New Bark River Knives: Trail Buddy

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ukknifer

Joined
Jan 30, 2010
Messages
424
I am not sure about the swedge .
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Overall Length: 8 Inches
Blade Length: 4.250 Inches
Cutting Edge: 4 inches
Steel: A-2 Tool Steel @ 58rc
Blade Thickness: .187 Inch
Weight:5.125 Ounces
TB_Tan_Burlap_229_95_600.jpg
 
It's a beautiful knife. I asked Mike Stewart if the TB could be had without the swedge. He was pretty adamant about the swedge. I keep dreaming about one without it though. I understand its purpose but I have no personal need for it in my knives.
 
it sure is a looker & i agree with stewart about the swedge. the swedge is so high up that slicing ability is hardly affected. everything on a knife doe'st have to scream function & the swedge certainly makes it look great. most knife crazies are certainly swayed by esethetic features as much as function.---dennis
 
That is a beauty. I'm don't really have a practical need for a swedge, but I'm sure it has some impact on the balance of the knife. Would love to get my hands on one of these.
 
ukknifer said:
I am not sure about the swedge .
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I am not sure about the handle length. At 3.75", this knife (and a lot of other Bark River EDC/Utility knives) has a handle that's too short for comfort . . . or at least it's too short to be comfortable in my hand. FYI, I'm 5'10" tall and I have medium-sized hands.

.
 
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Wow that's nice... the blade shape is very similar to my fällkniven A1

Am i being paranoid or does BR need to take a good hard look at their steel quality control?
I keep hearing people saying that their knives roll or won't take an edge.
 
Vicarious Reality said:
Am i being paranoid or does BR need to take a good hard look at their steel quality control?
I keep hearing people saying that their knives roll or won't take an edge.
Click to expand...

I have a few Barkies. I beat the crap out of them and haven't had a problem.
 
Gramps said:
...the blade shape reminds me a bit of a Marbles Woodcraft.
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Good eye, that's what it's meant to be. To quote Mke Stewart, "The Trail Buddy is - as I said before - an unmistakable Version of the Marbles Woodcraft."
 
ukknifer said:
I am not sure about the swedge .
==============================


Overall Length: 8 Inches
Blade Length: 4.250 Inches
Cutting Edge: 4 inches
Steel: A-2 Tool Steel @ 58rc
Blade Thickness: .187 Inch
Weight:5.125 Ounces
TB_Tan_Burlap_229_95_600.jpg
Click to expand...

I really dont "need" another knife,but that design sure calls to me.
 
The blade design does look interesting, and I like the idea of a knife having full tang (unlike Marble's Woodcraft).

What really sold me on this knife was the sheath design. I'm looking forward to seeing how well it actually works on the belt in the woods.

I'll try it out next hunting season and see if it performs any better than my trusty old custom drop point hunter.

As to the steel, I own several of their A2 knives and have yet to have a folding issue. I've had minor chipping issues with a couple, but some easy reprofiling and sharpening fixed those right up.

And with BRK@T's lifetime warranty, if they can't fix the problem, you'll get a new replacement knife.

That's a pretty good deal in my book.
 
IUKE12 said:
It's a beautiful knife. I asked Mike Stewart if the TB could be had without the swedge. He was pretty adamant about the swedge. I keep dreaming about one without it though. I understand its purpose but I have no personal need for it in my knives.
Click to expand...

Maybe without the swedge, it would resemble a BRK&T Wolf River.

I remember reading that Mike had said he was not going to make the Wolf River again do to poor sales. Perhaps the swedge is to make it more aesthetically pleasing, which I have to agree with.
 
Nice looking blade but unfortunaly like a number of other Barkies, a 3.75 inches I feel the handle is a bit too small for my hands. :(
 
I just received my trail buddy this past Saturday, and I love it so far. I wear a medium size glove, and this knife fits my hand perfectly. I haven't used it for much yet, so I can't talk extensively about it's ability, but I have no doubt based on it's balance and the way that the grip fits in my hand that it will perform many tasks extremely well. My (I'm not sure if others will be different, it is not a first production run) trail buddy has a balance that is at the first pin from the blade, so that when the knife is in my hand, the balance is just slightly behind my index finger, which gives it an extremely secure, "trusty" feeling. The spine is a feature of this knife that I think gets overlooked, and I did not notice it's benefits until I held it in my hand. It's thickness is great for putting your thumb on for extra leverage, and the up-sweep of it, makes it work well as a thumb ramp. Unfortunately the only thing I have used this knife for as of now is shaving with it (with the factory edge, I love bark river knives) but I am extremely pleased with it's performance as a razor, and can't wait to use it in the woods. I will be updating this post, most likely with a review, once I have used it more, and I'll post a link to the review once it's up for anyone who would like to hear what a old fashioned eighteen-year-old has to say about this beautiful knife.
 
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