Bark river knives?

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Jan 29, 2015
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What I’ve researched and found is that it seems that the convex blade angle is great for bush crafting uses but not so good at all when used to cut through hide or meat


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I disagree... I have used convex, scandi, flat, saber, chisel ... Convex cuts hide and meat best IMO... Given equal edge angle, equal sharpness, and equal blade thickness... Defiantly my favorite edge type for all around hunting and woods work. It really seperates the medium it is cutting and resists binding.

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Krieg Hetzen

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Wasilla, Alaska
I love my Bark River knife. I had initial concerns about it becoming slick when covered in blood but it gets more and more tacky the bloodier it gets. This year it did 2 moose without being sharpened and two other moose for a total of 4 this year. It also tackled another moose last year. The heft of the knife made it very nice as you can grip part of the spine and use the blade almost like an Ulu. With the 1/4” blade it’s very robust and I don’t feel like I’ve been in danger of breaking or bending any part of the blade. A2 steel does stain, rust and discolor but that just means you have a smidge more maintenance to go with great edge retention. I believe the model I have is the Clip Point Hunter. 139514139515
I have been nothing but happy with mine. So much so that the only other knife I have is a Havalon that I got this year and will only used for cleaning up the skull on a Euro mount because the blade is much thinner. I don’t have any intentions of getting another knife till this one needs replaced and will hopefully replace it with the same model.
 
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NE MO
I had a bark River knife and the edge chipped up pretty badly on it. Since I was headed to the UP I brought it directly to them. Their customer service was good but when I was there I learned that they fashion their blades through grinding/stock removal and don’t heat treat post shaping. I left the knife sitting on their counter once I discovered what there knife making process is.

There are far better cutlery options out there in the world.
 

Chubby

FNG
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Oct 2, 2015
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If you’re going to get one, get an LT version


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Shraggs

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Zeeland, MI
I had a bark River knife and the edge chipped up pretty badly on it. Since I was headed to the UP I brought it directly to them. Their customer service was good but when I was there I learned that they fashion their blades through grinding/stock removal and don’t heat treat post shaping. I left the knife sitting on their counter once I discovered what there knife making process is.

There are far better cutlery options out there in the world.

This is an astonishing opinion, could you explain?

There are many noted makers and custom makers you heat treat then remove stock to shape and sharpen.

I guess by that standard, we should never sharpen a knife once it’s been heated treated, since you’re removing material...
 
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This is an astonishing opinion, could you explain?

There are many noted makers and custom makers you heat treat then remove stock to shape and sharpen.

I guess by that standard, we should never sharpen a knife once it’s been heated treated, since you’re removing material...
It depends on how they do it. Removing a bunch of material post heat treat can heat the material again to the point that it affects the mechanical properties. Just sharpening won't do that.
Understand that heat treating is 2(sometimes 3) steps. First, the blade is heated to the austenitization temp, then quenched. This is the step that hardens the blade. It leaves a very stressed microstructure. Tempering (at much lower temps, for a certain hold time) relieves the stress to a degree but gives up a bit of hardness in return.
Removing a lot of material post heat treat could heat the thin edges up enough to essentially put them through the heat/quench cycle again. It would make the edges brittle and prone to chipping.
Typically a final sharpen and surface finish is the only thing done post heat treat.

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Shraggs

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Right and thanks, I think to throw out that bark river is somehow not following a regiment appropriate is supposition at best. I’ve been there, many times in fact they different process for different steels.

I have so many knives, it’s ridiculous. Mass produced bucks to customs to semi production/semi custom like bark river. Can’t say heat treat has been an issue. Edge profile, grind quality has happened periodically with many.
 

Trial153

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Oct 28, 2014
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The churn out a ton of knives. I never been overly impressed with them. Honestly for the money or maybe bit more you can get knife made from a custom maker that is track record of great quality. You might wait a while for it but its worth it.
 

mcseal2

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May 8, 2014
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I love my Bark River knife. I had initial concerns about it becoming slick when covered in blood but it gets more and more tacky the bloodier it gets. This year it did 2 moose without being sharpened and two other moose for a total of 4 this year. It also tackled another moose last year. The heft of the knife made it very nice as you can grip part of the spine and use the blade almost like an Ulu. With the 1/4” blade it’s very robust and I don’t feel like I’ve been in danger of breaking or bending any part of the blade. A2 steel does stain, rust and discolor but that just means you have a smidge more maintenance to go with great edge retention. I believe the model I have is the Clip Point Hunter. View attachment 139514View attachment 139515
I have been nothing but happy with mine. So much so that the only other knife I have is a Havalon that I got this year and will only used for cleaning up the skull on a Euro mount because the blade is much thinner. I don’t have any intentions of getting another knife till this one needs replaced and will hopefully replace it with the same model.

