Just saw this.....Bark River is no more?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I did not expect the return of SnarlSlayer, what a legend. That thread of yours is legit my favorite thread on this entire forum. Glad you got your money back eventually, though the effort involved was ridiculous. There are a few con artists on the level of MS in my wifes extended family, and they never changed, with one having died recently in his mid 60s and another going into his 70s without making any sort of effort at correcting himself. Running scams for decades on end has to wear on the soul eventually.
 
It would be interesting to have some research verifying knife steels and hardness points. I wonder how it could be done. Maybe the big manufacturers -- and others -- could fund a testing lab that samples knives from each maker from time to time and posts the results. It would have some cost, but maybe a certified knife would come with a small premium to cover the costs.

Thanks for the post, Gracie.
 
It is highly unlikely there could be any consensus among a sufficient number of knife makers, big and small, to agree on some kind of ongoing verification of their products from a time and cost point of view. Thus I think Gracie is right in suggesting some of the more prominent knife reviewer(s) like the DBKs etc taking this up.

They could have a third party buy the knives on their behalf, then take them to a well established qualified and certified lab for analysis of the steel. Then subject the knife to their usual hands on testing and review. The first two steps could be amply recorded both documented and audio/visual. Any maker has to know already that they get caught peddling misrepresented products now and it hits the web, YouTube etc it is likely going to be the death knell of their business.
 
At one point in time I gave Mike Stewart the benefit of the doubt, but the kephart knife thread on the forum that folded changed my opinion. That was very ugly, especially when moderators are the trolls.
 
Last edited:
Woodswoman said:
We are in a world now in which the internet is more lies than truth. The internet is also now "The Backroom" where deals take place, money is stolen and little serious research is done by the end users. Staying silent on the condition that you get all of your money back is tempting. I did it. I imagine others did too. And then there's the phrase "I don't want to make any trouble". I am not judging people who make that decision because I have personally experienced brutal attacks on the net for speaking out. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Think about what would happen to a knife maker if they said these things aloud? They would be ostracized by the community for "making trouble" or "Flaming".
Click to expand...

Couldn’t agree with you more. It was evidenced in the thread you link to, from all those years ago. Conviction is singly one of the most dangerous aspects of the human mind. I’ve witnessed otherwise rational people on this forum come unhinged when their knifemaker of choice was demonstrated as not delivering the results as promised. And, placing yourself in the crosshairs by stating things that run counter to those convictions, as you know, places a massive target on your back.

Woodswoman said:
Think of what would have happened if the DBK tested the steel on every knife they reviewed? They were big fans of Bark River and I guarantee if they made testing a habit, this fraud would have been much more quickly exposed. Testing the steel should become a standard of Knife reviews. I repeat: testing the material is more important than showing how much wood you can destroy. All knife reviews online should contain a verification of materials or at least reference to a legitimate source that has audited the steel.



Gracie
Click to expand...

As much as I agree with the sentiment, I’m not sure I’d point to DBK as a solid baseline for the generation and promotion of evidence. Their carriage trade isn’t about scientific research, but rather fishing for clicks, because that’s how they get paid.

It’s truly unfortunate that the actions of a scumbag like Stewart would necessitate the formation of a cottage industry testing materials so that the rest of the honest knifemaking world that’s just trying to make good knives has to be viewed with slitted eyes and hard scrutiny. Sad.


shinyedges said:
Thanks blues for opening it and Gracie for posting. Many of us have known and tried to warn people for years and years. Mike had voracious defenders on this very forum as well. Some folks just dont care about what the owner is (or if their knife is even in the right steel) and support them anyway. It really is a shame. I hope he goes to prison, disgusting scumbag that he is.

Edit to add: also what he did to you W Woodswoman he did to Brian Evans around 2016ish. Just so you can add that to your list of who he screwed over.
Click to expand...

I’m sure that you tried to warn him, but my conversation with Brian was after he had already committed. I can’t remember what the final outcome was, for him, but he was obviously another paving stone on the road of lies that Mike Stewart walked.
 
Matthew Gregory said:
Couldn’t agree with you more. It was evidenced in the thread you link to, from all those years ago. Conviction is singly one of the most dangerous aspects of the human mind. I’ve witnessed otherwise rational people on this forum come unhinged when their knifemaker of choice was demonstrated as not delivering the results as promised. And, placing yourself in the crosshairs by stating things that run counter to those convictions, as you know, places a massive target on your back.



As much as I agree with the sentiment, I’m not sure I’d point to DBK as a solid baseline for the generation and promotion of evidence. Their carriage trade isn’t about scientific research, but rather fishing for clicks, because that’s how they get paid.

It’s truly unfortunate that the actions of a scumbag like Stewart would necessitate the formation of a cottage industry testing materials so that the rest of the honest knifemaking world that’s just trying to make good knives has to be viewed with slitted eyes and hard scrutiny. Sad.




I’m sure that you tried to warn him, but my conversation with Brian was after he had already committed. I can’t remember what the final outcome was, for him, but he was obviously another paving stone on the road of lies that Mike Stewart walked.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately Brian didn't disclose his dealings with Mike until after he began to encounter delays in his production schedule, so I didn't know until it was to late as well. Without going back to refresh my memory, I believe Mike held on to Brian's money for a year and never made the knives, during which Brian was left holding the bag and trying to explain to people why their knives were not showing up. He switched to a different supplier (off shore I think) just to make people whole and then filled all his orders (eventually) and then deuced out of knife making/business all together. I believe at some point he was able to get his money back from Mike, some how. Threats of legal action were involved.
 
Locking this thread again...unless (and until) any new, relevant information should come to light that is necessary to broadcast here.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top