Rc- 4 vs BRKT Bravo 1

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bdsmith1216

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Jun 8, 2010
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Hello im am new to the forums and am looking to expand my knife collection. I am now looking for a shorter 3-5 inch blade that will serve as my general purpose camp knife. It will be joined by a wetterlings 19" axe so i need it not to be so large. I have narrowed my choices to two

Rat Rc-4 I like the looks of this knife, but upon purchasing i would be tempted to convex and i have little skill with that...Price is good at 100 +/-. Sheath adequate. Warranty is phenomenal, Steel good

Bark River Bravo 1 More expensive 150+/-. Great steel, convexed, Prone to rust, Very good appearance, Abit stout and think but not a terrible problem. Sheath adequate


both are good knives from what i can tell, i was also planning on buying a strop to touch up blades hence forth why the Rc-4 is appealing being cheaper.

If someone who has experience with both knives could maybe give me some tips it would be greatly appreciated and pics would be wonderful.


I apologize if this is another repeat thread and if i wasted your time, but i am searching for other threads on this topic...Thanks

P.S. These are the only two knives i am interested in, i have done alot of study so far and have narrowed it down to these...Thanks again
 
First, welcome to the forum.

I own and use both of the knives you are interested in; and to be honest I don't think you can make a bad choice here. They both are excellent mid-size knives from great companies with excellent warranties.

The things that might influence your choice are: the grind. If you want a flat grind, because you have more experience sharpening it, then the RC is the way to go. If sharpening convex doesn't scare you (its really not that hard; it just requires different tools). Then the Bravo is great. Don't let the thickness of the Bravo fool you either. Because of the convex grind it behaves like a knife out of much thinner stock.

The Bravo does give you more choices regarding handles, if that is a factor. The Bravo handle may be slightly more comfortable for long term use, but the RC is still very comfortable.

If you like/don't like coated blades that is a distinguishing feature between the two. I don't like coated blades, generally, so I've stripped it off of most of my RC blades. So that adds a little time and expense.

A2 is a steel upgrade over 1095, which partially accounts for the higher cost of the Bravo. However, I would never feel shortchanged by 1095 the way RC/ESEE heat treats it (or technically Rowen manufacturing).

Both knives have very nice sheath options available as aftermarket add ons. Check KSF or DLT.

Again, both are excellent knives. The Bravo has a few extras, but costs proportionately more. I don't think you'll be unhappy either way.
 
I was deciding between these two and the Fallkniven F1 as well a few months ago and ended up going with Bravo-1, Great knife, I've used it for food prep and as well as camping chores and while its developed a (protective) patina I haven't had any trouble with it rusting, even threw a hike in light rain that it was exposed too, didn't take it out to dry it off after the hike either. For sharpening you could also just do the mousepad/sandpaper method at first if you want to save up for a strop later, with 2000 grit sandpaper I can get my B-1 shaving sharp easily. I usually just do 800 then 2000. I also have found I prefer uncoated blades unless lots of moisture is a definite problem like you will be using it in the ocean or as a fishing knife without being able to clean/dry it afterward. I do have an izula though which I love and chose over the Bravo Necker. Both great choices though.:thumbup:
 
I have both, and they are both great knives.

I prefer the Bravo 1 handle for comfort. It just fits my hand so much better.

I also prefer the uncoated, convexed blade of the Bravo 1. Even though it's thicker, it cuts much better.

I also prefer the appearance of the Bravo 1.

So on all three counts for me personally, the Bravo 1 wins.
 
Go with the Bravo 1, I recently bought one and now it’s my most used knife. I really like the thickness of the blade, tool steel, kydex sheath, factory convex edge and overall the quality is worth the price. Just sold off my old RC-4 last month and haven’t regretted it.
 
I had both. Each one had its strengths and weaknesses. I strongly preferred the Sheath on the RC4, lower on the hip, more versatile, just an overall much better design. The Blade goes easily to the Bravo 1, the grind is better the steel is better, in additional the blade is also thicker and stronger. However I do not like the thumb ramp. You can get the Bravo without it. Which I recommend. The RC4 has a couple of really nice blade features. I like the choil, you can grip it well to do fine detail work. However that also is a minus for you lose blade/cutting surface. But that is about it...it does have thumb serration that are actually not bad but you wouldn't miss them on the Bravo. So I feel they are a novelty...especially since the Bravo is a thicker blade you have more surface for your thumb to rest on. Handle is a wash, heres why. I like the unfinished Micarta on the RC4 better but like the shape and contour of the Bravo 1 better. The RC4 is a box...period...all ESEE knives seem to be boxy in the handle. The Bravo 1 micarta is shapely but polished smooth. It makes it slick when you hand is sweaty or wet. The RC4 handle is also small...so depending on your hand size the RC4 could fit better or the Bravo 1 could. I like the bigger handle on the Bravo 1 better so for myself the bravo 1 handle wins. The black coating on the ESEE is tough!!! I mean really tough...but it will still wear with use. The Bravo 1 has no black coating. Warranty, ESEE wins, they have an amazing Warranty, the best in the business IMHO. So this is tough. At the end I kept the Bravo 1. I have used it and it is a TANK!!!! Much beefer blade. The weight is nearly identical. So if you had to carry one...I would prefer the beefer blade. It is damn near a prybar as well. The RC4 is just not as tough. Yes it is an excellent knive, great warranty and an awesome price but the bravo 1 was my choice. I like the feel of the handle and got no hotspots during use. I shaved and honed with it, the convex is really a difference. My pick would be the Bark River Bravo 1.
 
Oh and I considered the F1 as well. I have an A1 that is my favorite blade at the moment, but the F1 has a shorter blade than the Bravo 1 and the finger guard is very short. The grip is very tacky but also a little hotspot prone. I found the bravo 1 to be a better fit for me overall. Honestly all these knives you are looking at are awesome!!! I dont think you could go wrong. All are the top-notch in my opinion.
 
If you go with the Bravo-1, I recommend asking the dealer to see if they can send it in to have Bark River grind the thumb ramp off for you. Should be free of charge. Makes the knife a whole lot more comfortable to use!
 
Col. Cornelius said:
I have both, and they are both great knives.

I prefer the Bravo 1 handle for comfort. It just fits my hand so much better.

I also prefer the uncoated, convexed blade of the Bravo 1. Even though it's thicker, it cuts much better.

I also prefer the appearance of the Bravo 1.

So on all three counts for me personally, the Bravo 1 wins.
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X2
Exactly word for word.

Additionally, I have convexed my RC-4 and isn't too difficult to do. The 1095 steel profiles fairly easily. I can't say it made any real difference in the performance of the knife, I just prefer sharpening a convex.

Kevin
 
I own and use both.

My vote goes to Bravo1 because of the better steel and more comfortable handle. It also seems to rip through wood MUCH better. Rowen heat-treating makes the RAT 1095 exceptional, but still not equal to A2.

But they are both worth their respective prices. You pay a little more, you get a little more.

Blunt
 
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