on saying they abuse the knife bla bla bla.. When a cheap mora or schrade or esee etc can withstand more...
Click to expand...

:rolleyes:
I am not a Bark River fan, but they have consistent heat treats from knife to knife and make decent usable knives. They always seemed to have some minor thing that I end up filing, rasping, or sanding. Mike Stewart doesn't make perfect knives.
 
Ive seen huge chips talking like nearly thumb sized from small easy tasks.

He is extremely rude to the customers and lies about the knives... They arent tested by marines etc acording to the marines themself...
They say they underharden the steel to get best results well when underhardening a2 for a example you make it brittle and chippy.

They say they heat treat for several days completely bullshit a heat treat takes max one day.

They say they heat treat to get biggest grain possible thats idiotic as everyone want as fine litle grain as possible.


So no im never dealing with em cause this and cause their customer service is awful.

Ive handled tons maybe a 100-150 bark rivers and sharpend them and out of thoose maybe 10-15 got several heat treating/tempering problems.

So buy em if you want put im putting my money in other companys easy
 
When chipping happens they just regrind instead of giving new knife and they are rude to the customers seen it in threads so many times
 
mrbushido said:
Ive handled tons maybe a 100-150 bark rivers and sharpend them and out of thoose maybe 10-15 got several heat treating/tempering problems.
Click to expand...
Thats funny, just earlier this month you were asking about whether or not you should buy a Bark River,, then immediately start bashing the company, not after actually using one,, but after reading stuff on the internet.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1341599-Bark-river-golok-or-hudson-bay-2
I see that ever since you joined most of your posts are "what knife should I get", or "How is this knife",, I suggest you do what most people do. Buy a knife, work with it for a few years, and form your opinion that way.
Coming on a forum and bashing a respected company and owner, without ever owning the product is not very becoming.
Cheers
 
Last edited:
Yes becuase i thought im gonna give em a try but researched a bit etc and found out that the company is bad and that coupled with my experience from sharpening them equals that i dont want to have anything with that company too do
 
mrbushido said:
Yes becuase i thought im gonna give em a try but researched a bit etc and found out that the company is bad and that coupled with my experience from sharpening them equals that i dont want to have anything with that company too do
Click to expand...
So you were lying about handling 150 Bark Rivers then?
You certainly never mentioned that in the Golok vs Hudson Bay post,, all you said was,,


mrbushido said:
Read alot now and never gonna buy a bark river. Bad heat treating and overheating during grinding they chip lots and lots and they are rude to customers...

I have now read countless threads and seen countless videoes and bark river knives fail at easy tasks like twig cutting...

And the company then insults the user..

Even see virtouvice has lots of chips etc...
Click to expand...
 
Apologies to the OP for derailing,, my BS meter was going off the charts with this one..

Love the look of the Golok,, great pics!
Im sure Bark River will get you all taken care of..

Cheers
 
Um no im not lying as i said ive sharpend many bark rivers with chips but never knowed what caused em, after reading researching etc found thats its bad quality control grinding etc
 
Great looking Golok. I agree that the damage should not be that extensive. Especially considering it is A2, which is a great steel. I have often browsed all of the BRKT offerings and have often considered buying another one. Many years ago, I had some BRKT knives and I had edge chipping issues as well which Mike promptly took care of. The service back then was excellent. I was kinda surprised at the ease in which BRKT's A2 chipped. I had other A2 knives and none suffered damage on such light use. I am guessing the move to 3V may have been caused by A2 issues, but I guess you can still get them in A2? One thing about BRKT is they are some of the best looking knives out there. I would hope that the chipping is now an anomaly and not a consistent issue.
 
I like that Golok, I would think the edge just needs to be touched up a bit. Once you sharpen it a couple times, the edge should be a little more durable.

mrbushido said:
Um no im not lying as i said ive sharpend many bark rivers with chips but never knowed what caused em, after reading researching etc found thats its bad quality control grinding etc
Click to expand...

If you have handled and sharpened as many as you say, you should know by now what the knives are all about. It makes no sense (to me anyway) that you would need feedback on a knife/company that you are intimately familiar with. My guess would be that using them caused said chips. Bad quality control grinding? Hmm, hard to say without more details on what was done to the knives to start with. Don't be so quick to throw companies under the bus without knowing the details. Someone might think you are speaking absolute fact, when you aren't. Let's stay on topic.
 
Agreed the maroon micarta looks great. :thumbup: On a handle that size it really brings out the color. As to the chips, I personaly wouldn't be concern at that size. If they had been larger I would be. After sharpening it down, and they still occur with light to medium use, I would shoot BRK an email.

Great looking swinger. :thumbup:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top