RAT Izula vs. BR Bravo Necker

NDJeep

NDJeep

Joined
Jul 14, 2009
Messages
1,262
Which one?

I like the different handles option on the Bark River but I wonder about the powder coating. They say its not covered under warranty and it will chip.

Is there a handle available yet for the Izula and can it be gotten without the blade coating?
 
I did the math once, and on the BR knife, by the time you get everything for it, it costs about $200.

I have the izula, and its great. I'm sure that the BR Necker is just as good.
 
I've thought about the same comparison as I'm sure many others have. I'd love to see some comparison pics of the two together. IMHO, If you can afford it, go BRKT just for that full convexed edge.
 
the bravo necker is ok, but i think the izula is the way to go. the carbon steel + price is why.
 
I was considering the same... and a few others... went for the izula due to the awesome warranty and awesome company. Read up a little on RAT.. what they stand for, and how they treat their customers... I think you will agree that the izula is the way to go..
 
If scales are that important to you, then the Bravo Necker's probably the way to go. You can get the knife as it, then get scales later.

If a skeleton handle is what you want, maybe due to its thinness, I ended up getting a Spartan Blades Enyo. I believe it specs at 6.25" OAL, although mine measures at 6 1/8" & the coating seems pretty durable. Also, the Enyo's handle seems to fit my large hands better, too.

Good luck on what you choose.
 
I've got the Izula wrapped in paracord but have been seriously eyeing the Bravo Necker. I think one of my projects this year will be to try my hand at making some micarta and do up my own scales for the Izula.
 
Yeah, they both have the same warranty, they'll take care of you even if you break it on purpose. No matter what kind of coated knife you get the coating is going to come off with use, and if you sent it in every time some of the coating came off, it would spend most of its life in the mail. For the Bravo necker it shouldn't matter that much since its stainless. Izula's don't come uncoated but you can chemically strip it if you so desire, although because it's carbon steel, not stainless you'll have to take care of it a little more without the coating.

Here's a comparison shot from a google search...
KLBlog%2B626.jpg
 
I have both, they're both great little knives with many similarities. My preferences lately have been with the BRKT because of the uncoated convexed blade. But both are great knives.

The powder coating on my BRKT has some marks, but not as much as the Izula's. If you use the knives hard enough you'll put marks on them. If you want blades without coating, there are plenty of other alternatives about the same size and shape.

Some have stripped the coating on the Izula. Check the RAT forum, there are several threads about different ways to get that accomplished.

My understanding is that Izula scales will be released in January.
 
The Government said:
I have heard that Bark River's warranty is equal to that of RAT Cutlery's.

It would be nice if someone could chime in on that...
Click to expand...

basically everything is covered under the RAT warranty. it also follows the knife. not sure about BRKT's.
 
CL01 said:
If scales are that important to you, then the Bravo Necker's probably the way to go. You can get the knife as it, then get scales later.

If a skeleton handle is what you want, maybe due to its thinness, I ended up getting a Spartan Blades Enyo. I believe it specs at 6.25" OAL, although mine measures at 6 1/8" & the coating seems pretty durable.
Click to expand...

That Enyo looks sweet! Though designed for a different use, with the lack of a belly and double sabre grind (swedge or false edge, can't tell which), looks a bit more fighterish and much less outdoorsish. Very interesting design though.
 
adamgrad said:
I did the math once, and on the BR knife, by the time you get everything for it, it costs about $200.

I have the izula, and its great. I'm sure that the BR Necker is just as good.
Click to expand...

This is a bit of a miscalculation, unless you are factoring in things that I haven't considered.

$70 for the Necker w/ Factory Kydex
$40 for the Micarta Scales / $50 for G-10 Scales
$47 for the Leather Sheath

Setups:
$70 for the basic knife w/ no frills, basically the same way the Izula gets to you. However, on the secondary markets, you should be able to get it cheaper. I got mine new for $45.

$110/120 for the knife with scales. This is an upgrade over the Izula because of the fuller handles.

$157/167 for the knife with scales and leather sheath. This is a full-out option.

None of the upgrades are completely necessary, so it is kind of misleading to say that the knife is that expensive. It just offers some upgrades that make it a more user-friendly knife.
 
I've got both and like them equally. The Izula is very comfortable with a simple cord wrap. I think the stock might be a little thicker as well and to me it felt more comfortable without the wrap than the Necker did without wrap. And while the the kydex that comes with the Necker is innovative (it holds a mini firesteel) I prefer the molded plastic one what comes with the Izula. It feels more secure to me, especially if you aren't going to have handles on your Necker.

The Bravo Necker has wins in a couple categories as well. The handles are an awesome accessory. The edges are a little sharp but they fit well and are generally very comfy. I would like to have seen the handle bolts come with flat head slots instead of hex heads but that is a very minor gripe. The bolts that came with mine also had a sort of brown tinge to them. Also a minor gripe as I purchased it to be a user. The convex grind makes for a great slicer especially without the coating. Also, if you don't like to be bothered with putting a little oil on your blades at the end of the day, the stainless steel might be for you. The huge variety of color combos for both blade coating and handles is a nice bonus.

The Sharpshooter leather sheath is also a nice accessory. But keep in mind that it fits both the Bravo Necker and the Izula exceptionally so don't let the leather pants sway you one way or the other.

And as far as warranties go, RAT and Bark River are top notch and will take care of you no matter what. Except for the coating of course.

I haven't decided yet which of the two knives I like better. They are both excellent. Just decide which features are most important to you and go with the knife that has them. Neither will disappoint.
 
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does anyone have pictures of the BR necker w/ scales I can't seem to find it on their site at all.

Chad
 
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