Alternative to Bark River knives?

M

moopmoop

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Jul 28, 2016
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I'm currently in the market for a new camp/survival knife. I've been drooling over the bark river section at knivesshipfree but a bad experience with a bark river knife makes me reluctant to spring for another. A search on youtube showed me that this wasn't an uncommon problem. The edge of the blade denting/chipping and deforming on not hard wood. Which is a shame because the handles of bark river knives are very comfortable and ergonomic. So what I'm looking for is a knife with comfortable handle and a blade strong enough for basic camp tasks and not more expensive than a bark river knife, basically a bark river clone with better steel. Suggestions please?
 
I love the way a Bark River looks as well and I haven't gotten to use one hard but usually the handles don't fit my hands that great. There seems to always be a point at the end of the handle that hurts.

I wish I could get my hands on a Survive! knife without giving up my first born. Also may try a Bradford again now that they have new handles.
 
moopmoop said:
I'm currently in the market for a new camp/survival knife. I've been drooling over the bark river section at knivesshipfree but a bad experience with a bark river knife makes me reluctant to spring for another. A search on youtube showed me that this wasn't an uncommon problem. The edge of the blade denting/chipping and deforming on not hard wood. Which is a shame because the handles of bark river knives are very comfortable and ergonomic. So what I'm looking for is a knife with comfortable handle and a blade strong enough for basic camp tasks and not more expensive than a bark river knife, basically a bark river clone with better steel. Suggestions please?
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If you don't mind me asking, was the steel A2, 3V or other?
 
There are plenty of folks right here in the Knifemaker's section who would be glad to make you a knife similar to Bark River's offerings for around the same money, or even less!
 
Take a look at Fiddleback Forge. They have a forum here and sell both customs and production on their forum and through dealers(believe Knivesshipfree is one)
 
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JK Handmade Knives (he has a forum here on BF) will make you a knife that you will love! (and the edge won't chip!)
 
SAK Guy said:
If you don't mind me asking, was the steel A2, 3V or other?
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It was a Sandstorm with the full micarta handle with no exposed tang or pins. I had to look up the type of steel just now because I didn't know, I read that the sandstorm was 12c27.
 
Fiddleback Forge has some similarities but much nicer knives IMO, W.A. Surls and Osprey K&T are related to FF and are equally good.

Really, if you browse the knifemakers' subforums here you'll see many nice companies that could compete or outdo BRKT.
 
LT wright makes a nice knife. They just recently released some models in cpm 3v that cost about the same as a BRKT. Fiddleback makes a nice knife too, but the custom steel is A2 or o1 and the price is significantly higher than your average BRKT. Really it's not a fair comparison given the Fiddleback is considered a custom knife with a price to match.
 
Nellem said:
Why not try a Busse?
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Amen, hallelujah. It might not look as refined as a Bark River, but you won't be able to break it on wood. Probably not even petrified wood.

If you do, Jerry Busse will be happy to replace it. He said himself that they've NEVER once denied a warranty claim.
 
I can understand reluctantcy after having a dud but that model was made several years ago and they have progressed a lot since then.

Alternatives I would look at are
Fiddleback Forge
Fletcher Knives
WA Surls
Osprey
LT Wright
Cross Knives
Lon Humphrey
Hess

These makers aren't "clones" of Bark River but offer a hand finished product made here in the US.
 
AntDog said:
Amen, hallelujah. It might not look as refined as a Bark River, but you won't be able to break it on wood. Probably not even petrified wood.

If you do, Jerry Busse will be happy to replace it. He said himself that they've NEVER once denied a warranty claim.
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There have been some close calls with the Busse warranty though.. And Bark River seems to have the same/better warranty although I've never used it. Did the OP address it with Bark River? And did they NOT stand behind it?
 
I love my Fiddleback Forge Kephart. It's one of just two or three of my go-to knives when I go camping.
 
I just got a Bark River Bravo 1 with the A2 steel. I've only had it a couple days, so it hasn't been subjected to any hard use yet. Hopefully, the A2 holds up better than the 12c27 yours was made of.
 
I have been unimpressed with the few Bark Rivers I've handled. My most used Fixed is my Daniel Fairly Knives Camp Knife. Plain 'ol 01 tool steel that has been fantastic. My FB that blows my skirt up the most is my Survive Knives GSO 3.5. If they were more available I would have more. I'd love a 5.1 or a 4.7. I have has a Fiddleback Forge that was IMO just tooooo nice. Haha. I couldn't use it. Their production models look really promising!
 
If Bark River did correct the problem that would be great because In all likelyhood I'll probably just cross my fingers and order a Kalahari II anyway. Ironbut I hope your Bravo 1 works out well but people have had problems with their A2 steel. But I've never heard of anybody knackering the egde on a bravo. Mine wasn't as bad as the guy who's blade couldn't handle whittling on a chopstick, but still, considering it was a $200 knife I was very disappointed. No I didn't try to use the warranty, I think the only thing I've ever utilized a warranty on was a new desktop pc that was dead on arrival. I'm just not that guy, most of the time I'd just rather take a loss than deal with it. I'm not here to slag bark river, like I said I'll probably end up buying another one. But if you do a search on youtube there are about three videos of bark river knives that had the exact same problem as mine did.
 
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