Tell Me About Bark River Knives, Please.

Status
Not open for further replies.
HandofCod said:
I've just done some research as Ankerson has has suggested. Yes I found some pics (just like the broken Golok above). You've got to realise people that forums such as these tend to draw together bad instances in unrealistic ways. Take for example the golok picture. That was taken probably some two years ago now. And yet I'm sure it gets posted every time someone tries to explain their position on Bark River. There's a picture of a CS Recon Scout broken in near identical fashion (snow and all) that gets recycled too and that was taken in 2005 IIRC. That too gets used to justify CS's apparently dodgy quality issues.

What I did see however were pictures of blade damage either as a result of poor technique (ie hammering directly through bone) or blade grinding, meaning it was ground too thin for the purposes to which it was used. Mike has recently changed practices with his grinding to accommodate the need for thicker edges as people wanted a more robust grind.

Bark River makes some 20-30K knives, by hand, every year. And yet people jump on threads such as these and post their handful of experiences as proof of poor quality or poor workmanship. As others have said before me, if you find a knife maker that has never had an issue with customer satisfaction please PM. I'll sell all my spydercos, barkies and cold steels and jump on that bandwagon (or at least for sufficient time before the inevitable happens).
Click to expand...

I have had failures from various brands and personally I couldn't be bothered to take pictures to post let alone pursuing warranties in some cases. I am happy to hear that he has made changes to his design and possibly tightened up his quality control. Every good report I hear pushes me a little closer to forgiving the man himself.
 
HandofCod said:
I believe the main advantage of convex over a bevel or scandi grind is that the edge is supported by more carbides which allows for a longer lasting edge.
Click to expand...

EDIT: This was supposed to be in response to Nternal's post.

I also find that Scandi grinds cut better than Convex edges. However, this edge is more susceptible to rolls because it has less metal behind it. What I referred to earlier was that Convex edges cut better than knives with a secondary bevel with a micro-V edge, not a true V-edge like a Scandi. Another thing to remember is that the blade geometry is important. If you have a Convex edge with a 1/4" spine, it will likely not cut as well as a micro V-edge with a slimmer spine. One reason bushcraft knives are often Scandi edge is that you won't roll the edge if you use proper technique. You are supposed to use push cuts, and not twist the knife or put lateral stress on the blade when carving. If you do this, you will easily roll or chip the edge. This is also true of a thinly ground convex edge.
 
Last edited:
For the record I have extremely poor technique as I'm completely self taught and just do what needs to be done to get the job done without slicing a finger off. :D

I tortured my Aurora on several occasions twisting the edge into wood and doing all sorts of bad things. I have a wharncliffe design Little Carver in 3V that I did the same and that knife is MUCH thinner than the Aurora. I basically used that as a gouge when carving. Both blades have never had any problems at all - the most damage I've seen was a little nick in the edge of the Aurora which stropped out completely.

Of course that's just one man's experience right? Certainly not proof that Bark River doesn't have poor heat treat at all. It's an anecdote and the plural of anecdote isn't data, right?

Kinda like the handful of stories of people that have posted claiming BRKT is dodgy... People don't generally post just to report that their knife functioned as desired. They will if they are unhappy so if you only read those posts you'll get an incredibly skewed and unreliable perception of what's actually going on.
 
I see tons of positive reports for lots of different knives, I don't think its fair to say that people only report on knives to complain about them.
 
I am fairly new to Bark Rivers but wanted to add my voice to the plus side. I presently own three and am waiting on a fourth to arrive.

Before ordering the first one I read through multiple old threads and watched dozens of videos before deciding to take a chance and am glad I did.

If you research anything you will find both good and bad reviews but what I found regarding Bark Rivers was the positive reviews greatly outnumbered the negative.
 
Allcaps321 said:
I see tons of positive reports for lots of different knives, I don't think its fair to say that people only report on knives to complain about them.
Click to expand...


Ah yes but these posts seem to get brushed aside once the dog pile starts in earnest. One good post somehow isn't worth enough to counter balance one bad post. People that get an opinion in their head about a particular maker won't be swayed until they see a ratio of 1000 to 1 and even then they'll claim "Well nothing will make me change my mind because I know first hand." That's the point, we are talking about issues in knives that around 0.01% or less considering the number of knives made. How many people have to post that they just bought a bark river and report no bad heat treat for you to believe that those that DID have issues were a) one in a thousand and b) well taken care of?
 
