Thoughts on Bark River knife

Mark J

Mark J

Joined
Mar 15, 2001
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Related to my thread on orange handled knives, I'm looking for an orange handled FB. I've been looking at this Bark River North Star knife, which seems pretty good from the specs, but I don't have any experience with Bark River brand knives.

br-northstar09-blaze_orange-g10.jpg


http://www.crystalfallstradingcompany.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=220_35_114&products_id=1896

Any comments on this knife? Also, if there are other orange handled fixed blade knives out there similar to this one and in the same price range, suggest away... (like I had to tell you it was OK :D).

BTW, if I'm getting an orange handle/scales, I want it to be BRIGHT orange, not some dull orange micarta. Otherwise, what's the point, right?

- Mark
 
well an alternative would be a ESEE-4 in orange G10. the BRKT's are nice though, either way i think you would be getting a good knife.
 
The brakes are amazing knives. Extremely well made for the price. Also the ease of sharpening them is about as simple as it gets. Almost..... Foolproof. They are very stout and feel fantastic in the hand. Also customer service after the initial purchase is great. Depending on which knife you get.... You might plan on upgrading the sheath. As stated above another great choice is the ESEE rc-4. Lifetime warranty for around $100 and stout as #%}#{^.
 
scotsmanspride said:
The brakes are amazing knives. Extremely well made for the price. Also the ease of sharpening them is about as simple as it gets. Almost..... Foolproof. They are very stout and feel fantastic in the hand. Also customer service after the initial purchase is great. Depending on which knife you get.... You might plan on upgrading the sheath. As stated above another great choice is the ESEE rc-4. Lifetime warranty for around $100 and stout as #%}#{^.
Click to expand...

Yes. They are awesome.
 
If you have large hands or prefer larger handles you'll probably hate the North Star....the small handle is a common complaint from many owners. I had one for a short time and I'd have to say it had the worst handle of any knife I've ever owned.

There's a lot of love for BRKT knives in general but I'm in the minority. I've owned two of them and was disappointed with both (puts on asbestos suit).
 
The NorthStar is a true "bushcraft" style knife. The handle is designed for dexterity in a wide variety of grips. It excels in notching, fuzz sticks and general camp chores. It wasn't really designed for super heavy cutting with a hammer grip. With some skill on the users part it can do most anything you need. It batons kindling well and will easily take down small saplings for shelter building. Combine it with a hatchet, small saw or large knife and you have all you need in a compact package. They cut extremely well and are easy to maintain the edge. They are totally different than anything that RAT offers. The warranty makes it hard to beat.
 
I've got a BRKT Highland Special with the orange handles. Its a very nice knife with excellent craftsmanship. One of my favorites (nice bright orange, too). :thumbup:

Like Black Hills said, many BRKT knives (including my Highland Special) have somewhat small handles. That does not, however, make them bad but its something to be aware of. Just look at the specs for the knife you are interested in, they give the overall length and the blade length, so handle length is easy to figure out. Small handles worth well for tasks requiring dexterity and fine control, but the three-finger grip they give is not so good for power cuts. You have to decide if that is a problem for you and what you want the knife for, or not. ;)

If you want a knife similar to the North Star, you might want to check out the BRKT Aurora. Similar blade style with a larger handle.

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I have not checked BTKT's production schedule recently, but IIRC they have a new batch or Aurora's coming out some times soon.
 
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3 finger grip! You have some big hands! My palm is almost 4" across and I can get all four fingers on the Woodland, Highland, FoxRiver and the NorthStar.
 
Bark River or ESEE make great knives, I prefer the Bark Rivers with their convex blades, their sheaths often leave something to be desired and seldom fit right, but their knives are great.
 
ive had a few, fit/finish was always very good. and i really like the leather sheaths.
 
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