Bark River Bravo-1

Submitted by FNF165

I am a big fan of knives and just recently discovered Bark River Knife & Tool.  Located in the UP (Michigan's Upper Peninsula - ED), they make fantastic, very tough knives at reasonable prices.

The 1st Force Recon Training Unit was looking for a "bushcraft" knife, not a fighter, and spent $5,000 of their own money buying numerous different knives from many different companies to test. None of these companies knew about this test, it was not a "government" test, just a bunch of the Recons looking for the best bushcraft blade. A year later the winner was the ONLY knife that was still in one piece and useable - a Bark River Gamekeeper.

These Marines contacted the owner, Mike Stewart, and requested some changes be made to the Gamekeeper and the result was the Bark River Bravo-1. It's made out of A2 tool steel and comes with a no-questions asked lifetime warranty - you break it or damage it and they will replace it, period. You can also send it back for reconditioning and all it will cost you is postage.

Here is a link to a Knife Website / Forum that explains the development history of this knife: It comes in numerous different handle types that you can choose from basic black Micarta (a resin impregnated fiber compound - ED) to exotic burl woods and can be found on the Net for $120 - $150. The knife comes with a Kydex sheath designed by the Marines with all kinds of attachment options.  In addition, a smaller "companion knife" can also be attached to the sheath along with a firesteel holder.

The real secret to this knife is the heat-treatment that Mike does to them, second to none and you know if Marines could not tear it up it MUST be sturdy!

Semper Fi bros!

Check out the Bark River Bravo-1 here