You make a good point, and obviously the ratio of positive to negative feedback is something each individual has to decide. Even if its one in ten thousand its not pleasant being one. I think people get more upset about these issues when others accuse the user of misuse and that is more a forum politics thing. I don't want to drag on and frustrate you HandofCod, as the quality isn't even issue or reason I dislike brkt. I just wanted to point out that issues had come up, and that there is some validity to those concerns.
 
mistrust said:
I am fairly new to Bark Rivers but wanted to add my voice to the plus side. I presently own three and am waiting on a fourth to arrive.

Before ordering the first one I read through multiple old threads and watched dozens of videos before deciding to take a chance and am glad I did.

If you research anything you will find both good and bad reviews but what I found regarding Bark Rivers was the positive reviews greatly outnumbered the negative.
Click to expand...

I did the exact same thing. With any hand-made item, human error is a possibility, so mistakes can happen. Fortunately Bark River has an excellent warranty so even in the unlikely instance you get a lemon, they will make it right. And even if its your fault, Bark River will likely help you out. One thing I have learned is that with any manufacturer, you should give them a chance to make it right before passing judgment on them. Again, ANY knife (or tool, or car, or whatever) can fail.
 
Wow, I'm really confused now! :eek: It seems like one has to go the full-blown ABS mastersmith route to get all good and no bad! This is one reason I'm thinking of stepping way down in price level and just rolling the dice with average over-the-counter stuff: if it's really good, it exceeds all expectations, and if not, my feelings and wallet can deal with it. A $150+ level knife is a different story. I wish the BRK products were closer to one bill than 2 bills; I wouldn't be too nervous about it then. I guess I'll keep reading what's out there and decide. Thanks.
 
pickering said:
Wow, I'm really confused now! :eek: It seems like one has to go the full-blown ABS mastersmith route to get all good and no bad! This is one reason I'm thinking of stepping way down in price level and just rolling the dice with average over-the-counter stuff: if it's really good, it exceeds all expectations, and if not, my feelings and wallet can deal with it. A $150+ level knife is a different story. I wish the BRK products were closer to one bill than 2 bills; I wouldn't be too nervous about it then. I guess I'll keep reading what's out there and decide. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I think you should roll the dice on a brkt and report back to us on how it is. The warranty is good and you will most likely end up with a good knife.
 
Ankerson, odd that you'd pass judgement on brkt when the same could be said for strider, yet you have complete faith.

If I get the bark river I've been intending to, I'd be more than willing to send it to ya to try out
 
To tell the truth, the only production knife brand I've never read or heard anything negative about is Fallkniven. They look pretty pedestrian for the price. What's so great about them, and would any of the BRK fans recommend them instead/as an alternative that's just as good or better?
 
pickering said:
To tell the truth, the only production knife brand I've never read or heard anything negative about is Fallkniven. They look pretty pedestrian for the price. What's so great about them, and would any of the BRK fans recommend them instead/as an alternative that's just as good or better?
Click to expand...


Well, I've heard negatives about almost every production knife company out there. Fallkniven is a solid choice, as well as BRKT.

To the OP. No worries on buying a BRKT. I have several and they've all been well made, well finished knives from the getgo. I bought one used, and it showed. I sent it back to BRKT for their free spa treatment (price of shipping) and it came back looking like new. For me their knives have performed well and are worht the money. If you look around you can get some good deals on the secondary market. If something is wrong with the knife or if it breaks, BRKT will make it right. There is very little risk on buying a BRKT. If you don't like it you can get most of your money back here or on other sites.
 
HandofCod said:
I've just done some research as Ankerson has has suggested. Yes I found some pics (just like the broken Golok above). You've got to realise people that forums such as these tend to draw together bad instances in unrealistic ways. Take for example the golok picture. That was taken probably some two years ago now. And yet I'm sure it gets posted every time someone tries to explain their position on Bark River. There's a picture of a CS Recon Scout broken in near identical fashion (snow and all) that gets recycled too and that was taken in 2005 IIRC. That too gets used to justify CS's apparently dodgy quality issues.

What I did see however were pictures of blade damage either as a result of poor technique (ie hammering directly through bone) or blade grinding, meaning it was ground too thin for the purposes to which it was used. Mike has recently changed practices with his grinding to accommodate the need for thicker edges as people wanted a more robust grind.

Bark River makes some 20-30K knives, by hand, every year. And yet people jump on threads such as these and post their handful of experiences as proof of poor quality or poor workmanship. As others have said before me, if you find a knife maker that has never had an issue with customer satisfaction please PM. I'll sell all my spydercos, barkies and cold steels and jump on that bandwagon (or at least for sufficient time before the inevitable happens).
Click to expand...

