Bark River Knives is a family-owned business providing finest semi-production cutting tools aimed for use by outdoorsmen, adventurers and bushcrafters for use in the field. It places great emphasis on its product performance. Headquartered in Michigan, US, Bark River blends traditional and contemporary designs and styles.
Mike Stewart established the company in 2001 along with his wife Lesley when he saw that knives were not being made the way he would want and that compromises were being made in their production. The business started in a barn in Bark River, Michigan, and quickly moved to Escabana, Michigan where there is still a Bark River workshop. It truly is a family business because soon after his son Jim and daughter Jacquelyn joined the business. They continue to improve the quality and performance of their knives and keep producing new knives every single day.
Bark River Bravo 1 Review
Bark River Bravo 1 is a full tang fixed blade knife that comes with a brown leather belt sheath. It extends up to 9.13” with a 4.25” satin finish A2 tool steel blade. Its handle consists of natural canvas Micarta with a matte finish and is as long as 4.88”. It weighs 8.09 ounces without the belted sheath.
Key Specifications of Bark River Bravo 1
The Blade of Bark River Bravo 1
The blade of Bark River Bravo 1 features a drop point A2 tool steel that is superior to D2 and M2. It is tougher than either of these, is wear resistant and suitable for rugged tasks. It is commonly used in combat knives and works well in survival activities. As it is, it is suitable for hunting application and outdoor activities. The carbon tool steel is also easy to sharpen and takes a keen edge.
The drop point also makes it a good EDC suitable for heavy duty tasks and precise cutting for hunting purposes. The 4.25” blade has a Rockwell hardness of 59, enough to hold up to heavy wear. The blade is 0.21” thick, which makes it sharp enough to cut through any object and will not chip easily. It has a high edge retention and a good factory edge. The convex grind makes it razor-sharp and can cleanly shave hairs and cut paper right out of the box.
You can also regrind the knife blade to zero, which removes any micro bevel and significantly enhances performance. It makes the blade laser sharp.
The spine of the blade features a textured thumb ramp for better control. It also has a tiny finger choil right above the thumb ramp for ease of sharpening.
The blade is full tang and holds upright even under much abuse. It is hard and sharp enough for tougher cutting tasks.
The Handle of Bark River Bravo 1
The handle of Bark River Bravo 1 features natural canvas Micarta with a full tang lanyard hole and two large screws etched into the handle. Micarta is a durable and cost-effective material made from layers of fabric paper ingrained with resin. The handle is 4.88” long, which is enough to fit in an average to large-sized hand. Even without a lanyard attached to the lanyard hole, the handle is excellent in terms of grip, control and ergonomics.
The width and thickness of the knife is enough for rugged outdoor use. It weighs 7.5 ounces as it is, which provides a good balance to hold the knife and perform a cutting task comfortably. However, some users may find it too bulky and suggest that the butt of the knife could be shaped to provide more slippage retention.
The handle features a fine matte finish, which protects the handle from tarnishing too quickly and maintains its shape.
The Sheath of Bark River Bravo 1
The brown leather belted sheath is quite comfortable yet durable that perfects grips and covers the Bark River Bravo 1. It is stitched really well and is of high quality. It even smells like new leather and is convenient for tucking in the knife. It not only covers the blade but also half the length of the handle for safety purposes.
You can also upgrade to a Kydex sheath for more mounting options and better weather resistance.
Unboxing and First Impressions of Bark River Bravo 1
The knife came in a carefully wrapped cardboard box and inside paper wrapping. The knife itself came inside the sheath and wrapped in a bubble plastic wrap sleeve.
The knife came in a very good shape and finish with a laser-sharp cutting edge. The matte finish of the handle exuded perfection with very fine ergonomics and slip-free properties. The knife feels not too bulky and not too light either. The handle does weigh more than the blade, but the blade’s geometry makes up for it.
The A2 tool steel feels like hard carbon steel blade with a fine satin finish. The blade holds upright with a full tang and a lanyard hole. Although jimping is missing along the spine of the blade, you can still hold it for precise cuts. The tiny finger choil or sharpening choil exists to make sharpening the blade easier. It does not need very frequent sharpening and can hold under tougher cutting tasks.
