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Opinions of Barkriver Fixed Blades
- Thread starter oldbriar
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2009
- Messages
- 1,298
I'm a fairly recent Bark River owner but so far I am nothing but impressed.
I have a few BRKT's in the mix with my Fallknivens and RAT RC4. So far they are holding there own with no problem.
One of the things I really like about Bark River is the almost endless selection of handle materials available. You can own the same knife as someone else, but yours can still be unique.
Their warranty is excellent, I had a knife arrive with a crack in the turquoise spacer, and the response was "send it in, we will make it right". Long time owners report BRKT fixing problems after several years of ownership that other manufactures would have turned their back on. There may be a few manufactures with as good customer service, but I think you would be hard pressed to find better.
Anything I don't like about them.....
Only that they keep releasing more great looking knives every month, and inevitiably there is one handled up that I can't resist, so hard on the pocket book is the only complaint I have so far....
Kevin
You've been warned, you won't own only 1 BRKT knife.
I have a few BRKT's in the mix with my Fallknivens and RAT RC4. So far they are holding there own with no problem.
One of the things I really like about Bark River is the almost endless selection of handle materials available. You can own the same knife as someone else, but yours can still be unique.
Their warranty is excellent, I had a knife arrive with a crack in the turquoise spacer, and the response was "send it in, we will make it right". Long time owners report BRKT fixing problems after several years of ownership that other manufactures would have turned their back on. There may be a few manufactures with as good customer service, but I think you would be hard pressed to find better.
Anything I don't like about them.....
Only that they keep releasing more great looking knives every month, and inevitiably there is one handled up that I can't resist, so hard on the pocket book is the only complaint I have so far....
Kevin
You've been warned, you won't own only 1 BRKT knife.
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2000
- Messages
- 3,794
I'd be interested too. I was checking out some of their blades lately.
Strangely, RC specs on some of the smaller blades are a little lower than on larger ones. E.g. Trickle is 58HRC while Highland Special, Fox River and a few others are 59-60HRC.
I guess some will say 1HRC is not important, but in my experience 1HRC did make significant difference.
I'm curios as to why specs are like that. Typo? On purpose?
Strangely, RC specs on some of the smaller blades are a little lower than on larger ones. E.g. Trickle is 58HRC while Highland Special, Fox River and a few others are 59-60HRC.
I guess some will say 1HRC is not important, but in my experience 1HRC did make significant difference.
I'm curios as to why specs are like that. Typo? On purpose?
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2006
- Messages
- 4,409
I have several Barkies. I only have two real complaints. One concerns some of their handles, which I find to be too slick, and sometimes with finger grooves which aren't (for me) comfortable. I also don't care for most of their sheaths. Generally though, they are well made, well constructed, and the BR warranty can't be beat.
Andy
Andy
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2008
- Messages
- 393
Quoted for truth.I'm a fairly recent Bark River owner but so far I am nothing but impressed.
I have a few BRKT's in the mix with my Fallknivens and RAT RC4. So far they are holding there own with no problem.
One of the things I really like about Bark River is the almost endless selection of handle materials available. You can own the same knife as someone else, but yours can still be unique.
Their warranty is excellent, I had a knife arrive with a crack in the turquoise spacer, and the response was "send it in, we will make it right". Long time owners report BRKT fixing problems after several years of ownership that other manufactures would have turned their back on. There may be a few manufactures with as good customer service, but I think you would be hard pressed to find better.
Anything I don't like about them.....
Only that they keep releasing more great looking knives every month, and inevitiably there is one handled up that I can't resist, so hard on the pocket book is the only complaint I have so far....
Kevin
You've been warned, you won't own only 1 BRKT knife.
Their warranty is rock solid; no issue is too big or two small for Mike to take care of.
Their handles are only limited by your imagination (or your wallet.
)...and yes, it's highly unlikely that you will own just one.
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2005
- Messages
- 400
GREAT KNIVES!!!!
Great heat treat on all steels, very sharp convex ground, high quality leather sheath (they keep getting better), unconditional warranty, great customer service, only limited by your imagination and has already been said, you can't own just one.
Great heat treat on all steels, very sharp convex ground, high quality leather sheath (they keep getting better), unconditional warranty, great customer service, only limited by your imagination and has already been said, you can't own just one.