I know the dog piling does happen and the same pictures tend to be passed around as different issues etc, same as with other companies products.

That's why I said to do a search and I only posted the link to the video, I don't care how thin the blade was, that was a prime example of a serious HT issue and should have never left the Shop, if they had checked the knife it would have shown up, and it was a Custom on top of that. One could take a $5 Parring knife and it would hold up better than that did. Grinding the blades that thin and not checking them is a serious quality control issue. Now if over time the quality control has gotten better then that's great and good for the customers. I understand that cosmetic problems can and do happen with any company along with some other minor things every now and then. Bad HT issues and things like warped blades are not excusable under any circumstances though IMO. I remember that warped blade thread and BRK said it was within specs and it was pretty bad, after seeing that I was completely turned off and started to wonder about the quailty.

In the end it's only my opinion, I don't hate the knives, I just don't trust them enough to spend my money on them as there are other choices as I said before.

We all buy what we want or what we feel comfortable with.
 
Last edited:
SpartanSaint said:
Ankerson, odd that you'd pass judgement on brkt when the same could be said for strider, yet you have complete faith.

If I get the bark river I've been intending to, I'd be more than willing to send it to ya to try out
Click to expand...

Let me know what you think once you get it. :thumbup:
 
joe-bob said:
From my own personal experience: the knives are average at best, and priced far above their quality level. The fit and finish is haphazard, as are the edges. You will find uneven scales, scale shapes that do not match from one side to the other, and uneven grinds on the blades with swedges that don't match. The sheaths are mediocre products compared to other knives in their price range.

I know that this doesn't match with what others have said, but you asked.
Click to expand...

I don't find the knives average, but I've had my own experience with my Bumble Bee - mismatched and uneven scales and a botched liner on one side. It's a user and I love the feel, but still a trifle disappointed with the finish (especially for the price). It's a great knife, but it still bothers me when I look at it sometimes. But function was most important to me, so I didn't complain about it. The Bravo-1 that I have has a perfect finish. Oh well.
 
pickering said:
To tell the truth, the only production knife brand I've never read or heard anything negative about is Fallkniven. They look pretty pedestrian for the price. What's so great about them, and would any of the BRK fans recommend them instead/as an alternative that's just as good or better?
Click to expand...

Fallkniven, I hear, even though I don't own one of them are great knives. They are very durable because they are made with a laminated steel.
 
I'm relatively new to owning Bark River knives myself. I've owned 2 so far. A Gunny and Recluse, both in A2. The Gunny was sold to my best friend ( who still uses and enjoys it ) and the Recluse I still own. I can report that both knives have not had any performance issues ( edge chipping or rolling ) whatsoever. The fit and finish was perfect on both knives and both are very ergonomically "comfortable" to use. Based on my experience, I can't recommend them highly enough. BRKT knives are built by outdoormen for outdoorsmen. If one is looking for a sharpened prybar or tacticool knife, then BRKT knives probably aren't for you. I will continue to support Bark River until I am no longer satisfied.

007.jpg
 
OK, I'll join the fun.
I purchased a used Bravo 1 about 2 months ago for a good price. I also bought a strop and black and green compounds.
Before I received it, I had the seller send it to Bark River for the full spa treatment (sharpening, polishing)
When I received it, I was blown away by the fit and finish.
The handle is absolutely the most comfy of any knife I've ever owned.
It was massive, with almost a 1/4" thick tang.
However, i wasn't blown away by the sharpness.
Everyone told me that the convex edges just don't feel sharp to the finger, but just use it and see.
Well, it worked well on wood, but could just barely slice printer paper, and forget about shaving arm hair.
So I thought I knew how to use the strop and went to work.
Well, I actually made it duller.
I asked more questions and somewhat refined my technique, but could never get it hair popping sharp.
Finally, yesterday, after trying the stropping routine again and being very careful, I just got fed up.
Out came the Edge Pro.
I sharpened it at 40 degrees inclusive, and finished up by polishing with the 6000 grit tape.
Holy s*%t!!!
The thing absolutely scares me now.
It slices through newspaper like a laser.
Forget about shaving, as soon as the edge gets close to my arm, the hairs jump off my skin out of fear.
And my arm ends up as smooth as a baby's butt.
I'll take it outside today and play around with some wood and report back.
If it loses its hair poppin' edge, a minute or 2 on the Sharpmaker will get it right back.
Lenny
What can I say, the convex edge just wasn't for me.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top