The two large screws are embedded inside the Micarta scales and do not protrude out. The Micarta provides a comfortable grip and you can hold it as tightly as you want with wet, sweaty, or gloved hands. The handle material is very durable and is beefy enough for a stronghold.
The sheath is easy to use and mount. You can hang it around your belt. It weighs 8.09 ounces with the leather belted sheath, enough for anyone to carry easily. You can also upgrade it to Kydex sheath, which provides more mounting options, and also comes with a button.
Field Test of Bark River Bravo 1
Since Bark River Bravo 1 is an outdoor knife, we tested it in the field by chopping and slicing pieces of wooden sticks.
The knife worked exceptionally well and proved to be very sturdy under stress and pressure. The blade thickness, along with the convex drop point allowed control and finesse when slicing through the wooden sticks. Although, the hand could feel the missing jimping along the spine, which would have been nice. However, the blade thickness of 0.21” with enough width and belly allowed smooth operation.
The natural Micarta felt very natural and comfortable in the hand. It did not slip even in sweaty and wet hands. The matte finish remains intact as long as it gets regular maintenance and cleaning.
Cleaning the knife is also super easy since it is not a foldable knife. All you need is a knife oil and a sandpaper for sharpening purposes. The blade is corrosion and wear resistant and maintains its satin finish as long as it is cleaned.
The brown leather sheath is easy and simple enough to carry. You can slide it onto your belt or simply put it in your pocket while hiking, kayaking, fishing, boating, etc. The lanyard hole can come in handy if you want to extend the handle’s length and have large-sized hands.
The full tang holds the blade in place very nicely and does not sway or chip easily. It holds pretty well under rugged conditions, so we can say it is a rugged knife.
The knife was able to chop up dry wooden sticks in a wooded area and prepare fire sticks and feather sticks. You can also cut curves along the sticks to make it nice and smooth for use in kitchen fire. It is an all-purpose outdoorsy knife.
Pros & Cons of Bark River Bravo 1
PRO’s
Con’s
Comparison
Bark River Bravo 1 vs Fallkniven F1
Fallkniven F1 is also a fixed-blade knife for outdoor use like the Bark River Bravo. It has the same blade properties as Bravo 1 such as the convex grind, drop point blade style, plain edge and satin finish. However, its hardness level is 62 HRC, which is higher than Bravo 1 A2’s 59 HRC. That is because F1 sports a superior Elmax blade, but is shorter as compared to Bravo 1, at 3.15”.
The handle of F1 is made from polymer and extends up to 4.02” with a handle thickness of 0.68”. It comes with a black polymer sheath, which houses the blade much better than Bravo 1’s brown leather sheath.
Both the knives are excellent for outdoor usage, and your preference may depend on the features and sizes of the knives.
Fallkniven F1 Prices |
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Check Price at Blade HQ |
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Check Price at Chicago Knife Works | |
Conclusion
Bark River Bravo 1 is a fixed-blade rugged knife for outdoor activities like chopping wood sticks, making feather sticks, and cutting rope, etc. It has a convex grind, a drop point A2 tool steel blade that feels like hard carbon steel, and a small sharpening or finger choil making sharpening the blade easier. The blade is 4.25” long with a handle of 4.88” made of natural Micarta and comes with a brown leather sheath.
Bravo 1 is a full tang knife with a lanyard hole. Although, it is easier to hold in an average to large-sized hand without one, you can use it while performing tougher and lengthier tasks. It does not have jimping along the spine, but allows fine and controlled cutting with a sharp edge retention and corrosion and wear resistant properties.
The knife weighs 7.5 oz. without sheath and 8.09 oz. with sheath. The sheath is made from brown leather that is easy to carry and you can slide in the knife’s blade as well as half the length of the handle for secure carry. As it is, you can slide it into the pocket or carry it around your belt.
The knife costs $190.06 and is ideal for outdoor activities. It passed the field test and first impressions without any major flaws.