I LOVE them I stayed away for awhile due to somethings that happened with Mike but in the end they are FANTASTIC knives and I too have not led a perfect life so I can't hold that against anyone else. There is something for everyone in their line and the warranty is great along with the craftsmanship. Some say they don't like the sheaths but I have no problems with them and the piggyback feature of them is greeat
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2005
- Messages
- 1,886
I've owned a few of them and trimmed down to just one (which was a gift). Mr. Stewart turned out be a character I no longer wanted to associate my money with.
My first service experience was when I was playing with my Gameskeeper II (having never had used it) and the handle pins just fell out. Yeah... surprised the heck out of me too. I e-mailed Stewart, he said send it back - no prob. I sent it in and requested that corby rivets be used (like on the Bravo 1). The knife came back looking worse than it did when it went in. The corby's were too big for the handle and made it look awful. In addition, they refinished the whole knife and that was just a bad job too - it's like it didn't spend anytime at the buffing wheel (I saw scratches on blade and hilt). So, I e-mailed Mr. Stewart again with these issues. That's where it all turned sour because he felt I was a knife collector (and not a user) and I would never be pleased. I sent it back yet again and this time they had actually replaced the handle slabs and brought it back to like it was when I first got it.
Ok, well... I ended up buying a Classic Lite Hunter anyway (that had black specks in the red micarta; blade tip had some grind problems). I didn't do anything about that - didn't send it in. Also had a Fox River Magnum - beautiful knife; sold it because the handle was too short. Had a stainless Bravo 1 (unfortunately, I bought into the hype) - great feeling knife, but I sold it.
Anyway, I felt like I was snickered (and attacked) at anytime I posted on the BRKT forum at knifeforums.com - the BRKT playground. If you look at some of the threads there you'll see a lot of new owners posting problems which include edge rolling/chipping - I questioned that. Not only would you get blasted by the BRKT groupies, but often times the "blame" was pointed at the user and not the knife itself.
I also feel that the majority of designs are outright copies. He makes popular models in good steel, good handles, good QC at a lesser cost. So, it depends on whether or not you want a copy or an original.
In addition to some of the business practices that Mr. Stewart is apparently known for... I decided to no longer purchase his products. However, it does not mean I still won't recommend them: they are good knives.
It's great that he offers the kind of service warranty that he does. But, what's that worth when you're out-and-about and your knife fails. What are you going to do? Find a post office in the middle of the forest and wait a week or two?
Knowing that there are people like Mr. Laconico and Mr. Landi out there - I think I'd buy from them.
My first service experience was when I was playing with my Gameskeeper II (having never had used it) and the handle pins just fell out. Yeah... surprised the heck out of me too. I e-mailed Stewart, he said send it back - no prob. I sent it in and requested that corby rivets be used (like on the Bravo 1). The knife came back looking worse than it did when it went in. The corby's were too big for the handle and made it look awful. In addition, they refinished the whole knife and that was just a bad job too - it's like it didn't spend anytime at the buffing wheel (I saw scratches on blade and hilt). So, I e-mailed Mr. Stewart again with these issues. That's where it all turned sour because he felt I was a knife collector (and not a user) and I would never be pleased. I sent it back yet again and this time they had actually replaced the handle slabs and brought it back to like it was when I first got it.
Ok, well... I ended up buying a Classic Lite Hunter anyway (that had black specks in the red micarta; blade tip had some grind problems). I didn't do anything about that - didn't send it in. Also had a Fox River Magnum - beautiful knife; sold it because the handle was too short. Had a stainless Bravo 1 (unfortunately, I bought into the hype) - great feeling knife, but I sold it.
Anyway, I felt like I was snickered (and attacked) at anytime I posted on the BRKT forum at knifeforums.com - the BRKT playground. If you look at some of the threads there you'll see a lot of new owners posting problems which include edge rolling/chipping - I questioned that. Not only would you get blasted by the BRKT groupies, but often times the "blame" was pointed at the user and not the knife itself.
I also feel that the majority of designs are outright copies. He makes popular models in good steel, good handles, good QC at a lesser cost. So, it depends on whether or not you want a copy or an original.
In addition to some of the business practices that Mr. Stewart is apparently known for... I decided to no longer purchase his products. However, it does not mean I still won't recommend them: they are good knives.
It's great that he offers the kind of service warranty that he does. But, what's that worth when you're out-and-about and your knife fails. What are you going to do? Find a post office in the middle of the forest and wait a week or two?
