Jessmuk O1- probably my favorite Bushcraft knife. The thing just works and has handled every task I've thrown at it. Not to mention it's one of the most comfortable knives I own. JX5 Vengeful 1- pure destruction. This knife is the best knife I've ever swong, no questions asked. It hits with power and sinks deep. The ability to do finer tasks makes the JX5 one of my all time favorite knives. Altho I don't belt carry mine! Bravo 1 A2- My first high end knife, I've had it for years and it's still a favorite. Ergonamical and a pleasure to use. The A2 steel is one of my top 3 favorite steels. The Bravo 1 is a knife I wouldn't hesitate to take into any situation. I'll never not own one.
I use to have the knife sickness. In 2012 I purchased a BK16 and a Mora in stainless. I have since sold off my knife collection. It brings peace when you find something that simply works great for what YOU do in life. I fish a lot and hunt for anything with a heartbeat that's tasty, little bit of camping. I'm so glad those knives are affordable. Great video.
Bravo 1-I own 2 of these,both in A-2 and both are rampless.I really love this knife one of the most comfortable handles on any knife I have ever handled.A very good all-around field/outdoor knife it is capable of performing any tasks I need it to in the woods.
Grohmann #4 Canadian Belt Knife. Not the greatest steel by today's standards. Mine is now more than 45 years old and going strong. Keep up your good work.
For me I like my beckers, especially the BK7 and BK2. I would love the Vengeful-1, but can't afford it. So for now my bk2 is my mini-chopper. Great video!
Jessmuk in O1- instantly I loved the look of it, mentioned it to my wife in passing, and then months later it showed up at Christmas time! The handle is so incredibly comfortable, none of my other knives even come close in that department. At first I was a little leery of how well I was going to be able to maintain the sharpness of that huge belly, but that's not been a problem after some practice. I've taken off the slight secondary bevel and like it better that way. All around awesome knife.
Jessmuk O1 - I spent years looking for a knife that did all that I want to do in the woods and keep a good edge by the end of the day. The Jessmuk is it. So much so that it lives in my notebook bag, going everywhere with me. I have yet to fing someone who doesn't like it, when they get used to the ulu-shaped blade, that is, after about 5 minutes playing. Not mentioning the extremely confortable and ergonomic handle! Thank you very much for designing it, Chris!
How many people will go full tilt snowflake over this? PER-SON-AL. Means I don't have to be RU-vid-Politically-Correct. These are the ones I'm using the most. That's all. For some reason the "these are what I like" vids always spin people up and out comes the tinfoil. Hence, I want other people to comment that own these knives. OH! And the first one is now $36 on Amazon (!) That's a recent change.
Hard to believe grown men and women ..just to be safe . As i was saying how they can act so childish as to complain about someones preference to a knife oh well chris roll with it lol
SRK(Carbon V) Mine is a first-gen I’ve owned and used for over 17 years. It’s still tough, still sharp, and outperforms every outdoor knife I’ve owned since.
Nice choices! Jessmuk - one of the most comfortable handles I’ve felt, and that sweeping curve of the blade just plain performs! Bravo 1 - my first Bark River, which led to my addiction. It garners confidence - like it will do whatever you ask of it. Like you said, they sold 60,000 of them for a reason.
I have many fixed blade knives and my collection is all factory knives with either leather or nylon sheaths. Of the knives you showed I love the Japanese knife you showed in the beginning of the video and would love to own it. I have one which is a full tang knife and is wonderful. Of the fixed blade knives I have my favorite is the Buck 119 which is not a full tang knife, but great still. I just purchased it since the one I had decades ago was given to my grandfather who saw it and loved it and wanted it. I have a German knife and also a Japanese fixed blade knife which is great also.
I love my Cold Steel SRK in San Mai steel. A little more expensive but what a great knife. It has a razor edge and after a normal camping trip with some batoning and general camp task it only takes a few swipes on the ceramic then leather strop to have it shaving again. Love your videos, keep up the good work!!
I’m not a steel snob but I do own several knives is various steels. I have 2 bravo 1’s, A2 and 3v, and a bravo 1.25 in A2..... hell... I own a ton of Bark Rivers! Lol. All the handles are the same size in those 3 but they all feel different too. None of them are bad, just feel different. I have the Jesmik in O1 and other then having to keep a closer eye on the staining, it’s a great knife. Bark River makes such a large selection of knives, anyone should be able to find one they will love. Awesome channel Chris! Keep up the good work!
