MikeF
04-01-2009, 02:19
Knife Review - Bark River Knife and Tool – Bird & Trout
Several outings into the wild, plus many around work and home, this knife is meeting all my expectations. Originally, I was going to buy the Kitchen Utility, but after advice from JDee at Rustic Forge, I learned that the B&T was the same blade, with a slightly different shaped handle, and it came with a sheath. In fact, Bark River describe it as the field version of their Kitchen Utility.
http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t337/farkles64/BRKT%20Bird%20and%20Trout/BTwithsheath.jpg
Bark River Knife & Tool - Bird & Trout in red linen micarta
My criteria was for a lightweight, fixed blade for food prep. Lightweight for when I’m bushwalking, and stylish enough to pull out at picnics for the fruit and soft cheese! The closest it’s got to a “bird” is carving up a cooked chook. It’s also easily sliced up dried sausage and jerky, tomatoes, peeled spuds, and scaled and gutted several dozen fish – mostly Herring and Tailor, no trout … yet! (I don’t usually fillet, preferring my fish cooked whole.)
Specs are …
Overall Length: 8” (200mm)
Blade Length: 3.6” (90mm)
Blade Steel: 12C27 @ 59-60 RC
Blade Thickness: .065” (1.65mm)
Weight: 2.5 oz (70g)
The handle is big enough to be comfortable for an extended period – about an hour’s worth one day for a large catch of herring. I have average size hands, but long fingers. And the blade is just right for paring and peeling when you need good control.
Being a convex grind, it holds its edge especially well. Usually all it needs is a quick strop and it’s back to its factory edge.
http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t337/farkles64/BRKT%20Bird%20and%20Trout/BTheadcut.jpg
Easy to grip - not choked up here as the phot suggests - and a firm cut ...
http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t337/farkles64/BRKT%20Bird%20and%20Trout/BTspinecut.jpg
... straight through the backbone ...
The quality of finish and materials is impressive. The red linen micarta and solid pins meet the aesthetic criteria, while the surface itself provides a firm grip when things get messy. Fit and finish is excellent.
http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t337/farkles64/BRKT%20Bird%20and%20Trout/BTscaling.jpg
... and still easy to grip when it gets messy!
The Sharp Shooter sheath is also of high quality. The design gives good protection to the whole knife. Occasionally I find it useful to keep it on my belt when there’s no clean place to put it down while working. But mostly it’s kicking around in the tucker bag, and it’s wearing very well.
If there’s one thing I don’t like, is the shape of the opening. It’s too easy to wrap a finger around where the blade comes out. One of the first times I pulled this knife out, it bit me! While tying a lanyard on it before its first real outing, I managed to grip the sheath the wrong way. The knife shot out across my finger. The doc at A&E was impressed with the “clean-ness” of the cut, and remarked “that was no ordinary kitchen knife”. Four stitches it took, and now there’s a nice scar to show off.
I thought it was just me, but I found I’ve had to warn a couple of people now when they’ve borrowed it ... and I’ve watched them about to make the same “bloody” mistake.
Sharp out of the box? No ordinary knife? You bet! Like all Bark River knives, these are “semi-custom”. Each is hand ground and finished, so there’s just a little variation to each one. I guess that means yours will always be unique. And it’s nice to know that a craftsman has paid particular care and attention to the job, giving the knife an overall feeling of quality.
Need a field kitchen knife? Go for the Bark River Bird & Trout!
Several outings into the wild, plus many around work and home, this knife is meeting all my expectations. Originally, I was going to buy the Kitchen Utility, but after advice from JDee at Rustic Forge, I learned that the B&T was the same blade, with a slightly different shaped handle, and it came with a sheath. In fact, Bark River describe it as the field version of their Kitchen Utility.
http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t337/farkles64/BRKT%20Bird%20and%20Trout/BTwithsheath.jpg
Bark River Knife & Tool - Bird & Trout in red linen micarta
My criteria was for a lightweight, fixed blade for food prep. Lightweight for when I’m bushwalking, and stylish enough to pull out at picnics for the fruit and soft cheese! The closest it’s got to a “bird” is carving up a cooked chook. It’s also easily sliced up dried sausage and jerky, tomatoes, peeled spuds, and scaled and gutted several dozen fish – mostly Herring and Tailor, no trout … yet! (I don’t usually fillet, preferring my fish cooked whole.)
Specs are …
Overall Length: 8” (200mm)
Blade Length: 3.6” (90mm)
Blade Steel: 12C27 @ 59-60 RC
Blade Thickness: .065” (1.65mm)
Weight: 2.5 oz (70g)
The handle is big enough to be comfortable for an extended period – about an hour’s worth one day for a large catch of herring. I have average size hands, but long fingers. And the blade is just right for paring and peeling when you need good control.
Being a convex grind, it holds its edge especially well. Usually all it needs is a quick strop and it’s back to its factory edge.
http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t337/farkles64/BRKT%20Bird%20and%20Trout/BTheadcut.jpg
Easy to grip - not choked up here as the phot suggests - and a firm cut ...
http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t337/farkles64/BRKT%20Bird%20and%20Trout/BTspinecut.jpg
... straight through the backbone ...
The quality of finish and materials is impressive. The red linen micarta and solid pins meet the aesthetic criteria, while the surface itself provides a firm grip when things get messy. Fit and finish is excellent.
http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t337/farkles64/BRKT%20Bird%20and%20Trout/BTscaling.jpg
... and still easy to grip when it gets messy!
The Sharp Shooter sheath is also of high quality. The design gives good protection to the whole knife. Occasionally I find it useful to keep it on my belt when there’s no clean place to put it down while working. But mostly it’s kicking around in the tucker bag, and it’s wearing very well.
If there’s one thing I don’t like, is the shape of the opening. It’s too easy to wrap a finger around where the blade comes out. One of the first times I pulled this knife out, it bit me! While tying a lanyard on it before its first real outing, I managed to grip the sheath the wrong way. The knife shot out across my finger. The doc at A&E was impressed with the “clean-ness” of the cut, and remarked “that was no ordinary kitchen knife”. Four stitches it took, and now there’s a nice scar to show off.
I thought it was just me, but I found I’ve had to warn a couple of people now when they’ve borrowed it ... and I’ve watched them about to make the same “bloody” mistake.
Sharp out of the box? No ordinary knife? You bet! Like all Bark River knives, these are “semi-custom”. Each is hand ground and finished, so there’s just a little variation to each one. I guess that means yours will always be unique. And it’s nice to know that a craftsman has paid particular care and attention to the job, giving the knife an overall feeling of quality.
Need a field kitchen knife? Go for the Bark River Bird & Trout!