Add a Comment

Comment by Clint Thompson on October 12, 2015 at 10:39

l

Good question Smith. I look forward to someone who has the experience in forging fix blade knives.

 

I have a friend who grew up and lives in Colorado. He owns and overseas the Taylor Trading Post in Taylor Park Colorado. His name is Bruce Cranor. His father, Sherm Cranor was the one built most of the cabins there, with his own bare hands.

 

Sherm Cranor use to stay behind after his family left for the winter to cut blocks of ice out of Taylor lake. He would take the ice to their ice house and pack in sawdust. When fishing season opened up they would deliver the blocks of ice to the icebox (for you youngsters this is how you keep you mike cool) on everyone's front porch. The cabins were heated by wood burning stoves which you cooked on as well.

 

When he would hunt deer and elk for meat, he only took a pocket knife to clean them. One day it was late and snowing heavily. They had just shot an elk. Sherm was in a hurry to clean this elk and get it back to the house. Bruce, his son, told me his dad pulled out his Old Timer and jabbed it into the elk. With arms the size of a big man's thighs, Sherm cut upward so fast it broke the Old Timer blade backwards. This being the only knife they had, Sherm took a 50 penny nail he found in the back of the truck and with a pair of pliers he finished gut and quartered the elk. So the moral of the story for me is, if the blade can keep a decent edge when I use it for EDC or cleaning an elk, the metal it is made from is of little concern. I have used and will continue using a Gerber exchange blade lock back I bought when Gerber was called Legendary Blades.

Comment by Alexander Noot on September 3, 2015 at 5:00

Well like I said I'm drawn mostly to the Russell bowie.

But I know quite a few people who swear by their barkies.

Comment by Howard P Reynolds on September 2, 2015 at 11:51

Hahahahaha.  Well, of course you built your own M390 (great steel) blade, Alexander.  I guess I could tackle knife building, but the learning curve is too great, and I would like a knife finished in my lifetime, the end of which is in view (statistically).  Johnny Cash sang a song about a similar situation, called "One Piece At A Time".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWHniL8MyMM

Custom builders:  The few names I know have long since passed my price range.

I can well understand your point of view as a knifemaker.  There is little reason to pay big bucks for a knife you could build yourself.  From my perspective, the knife, whatever it is, is right there, already built, and is a credit card transaction away.  My hands hands don't get dirty, and I don't sweat near as much paying for it as I would making it. (Been watching History Channel's "Forged In Fire" knife making challenge)

Your professional thoughts are most welcome, and I agree that the A.G. Russell Shopmade Bowie is a fine piece of work.  Considering Dietmar Kressler or even Randall blades, this Bark River Bravo 1.5 is priced at $243., and the A.G. Russell is $395. - both high, but not outrageous.  As you suggest, the Ka-Bar Big Boss at about $146., although a different blade geometry than the Bark River, would give me an opportunity to try S35VN for various tasks.

Your comments are very important to me, and I will continue to mull them over.

Comment by Alexander Noot on September 2, 2015 at 7:29

Also....for a big blade...I don't know if S35Vn would be my choice. Stainless steels can be very suitable for a big blade...but S35Vn is (especially at Hrc60 or higher) isn't really geared towards that.

Comment by Alexander Noot on September 2, 2015 at 7:27

Howard, my personal dillemma is not so much whether the steel is any good.

(The grind on a blade has a lot more impact on performance (as long as the steel is at least decent) than the steel type used. You only have to check Jim Ankerson's test results for that, just compare the way the standard Manix performed in a supersteel versus how it performed with a regrind)

But more that of not wanting to pay custom/handmade level prices for what is essentially a production blade. That's indeed NOT a cheap knife. It is however kind of a simple knife (unlike the Shopmake Bowie which is a lot more complex in it's build).

I'm not saying the knife isn't worth the price. But it isn't worth it to ME. There are quite a few makers who would be willing to make you a similarly sized blade completely to your specs at that price.

In the end....it's all a matter of what you're wanting it for. I don't know if I'd be willing to pay THAT much extra just for S35Vn. Compared to say...a 440C blade, or a 52100 steel blade.

Like I said...I really like the Barkies...I'm just not willing to spend that much on fixed blades in unless they're true custom work. (It's why I made myself an M390 blade instead of buying the Bark River bolstered essential that I've been lusting over ever since it came out.)