I love the Top 5 or just top knife Vids!!!!! Thank you Bravo 1... I don't have boat loads of knifes, but I always have multiple Bravo 1s, they just work. Working with wood, cleaning fish/game(superbly) or doing the 'hard on knifes' cutting zip ties(battoning is easy on the bravo, lol) when I'm out on the dirt bikes. WOW is all I have to say to my self. I buy them used(most are still NEW) off the various knife forums(I'm cheap, lol) I like them in 3V, S35vn and in A2. A2 used prices are incredible due to 3v, in the used and new market, and A2 Rocks. I frog lube mine(keeps rust away) and it's food grade. I go through many Bravo 1s, my buddies see them and buy them(I pass on the deal I got, last buddy got a green G10 with red liners S35vn for $120, I should of keep that knife). The Bravo in 1.25, 1.5 and 2 all are excellent too, and I'd love to score a Bravo 3(in A2). I have a Gunny Hunter in 3v, very nice field dress knife, the Bravo 1 is 99% as good on game, and the handle fits me better, it just weights more. Maybe a Bravo 1 LT is one I should try!!!!!! If you have big hands, the Bravos with liners in the grip are wider, new that only adds $14!!!!!
JX5 I own many bark river knives and the JX5 is my favorite and most used. I use it primarily camping to delimb trees but, works very well for small knife work due to balance and handle design. Is a joy to use clearing trails or making feather sticks. Best value chopper BRK makes.
I have 4 bravo 1's, 1 bravo 1lt and 4 bravo 2's. The first bravo 1 I bought was in a2 and I've used that knife more than any other except my bravo 1lt in 3v. These knives are awesome. I've literally batoned my a2 bravo 1 through a log and the tip was only sticking out the other side about ¼ to ⅜ of an inch. It took it no problem. Everything he said about a2 I have found to be correct. Holds a great edge, and it will take a screaming sharp edge. If you don't have experience with 3v or cru-wear then you haven't been spoiled. A2 is tough! These other 2 steels hold a better edge and have much better corrosion resistance. But, after a certain level of performance, how much more do you need?! Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
SRK; have this one and it does just about everything well enough. Takes a serious edge easily, secure sheath, comfortable to use and very reliable/versatile. Excellent for those who don't have $ for the high end stuff but still need a hard use knife.
Being that I refuse to pay over $100 for ANY knife (el Cheapo), I guess my only mini review will be on my SRK in SK5: I have friends with the SRK in the other steels. Depending on where you shop, you can buy three SRK's in SK5 or two in VG-1 San Mai III for the price of one in 3V. I honestly do not see any difference in "performance" of the three steels. The stainless has it's advantages being stainless, the 3V keeps an edge longer for sure, but the SK5 is incredibly easy to sharpen and maintain. I was concerned about breaking the tip off of my SK5, but I've done the Jessica-X test to it over and over and over. I've done the stand on it test (I'm 240 lbs)... nothing! Yes... I like it. Thanks for the video Chris. Good one.
I really love my LT Wright Camp MUK knife. Its small but does everything I ask of it in the woods. I do like my Bravo 1 in A2 steel as well but the handles on any of LT Wright's blades just works so well in my size (small) hands. All LT Wright knives are fantastic knives and Bark River knives as well. Two really Great! companies' for knife making no matter which knives you choose from them.
Cold Steel -SRK- absolutely love that knife, fits my hand perfect haven't had to do a full sharpen on it since i purchased it, just some clean up sharpening because it holds the edge, even after a long day of bush craft type work, not the best hunting knife based off of blade profile, but it also gets the job done.all in all worth every penny.
Schrade SCHF9. Budget knife, quality 1095 high carbon steel, good sheath with extra pouch for added gear such as small multi tool, ferro rod, sharpening stone/rod, and compact flashlight. Has yet to let me down in any situation.
I don't really care for fixed blades. I like folders more but enjoy watching Chris and his dry sarcasm. When Will pops in I start to snore😀 I can watch Chris baton and featherstick for 20 minutes but when Will does it's like I've taken an Ambien😆
My knife picks: 1) Bark River Aurora. I don’t like Scandi grinds. I prefer something a little more slicy. I have an Aurora in Cru-Wear on order, so the toughness will more than make up for the lack of Scandi. For my purposes there isn’t much I can’t do with an Aurora. 2) Bark River Featherweight Hunter. This knife does all my food processing and skinning needs. I only use the FH for food and field dressing, so it’s always razor sharp. I hone it to around 30,000 grit. This is my neck knife and like the Aurora this goes with me whenever I head out into the woods. 3) Bark River Grizzly. Unfortunately I can’t take this out of the house in CT. But whenever I go to VT I take it out. For me this is the perfect large knife. For heavy wood processing I take either my Gränsfors Bruk Scandinavian Forest Axe, my hand forged tomahawk, and/or my Boreal 21 Saw. For fine woodworking I take my FlaxiCut Carvin Jack.
