thinking of getting a brkt in cpm3v

K

kvwpwr

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Nov 2, 2009
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I would like to try out the cpm 3v steel and am thinking of the Bark River Lil Canadian or a Liten Bror. I have a bravo 1 ss and a bravo 1 in a2. I also have a psk. I'm thinking of getting something for camping/backpacking that is lighter and a bit thinner blade than the bravo. If I was backpacking it would probably be my main fixed blade. When camping with friends it will probably do mostly food prep and whatever other camping tasks that might come up.

-The biggest difference to me is the sabre grind vs. full flat(both convexed of course).
-The lil canadian has slight finger grooves in the handle but i can't handle the knife so i don't know if its a plus or minus.
-The liten bror is a bit longer which I think might help with food prep.

What is everyones opinion on these 2 knives? How have they worked for you as far as fitting your needs(or mine)? Does anyone have experience with this steel?
 
got the lil' canadian in orange micarta about 2 months ago.i have a med. to big hand & it fits pretty good .blade a little over 3 in. will clean trout, whitetail deer& do food prep. holds good edge but you need to clean & oil blade after use.if you are'nt in rain the knife really only needs cleaning & drying.stout enough for light prying.stroup it on your belt to touch up if not too dull.
 
I have the Lil C. For allround use I prefer the full height convex leaf shaped blade. For normal hiking this is the knife that fits my needs the best.

If you intend to do more woodwork, then perhaps the Scandi convex LB is a better choice.

//Rickard//
 
I can strongly recommend the Liten Bror.

I've had mine for about 2 weeks.... very stout little knife (4mm thick CPM-3V).

Bark River ships some insanely sharp knives... excellent edge geometry & handle ergonomics. For a sub-4" knife, it handles and performs like a much larger knife.

There's 2 main dealers with some still in stock, and Mike Stewart said that he is working on another run of Liten Bror's soon with a few minor adjustments made to the design.
 
That's 2 for lil Canadian and a strongly recommended liten bror. Anyone else have these knives or opinions on the grinds? Reviews of the steel?
 
It's hard to recommend one over the other without owning both, but I am extremely happy with my Liten Bror. The steel is pretty damn tough.
 
The LB is a beautiful knife and I don't know of anyone who was sorry for buyin one. The 3V has to be experienced to be appreciated - but blade is fairly thick and narrow so I do not consider it to be ideal for food prep, but it is brilliant for woodcraft. The C Special and Lil C are better shaped for food prep - especially on a cutting board - but unless you're cooking for a horde I don't think it'll matter too much. I don't go camping these days but I'd likely use an Opinel #12 for food prep and general camp duty - that long thin convex ground blade can really slice.
 
If you like 3V, start saving your money for there is talk of using it in other Bark River models. Personally, I am very happy with my A2 knives.............at this time:)
 
The most exciting new knife I've seen from Bark River is the Liten Bror.......bare none! Outstanding work, though I have yet to hold one.

However, if you go with the mini-Canadian, know that its grind lends itself to a superior level of sharpness. The mini-Canadian is the sharpest knife in my collection, consistently so....and by a very noticeable margin. Very sharp you can get these little blades.....

Seen here at the bottom:
BRKT-02.jpg


Here is my daughter's new one (late 2008) in maroon linen:
BRKT-mc-maroon-03.jpg


BRKT-mc-maroon-04.jpg
 
Don't have the LB to compare the two, but we really like our L'il Canadians. Bought one each for myself and my two daughters. Very useful size and great edge retention.

BRKT-3LilCanadians-2.jpg


Kevin
 
my original plan was for the LB but then i saw the lil canadian comes in 3v also. The grind is the only thing I'm not sure of. most of my knives lately have been ffg or full convex. I do like that it is a different grind than my other knives. I'll have to search for some reviews of the LB... there doesn't seem to be very many.
 
I really have been impressed with Bark River and their willingness to try different things. 3V is one of the very few steels that will cause me to buy a knife - the steel is really that good. Got a couple more Fehrmans on the way, after that, I'm going with a Barkie.
 
It has occurred to me now that I misread the OP's post: he was deciding between the lil Canadian and the Liten Bror, NOT the mini-Canadian. Sorry about that.......
 
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