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Post your Bark Rivers HERE
- Thread starter BMCGear
- Start date
There are some great looking Barkies in this thread.
Here are my two. They are both new to me, within the last month. I bought these for EDC carry, and for hiking/camping.
Top - Mini Canadian A2 Steel
Bottom - PSK Elmax
Comparing the two they are very different knives in the hand.
The Mini Canadian offers two different very secure grips (3 finger for extended reach, and 4 finger for detailed cutting). It has a thicker blade and a more stout knife compared to the PSK. The A2 Steel convex edge is easy to sharpen with a strop. I like the patina that is forming with use.
The PSK is the one I carry the most, fits in a pocket better than the Mini - Canadian. The handle is much thinner, but still offers a very secure grip with the contoured handle. The lanyard helps with my grip on the knife, my hands are XL. The PSK is a better slicer vs the Mini Canadian, but that is to be expected with the thinner blade. Elmax steel is new to me so I will have to see how it fairs with use and how easy it is to sharpen etc. I've heard very positive things about this steel.
Overall I am very pleased with the quality of these knives.
Cheers.
Here are my two. They are both new to me, within the last month. I bought these for EDC carry, and for hiking/camping.
Top - Mini Canadian A2 Steel
Bottom - PSK Elmax
Comparing the two they are very different knives in the hand.
The Mini Canadian offers two different very secure grips (3 finger for extended reach, and 4 finger for detailed cutting). It has a thicker blade and a more stout knife compared to the PSK. The A2 Steel convex edge is easy to sharpen with a strop. I like the patina that is forming with use.
The PSK is the one I carry the most, fits in a pocket better than the Mini - Canadian. The handle is much thinner, but still offers a very secure grip with the contoured handle. The lanyard helps with my grip on the knife, my hands are XL. The PSK is a better slicer vs the Mini Canadian, but that is to be expected with the thinner blade. Elmax steel is new to me so I will have to see how it fairs with use and how easy it is to sharpen etc. I've heard very positive things about this steel.
Overall I am very pleased with the quality of these knives.
Cheers.
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2014
- Messages
- 338
Ironwood with red liners
How do you like the Kephart?
BMCGear
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2014
- Messages
- 7,158
It really has. I go back and forth on buying a BRK. I don't like all of the negative things that I read about and see on youtube of blades chipping out. And while I think Bark River has great customer service and has reground those blades; some of them have slightly different blade shapes as a result of it.
I purchased a Bravo 1.5 from KnivesShipFree and the knife had some finish flaws. That was somewhat frustrating to me. Also the Bravo handle didn't work super well for me. There are some other BRK's that I would like to try though. I may give them a go in the future. I have really enjoyed seeing everyone's!
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2007
- Messages
- 2,247
That's too bad that you had an issue with your Bravo 1.5 but that is the best way for someone to form an opinion on a company. Again I've owned over a hundred and I truly have had excellent luck with mine. You unfortunately did not so that would taint anybody's initial opinion.
Good luck with your future choices.
Skrapmetal
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2009
- Messages
- 2,020
I am someone who... can talk negatively about my past experiences with BRK.
I will say that if you get a good one, it will definitely be a good one. I have one left, of the large number I've owned. A first run Bravo 1 that was carried for work daily for a few years... it dug holes, was used as a prybar, stripped large phone cables, and was even batoned through a piece of gas main once... with a hammer as a baton.
Obviously some of the things I did were abusive, but it held up well. I dented the edge pretty badly once, and the hammer took a toll on the spine. But it never chipped out. I have since ground off the thumb ramp, smoothed out the spine, and polished/sharpened it up. It is now retired and living in my knife case.
I've owned a lot of BRK's. I don't recall how many, but the number has to be near 40-50. I only own that one now, and it was one of the few that didn't have some sort of QC flaw that contributed to driving me away from being a BRK customer. But that one knife is one of the best I've owned for taking everything I threw at it and surviving.
That is an old pic, taken after it was used to open a tar-wrapped phone splice.
I will say that if you get a good one, it will definitely be a good one. I have one left, of the large number I've owned. A first run Bravo 1 that was carried for work daily for a few years... it dug holes, was used as a prybar, stripped large phone cables, and was even batoned through a piece of gas main once... with a hammer as a baton.
Obviously some of the things I did were abusive, but it held up well. I dented the edge pretty badly once, and the hammer took a toll on the spine. But it never chipped out. I have since ground off the thumb ramp, smoothed out the spine, and polished/sharpened it up. It is now retired and living in my knife case.
I've owned a lot of BRK's. I don't recall how many, but the number has to be near 40-50. I only own that one now, and it was one of the few that didn't have some sort of QC flaw that contributed to driving me away from being a BRK customer. But that one knife is one of the best I've owned for taking everything I threw at it and surviving.
That is an old pic, taken after it was used to open a tar-wrapped phone splice.