Tell Me About Bark River Knives, Please.

[Rprecision]

I have owned:

-A2 Aurora
-3V Little Canadian
-A2 Gunny
-3V Liten Bror
-12C27 Bravo necker

The only ones the stuck around:

-A2 Aurora
-3V Liten Bror
-12C27 Bravo necker

I would recommend Bark River’s to just about anyone. I think they offer a good product and a marginally fair price.

All knife makers have problems; I encountered some with my new out of the box Gunny. Yeah it’s frustrating but they stood behind it.

The only real turn off I have to Bark River is Mike the owner. They don’t make them more arrogant. Some of my interactions with him on his forum have been less then impressive.

The problem remains I cant find a good convex blade, with the options, materials and the price he offers. I might budge on the price, the makers just don’t exist. I would rather sometimes give my money to someone else, there just isnt anyone. The idea of being on a 2 and a half year wait for a Turley just isnt happening.

 

[Jmboz]

I don't have any problems with Bark River knives. My favorite users are the Bravo 1, Aurora and 3V Canadian. They are all quality, well made knives.

What disturbs me is that both Mike Stewart and Reid Hyken (Sharpshooter) don't take criticisms about the knives and sheaths very well.

I won't be posting anymore over there after witnessing baiting, provoking and often mean spirited rudeness (particularly from Reid and some other Bark River Fanboys) to those who have posted problems about their knives.

Instead of trying to silence problems and issues to protect the Bark River brand, they really should be showing current and pontential buyers how well the company actually honors their warranty.

To be fair, Bark River does have a no questions asked warranty, although Mike Stewart has a tendancy to complain that it has to be the users fault and never his knives that fail.

I probably will buy more Bark River knives in the future with the upcoming production runs of the new Scandi, 3V Aurora and Rogue Bowie.

Bottom line, from my experience, Bark River knives are excellent users - although be aware that a few bad ones may get through their QC, but at least they will take care of the problem.

:thumbup:

 

[MJensen]

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.

This pretty much sums up my experience with BRKT. When they are good they are great, but the norm is more along the lines of what joe-bob posted. FWIW, I have owned (and still own a few) about a dozen BRKT knives. Luckily they have such a lemming following that the bad ones can be moved along rather easily. You know the ones, the "Mike Stewart was in the same building when a high school dropout with little, if any, training attempted to grind this $200+ knife...I'll take two!!!!" guys. Mike probably has not stepped behind a grinder at the BRKT shop since they opened....

 

[MJensen]

I don't have any problems with Bark River knives. My favorite users are the Bravo 1, Aurora and 3V Canadian. They are all quality, well made knives.

What disturbs me is that both Mike Stewart and Reid Hyken (Sharpshooter) don't take criticisms about the knives and sheaths very well.

I won't be posting anymore over there after witnessing baiting, provoking and often mean spirited rudeness (particularly from Reid and some other Bark River Fanboys) to those who have posted problems about their knives.

Instead of trying to silence problems and issues to protect the Bark River brand, they really should be showing current and pontential buyers how well the company actually honors their warranty.

To be fair, Bark River does have a no questions asked warranty, although Mike Stewart has a tendancy to complain that it has to be the users fault and never his knives that fail.

I probably will buy more Bark River knives in the future with the upcoming production runs of the new Scandi, 3V Aurora and Rogue Bowie.

Bottom line, from my experience, Bark River knives are excellent users - although be aware that a few bad ones may get through their QC, but at least they will take care of the problem.

:thumbup:

I agree. I have encountered the same over at theotherforums.com. Nobody there EVER questions the Guru, and to question a fanboy (no names mentioned as they frequent this site too) gets you banned for a week. I posted a few threads with excellent photo evidence of my BRKT issues (over a dozen Bark Rivers, five still here that will probably be keepers) and was descended upon by the masses with clubs and torches.

They need to get the people that don't love what they do off the grinders and actually put a skilled craftsman on grinding detail.

FWIW, from now on my money will either go toward a Randall or a much cheaper Buck, etc. and I will still come out ahead financially. If I could bill the hours I spent with sub-par BRKT knives going back and forth and eventually having to sell and ship them I could have a case full of Randall Made knives.....