Can you guys comfort me about my Bark River knives?

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Shrub

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Okay so, the story in a nutshell...
Some time last summer(2022) I was really looking hard for some cpm 3V fixed blades and when I found them at SMKW I dropped a bunch(to me) of cash to buy a Bark River Bravo 1 and a Bravo 1.5. both in 3V.
Afterwards I was reading more about the company and found some stuff I can't even find now about Bark River using the wrong steel and selling it with false markings. Or something else to make alot of customers mad. I don't know if any of that was true or not, but it did make me avoid the knives ever since just because I don't trust them.
Now I'm looking again and they're nice knives. I want to like them, just don't trust them. So I guess what I'm asking is, was there ever a real problem with Bark River? Reason not to trust them? If so, what really happened and would it even be relevant to these knives? Or am I just worrying about nothing and letting good tools go to waste?
Thanks for any input and info guys.
 
Some people have problems and some don't . I don't know about the individual issues per se.
I have 2 Mikro Canadians in 12c27 and a Mini Canadian in same, all from 2005 and I wouldn't part with any of them
My thought is to use them and see for yourself how Your knives work.
 
You have to understand that some of the different spots on the interwebs are tribal about different brands. This forum is fairly anti-Strider and anti-Bark River, while the majority of the pro-Bark River people are on Facebook, and the majority of the pro-Strider people are on the green forum.

The fairest thing I could say is that some people who do business with Mike Stewart have regretted it. Personally, I can say that the man himself can't remember a thing, but if you work with some of the other people at BRKT, it is fine, and stuff gets done. With regard to BRKT knives, they're sort of a what you see is what you get sort of thing. The grinds can be rough, handles are imperfect, etc., but you get really cool handle choices and a lot of different models. I don't believe any steels have ever been deliberately swapped, and while the story has been told many times, I think each telling has been about the same occurrence, where the most likely explanation is that the steel was assumed to be one thing and was mis-marked or not marked and then ended up in the wrong batch. They make zillions of knives, so I am charitably assuming it's more of an issue that inevitably comes up with volume rather than deliberately low quality. Some of their knives are better than others, their Blackjack brand and any collaborations with custom makers, e.g. Dan Tope, Matt Martin of Vehement Knives, etc., usually seems of better quality than others.
 
Shrub said:
So I guess what I'm asking is, was there ever a real problem with Bark River? Reason not to trust them? If so, what really happened and would it even be relevant to these knives? Or am I just worrying about nothing and letting good tools go to waste?
Thanks for any input and info guys.
Click to expand...
Just use the search function and look for the name Mike Stewart. There are many pages of complaints....
 
Don't get their Magnacut. it's the only magnacut I have that rusts and patinas with mild use, same with my cruwear ones, and one of my 3v. I think it's mislabeled or they decarburized the steel.
Brk are known for their uneven grinds and plunge lines as well as dry sharpening the edge ruining the heat treat on many pieces, hence you see so many horror stories with severely damaged edges and chipping.
They mislabeled some cruwear on models in the past, and mislabeled cpm 154, look up Cedric and ada on youtube. Better to buy from a reputable maker, even though they have some nice models.
I wanted to like them but there are better blades for the money without those issues.

You can roll the dice and maybe get a good one or not take the chance at all. Good luck👍
 
If you need comforted you already know the answer. That said, use the knives, see if they work for you, chances are they will be fine. If you want to buy more then do some research, and make a more informed decision. Enjoy your new knives.
 
Thanks for all the input and info guys. Not really the answers I was hoping for, but, oh well. Truth is truth. Sometimes it sucks.
I guess I'll just go try and have fun using them anyway and not buy anything else from the brand/company.
 
I like all (10) of my Barkies. Only sold a D2 Bravo 1 in black canvas micarta, since i like burl, the LT version, and PM steels more nowadays.

Never had a problem with their steels. I rotate a 3V Tundra and Aurora 2 in the kitchen pretty much as the only knife for food prep and they hold good edge at least for a month or two at a time. I only use diamond loaded leather strops to maintain them. Convex grinds are cool.

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I like to pair Maxamet folders with 3V fixed blades. Best of both worlds.

Finally, I am waiting for a custom Kephart right now - the only knife purchase for me this year.
 
Have you used the knives? Have you personally found a reason to doubt their integrity? You mentioned that you do not trust them. Is it only because of what you "heard"? It seems that if you really wanted to find a reason to not trust a knife, or anything else for that matter, you would would want to validate that for yourself.

You could pick most any brand of knife or other type product and you will find some people that dislike it for one reason or another.

I have several myself and like them. I use them and have never had any problems with them.
 
I've had issues with one, wasn't heat treated at all, sent it back to be reground twice, lost at least 1/3 of the height of the blade. This was many moons ago when I thought I was just doing something wrong. Turns out it was a soft if any heat treat, but Mike was happy to slap it on a grinder and send it back. Keep that one as a reminder. Bark River is not getting any more of my money.

1" greenwood branch should not to this.
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I want to replace my old Fox River but I will for sure pick it up 2nd hand so I don’t risk as much getting some BS. The design is great but the maker is egh.
 
I picked up quite a few BRKs on the secondary market before I ran into the comments here regarding the company owner's reputation. Always a bit of a dicey thing on these interwebs. But I did some off-BF-site research, and some minutes with the right search terms led me to believe that at least some of those concerns were true.

Still, I EDC a Mini Kephart (perfect fit for my needs) and the stated 3V has been sharp and unstained for almost ever - with a strop now and then. I have no doubt that it actually is 3V, short of a chemical analysis.

I also really like the North Country EDC pattern - a small Bowie type knife. A bit too heavy for pocket EDC, but pretty good otherwise, like in a backpack.
 
I've got a Bark River 3V Canadian that's a Jim Dandy. Except for the sheath which didn't fit right and I hated enough to have a custom one done. But the knife itself? Up there. Green micarta scales and it gets and stays sharp as it should. Love that Canadian leaf shaped blade. Good knife.

Savage sheath 2.jpg
 
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