I have the clip point hunter, that must be a different model. Mine is a different blade shape.

DSCN0464.JPG
 

mcseal2

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I have a few Bark Rivers. Here is a quick opinion of each:

Clip point hunter pictured above in 3V is my favorite game knife. It's got a blade length I like at about 4.5", a good shape for all the game work I do. The 3V seems to be a great steel for my needs. One of us had it in hand pretty much the whole time on the 2 moose we quartered last year, it was our favorite of what we had. It's not as thick as some of the others but is still thick enough and a tough 3V so I don't baby it. I like it better than the Dozier Pro Guide I also have that fits the same niche. Big/tough enough knife for wood or emergency use while still cutting well on game.

Aurora LT: the tip is to fragile for me. I rolled tips on both, one in Elmax and one in 3V. It's fine for drilling wood probably but not working around bone.

Bravo 1 LT Hunter: I like this knife also 3V, but it's thicker than the Clip Point or Dozier Pro Guide. A great all around knife and a capable game knife, but I just don't like it as well as the others for skinning or quartering. I carry it a lot scouting, camping, or fishing. It's great for when I want a knife I plan to abuse a little.

The grind on them worked fine for me. The Clip Point Hunter has done 2 moose and 3 whitetail and I have yet to need more than a ceramic steel and a strop to make the edge perfect again. In the field we use the ceramic steel rod every 15 minutes or so quick and just kept working. I have not had to do more.

It's a rod from a Cabelas ceramic steel I bought several years ago. In AK the glue in the wood handle gave out so now the little 1.2oz rod lives in my kill kit and I use it often.

Hope that helps.
 
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Boundary Co. Idaho
I've followed and wanted to be in the Bark River club for many years. Sooo close so many times. Think that Gunny Hunter or LT version the best place to start. I did own a pair in the early 2000s. Woodsman Special or something. Bought the green and black compounds and was all prepared to learn to sharpen Convex. Never accomplished anything. Moved the knives.

I should take the plunge again and really try this time. I watch many YT vids on knives and sharpening. Seeing those paper curls drop to the floor so thin and wavy chub me up. Hard to believe they are cut with a knife with such thick stock.
 

Shraggs

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Convex is pretty amazing, yet a learning curve kinda undoing what you used to do. But if you start there it’s really easier then restoring a “v” edge.

The thickness can be extra weight, yet another company Falkniven is another rare company committed to full convex - the knives are thick too. Arguably more consistent quality but fewer models by far. Much more money especially If exchange rates go up.

My model A2, a remarkable and respected “survival” class knife is thicker than any bark river I own yet it is one of the sharpest literally hair popping and feather sticks I can near shear. It’s one of the few 6” knives that can actually chop well.

My point, pun, is I can sharpen that to 20 degrees a pretty acute angle yet it so thick its more than able to handle abuse.

My Canadian special lite, mentioned above is less than 1/8” and it’s tall so it tapers to a much thinner sharp area. A 20 degree edge would be so sharp and not robust at all, I run 25 on those. It too is hair popping sharp. Some thin knives I go 30 degrees. Even in a super steel to acute will dull faster on bone and hide and can be easily chipped.

Just a follow up to my above comments, that doesn’t necessarily mean heat treat is a problem. Less acute can still be very sharp and more durable for the use of a knife. Convex lends itself easily to changing final edge angle as it can be blended into the the knife without a noticeable shoulder.
 

Jardo

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Aug 7, 2017
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Hawaii and Utah
I have several. My favorites are Canadian special, Fox river and gunny hunter.

Don’t listen to the post saying the shaping ruins the heat treatment. This is bs. You would have to apply serious heat to mess with the temper.

Bark river are the best semi custom knives you can buy. You can go full custom and do marginally better but my barkys have always performed beyond my expectations.




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Joined
May 24, 2016
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i am trying this elk season with a 3V Benchmade Puukko. i do run the risk of some blood rust.but whatever. maybe the stain will be a good reminder of a succesful hunt. FINGERS CROSSED.

Most puuko’s are piss poor knives when it comes to breaking down animals.

a bark river river cuts peura makkarra and ruislimppu.

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didnt know scandi grind was a feature of a puukko.


For brevity sake i’ll Quote “ Finns are not Scandinavians, they were never keen on the British "Scandi," but make them, and some "bowie" style knives, as a matter of business.”
 
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