If I had to pick between the BRK and the AGR and the KABAR that you just listed my choices would be as followed by different motivations:

For use and trying out the steel: the Ka-Bar

For the nicest knife: The shopmade Bowie by A.G.R.

For most collectible: The BRK Bravo 1.5 (Although I prefer the look of the Ramped one)

Comment by Howard P Reynolds on September 1, 2015 at 22:42

Thanks, Jan.  I took a look at the Ka-Bar options for S35VN.  The little Snake Charmer is a bit small for me, and I am looking for a hard use, or EDC knife with some bulk.  The Ka-Bar Big Boss is more suitable for me, although it comes in at a bare minimum of 4.5" blade length, and with a false edge on the spine, it wouldn't be the best style for batoning.  Still, it's a nice looking knife, and is less expensive than the Bark River Bravo 1.5.

 Actually, looking around for knives other than Bark River in S35VN steel I saw several that put the Bark River on the low end of the price scale!  Spartan Blades at $425., Koenig at $350., and White River at $299.  Of course, the old adage about buying 2 to use 1 gets a bit rough on the more expensive blades.

Comment by Jan Carter on September 1, 2015 at 19:42

Howard I agree, at that cost losing the collector value is a huge hit.  I would be more likely to field test a KaBar Snake charmer at an average of less than 75 to decide if I was going to invest 300-400.  Now don't get me wrong...I love a Barkie and this one is sweet!  I just don't know enough about the steel to drop that much $ to find out about it

Comment by Howard P Reynolds on September 1, 2015 at 12:14

Exactly my dilemma, Alexander.  I just happened on a site that offered options for blade shape, and removing the thumb ramp.

I pulled up a query on Bladeforums, and apparently the latest news on S35VN was from 2011, and back then, what seemed to be high-powered Bladeforum members were not fond of S35VN as configured by Spyderco in their Mule Team knife.  Mule Team or MT is apparently their choice for making knives with new steel.  It's a skeletonized, no frills knife so folks can try a new steel in the market without spending gobs of money.

Anyway, back in 2011 the thin-bladed little Spyderco fixed-blade in S35VN did not do well on the sisal rope test - very disappointing performance.  The Bladeforum powerhouses were up in arms about it, and put it off on manufacturing hype to save production costs over S30V, which is harder on stamping, and grinding machines due to its hardness.  S35VN was advertised as being "better" than S30V, but easier to work with by the manufacturer, and easier to sharpen for the user.  So, after the thin-bladed Mule (Mule Team) knife "failed", the consensus, back in 2011, was that CPM was putting one over on the user so the manufacturer could save money on stampers and grinders.  That S35VN, while more "stainless" than S30V, wasn't a better knife steel - at least in small knives.  There was some allowance that in a beefier knife, S35VN would prove to be an admirable steel.  Part of the complaint centered on Rockwell hardness.  Most of the Bladeforum guys wanted S35VN hardness to be at least 60, while the MT knife came out at about 56-58.  Most allowed as how manufacturers would figure out the optimum hardness to get superior performance from S35VN.

Shift to today (2015), and Bark River indicates that their Bravo 1.5s hardness range goes up to 60, which I think means that if they tested every Bark River Bravo 1.5 some would test at 58 and some would test at 61 - the old + or - thing.

I couldn't find any 2015 reviews of S35VN performance or any performance tests on specifically Bark River knives in S35VN steel.  Been thinking that I would give it a try, but like the A.G. Russell shopmade Bowie, "trying" either one isn't cheap, and to me, you have to use blades to find out if they are any good, so collector value goes up in smoke.

In review, I haven't been able to pry my wallet open for the A.G. Russell Shopmade Bowie, and now with this Bark River Bravo 1.5 in the mix, I don't know which to choose, and even if I chose, both are expensive.

Comment by Alexander Noot on September 1, 2015 at 5:45

It's a nice blade. I like barkies. Just can't get myself to pay for one though.

Comment by Howard P Reynolds on August 27, 2015 at 14:47

Somebody, talk me out of buying the Bark River Bravo 1.5 [blade length: just under 6"] in S35VN steel.

Now, wait a minute.  I can get it in "Field" version - no thumb ramp, Spear Point, as is shown in the pic, (not the standard blade shape), and in a canvas Micarta color I can live with (not the black in the pic), all for no additional charge. 

I already have a Bark River Bravo 1 in A-2 steel, and other fixed blades in CPM-3V, S30V, INFI, San Mai, etc.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• …
• 36
• Next ›
• Page