Bark River Bravo 1

Reviewed 12/27/2013 by Chris

-Price Paid: $185.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

I got this knife from Derrick at KSF over a year ago. I like buying from there as the shop is local (within 25 miles - even though they're actually mostly known for their online store) and the honesty and customer service is outstanding and unsurpassed in my experience. Derrick put this tool in my hand and I was immediately hooked. The ergos on this handle were perfect for me. I was sold on it initially for this almost alone. I am an ergonomics specialist in health care so what I later experienced shocked me. I have had several people with vastly different hands handle this tool and all have been impressed by its finish but also its fit in hand. This is unusual and, as I said, surprising as everyone is going to have different needs ergonomically. Another thing that I liked was the thickness of the blade. I have since changed my views on this - I now think it's a little overkill and probably will buy the Bravo 1 light version in cpm 3v, but I couldn't dock points fairly as it was what I wanted at the time I bought it. It was also shaving-sharp out of the box. I have the A2 version and have read much about its chipping, so I asked Derrick about this. His response was "Go ahead and use it hard." Evidently BRKT has a lifetime no questions asked warranty on their knives, so I put it head to head with some other knives I had.
I took my Cold Steel G.I. Tanto, Zero Tolerance ZT170, Ontario Marine Raider, Ken Warner Large Hunter and a few others (I can't remember the others at the moment) and did some chopping, batoning, caring feather sticks and the like on some old seasoned lilac wood ranging from 2 to 3 inches thick or more.
while the others dulled somewhat or micro-chipped (the ZT), the Bravo had no chips of any kind and still appeared to be as sharp as when it came out of the box - shaving-sharp. I have since used it for various camp-related activities and also carry it in the bush with me on hikes and it has performed flawlessly. Even with its thickness, it is one of my favorite knives along with a BRKT re-handled Fallkniven F1.

Reviewed 01/28/2013 by Cammer

-Price Paid: $250.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

I have had this for about five years and it has been my main heavy bush knife hunting and camping in Midwest hardwood forest and Northern Boreal. It is well built and simple, and brutally strong. It hardly seems possible that you could break this knife. The A2 with the convex grind has amazing cutting power. I can literally run it right through a clean 2x4 at an angle across the grain. Outcuts my Falkniven S1. Sharpening is easy. A2 is great, but it stains, and they make it in other steels as well. Very thick blade, basically unbreakable, but not great for slicing an apple or filleting a fish, or fine tip work. If you mainly cut wood and dress large game, this knife is hard to beat. There are better knives for fine work and food prep.

Reviewed 01/24/2010 by jimbo

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

doesn't get too much better than this in a 4" blade. A2 is tough as nails and the conve grind holds an incredible edge. one of the stoutest 4" knives available, can't say enough.