Knowing that there are people like Mr. Laconico and Mr. Landi out there - I think I'd buy from them.
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I had a Northstar that was a beautiful knife, but i gave it away (here on BF!) because I just wasn't using it as much as my others - the handle was a bit to small for me on that model.
I also have a Mini Canadian, which is amazingly stout and useful for such a small knife.
Both knives were of top notch quality, and the convex sharpening techniques required are mostly idiot-proof (I should know!).
I also have a Mini Canadian, which is amazingly stout and useful for such a small knife.
Both knives were of top notch quality, and the convex sharpening techniques required are mostly idiot-proof (I should know!).
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2007
- Messages
- 6,583
Good knives but many times, the sheath just doesn't fit the knife very well. I just got one that is going back, Good little knife but the sheath is stained with something and does not hold the knife secure at all. On the other hand, I think that they will make it right so I am not really concerned. It is the Mini Skinner.
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2008
- Messages
- 1,160
I like all of mine and if I wan't focussing more on folders and also customs by local knifemakers would be buying more BRKT.
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2008
- Messages
- 1,686
You won't go wrong with a Barkie. I've got around a dozen of them so far and love every one. They have a nearly endless array of handle materials and knife designs so that anyone can find something that suits their needs.
They hold an edge well and are easy to keep sharp. The warranty is unbeatable. The only time I've ever used the warranty was on a couple knives I got second hand with old style sheaths (from the previous sheath maker) that were a little loose. I sent them in and got back nice new, secure Sharpshooter sheaths.
Mike, Donna, and Reid are all easy to get in touch with and will go out of their way to help you with any questions, concerns, or ideas you might want to share with them.
They hold an edge well and are easy to keep sharp. The warranty is unbeatable. The only time I've ever used the warranty was on a couple knives I got second hand with old style sheaths (from the previous sheath maker) that were a little loose. I sent them in and got back nice new, secure Sharpshooter sheaths.
Mike, Donna, and Reid are all easy to get in touch with and will go out of their way to help you with any questions, concerns, or ideas you might want to share with them.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2008
- Messages
- 3,223
Bark River makes very capable knives but they don't focus on the aesthetic details as much as some other companies. Of the dozen or so that I've had over the last couple years about half of them had odd looking grinds or gaps in the liners that had been filled in with epoxy, but only one flaw hampered how the knife performed. I stopped buying them because of those issues and because I really dislike the sheaths that came with the majority of the knives. Most of them were ill fitted and (IMO) poorly constructed. If you're not that persnickety about the aesthetics they represent a good value, however you might want to look elsewhere if you get hung up on the details.
...in Frederick MD this weekend.
It was very sharp. The grinding on the blade and shaping on the handle was what I'd call "indifferent." Neither particularly bad nor particularly good. Bark River wouldn't have put up a high-res pic of the knife on their web site.
The handle didn't feel very good, but that's probably a personal thing.
I'm not in a hurry to go out an buy one.
Adam
It was very sharp. The grinding on the blade and shaping on the handle was what I'd call "indifferent." Neither particularly bad nor particularly good. Bark River wouldn't have put up a high-res pic of the knife on their web site.
The handle didn't feel very good, but that's probably a personal thing.
I'm not in a hurry to go out an buy one.
Adam
einsteinjon
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2008
- Messages
- 1,860
I might as well throw in another positive +1. The only thing I don't like is that the far majority of their knives come with leather sheaths. I've always found them to be great quality sheaths, but I prefer kydex. Considering some makers don't even include sheaths with their knives, it can be overlooked. Although their kydex is sub-par at best, I prefer it to the leather for cleaning ease. The only knife I can think of that comes standard with kydex is the Bravo 1, but you can find them easily with leather.
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2008
- Messages
- 1,428
Seriously, the most friendly guys in the production knife biz in my opinion. Some of the sharpest convex grinds ever. My honest opinion, these knives are for the more sensible user. The A-2 on many designs is such a workable steel, it does tend to bend when in contact with hard surfaces, rocks and such, easy enough to touch up.
If you want a knife to beat on like Joe Jackson then there are tougher options out there. But as far as looks, class, and cutting capability these are great choices.
If you want a knife to beat on like Joe Jackson then there are tougher options out there. But as far as looks, class, and cutting capability these are great choices.