Wanted one for years but finally bought the SRK tonight after you twisted my arm. Saved the link on the Bravo 1 in A-2 for $180 on the KnivesShipFree site.
I can only speak to the Jessmuk and the Bravo 1 LT Jessmuk: Not a bad knife I used one for a bit but ended up selling it because I had a knife that was somewhat similar that preformed better and fit my needs better. Bravo 1 LT: Used it again yesterday for the first time in a long time. Don't like the knife as much as others. I find the quality and fit and finish lacking for the price. The knife just feels clunky for bushcrafting after using other knives that are better suited for the woods.
PREPAREDMIND101 I loved the blade when I first got it. However my tastes have changed since then. I know you're not a bushcrafter but when people see knives in the woods they think of using them for bushcraft tasks. For a general purpose knife I have no issues with it.
Bravo 1.5 (rampless w/ a standard tip): This is my favorite general purpose knife. With a blade length of 5.87 inches and blade thickness of .217 inches, it's long and robust enough to baton wood for kindling and small fuel. With a lanyard, it does great at craft chopping/small delimbing. I've used it as a draw knife. It does surprisingly well at feather sticking. It's biggest drawback for me is the handle does not have enough height for my size L/XL hands. However, I've built up the handle height on mine and now it's nearly perfect for me. While my Bravo 1.5 is in 3V, I wouldn't hesitate to get one in A2. (I beat the crap out of my Bravo Survivor which is in A2 without any damage to the blade.) BTW Chris, you forgot to refer your viewers to the video you made on the LT Wright Rogue River. The Rogue River's blade is made of .125 inch A2 and you subjected it to EXTREMELY hard batoning with no ill effect to the blade.
@Joe Faultroy I just got a LT Wright Illuminous 5. It's handle is larger than most and fits my hand quite well. While it may not be perfect the Illuminous is about as close as I can get without going full custom.
Nice review, checking your channel out as I've just ordered my first Bark River. Bravo 1 25 lt in 3v. Excited to get it. I've already got a few knives that are great for certain aspects. My Lions Steel M4 in M390 is probably the best knife I've used for field dressing game. Perfect length so I can choke all the way up to the tip of the blade, and very maneuverable while cutting around the diaphragm. Plus that m390 steel holds a great edge and very good stainless properties. Gutted and butchered 2 Elk with it last year, and it didn't even need sharpening. Plus I have a bunch of really high end pukko's always have loved them. Got a Rosseli's HC which is a superb knife, couple Casstroms, etc.Plus a bunch of other knives of all kinds. Mostly smaller blades. But I've been needing a full size blade for a while. I have a handmade Kukri, but not real practical and weighs a ton. And so cheaper but still good Shrade knives, but just too bug. Plus, any serious knife collector needs a Bark River! Had a Falkniven F1, but the blade chipped way to easily, so I sold it. I'll only buy them in their COS steel. But their prices are ridiculous.
Bravo 1 lt- love that knife. It’s a great size for edc and camping and is really comfortable In the hand using in any position. Jx5- excellent chopper but also good at making feather sticks and doing some finer tasks. Highly recommend it. Also I was wondering if it was going to come out in a2
Bravo 1.25 or 1.5. Bark River knives are outstanding. Currently I have a Squad Leader, first production run, and I have to say their knives are second to none for comfort, performance, and reliability!
My favorite fixed blade knife is the Ka-Bar BK2 which I love so much, and after that is the Turok from Ka-Bar then there is the Buck 119, and 120 knives which I also love. I have the Schrade model 26 which I have on my utility belt and is a nice knife and even though it is made in China it is well designed and multi-functional.
I have a BRKT Highland Special, in A-2, I own a handyman Service, an use it every day, from opening materials, or products to a chisel! Takes a mean edge on the ceramic rod, an leather strap!
I have the bravo 1.5 in cpm3v and i love it i have the jessmuck the bushbat the jessica x and the vengeful 1 and i just started getting into supersteels the last few years i have all kinds of beckers and tops and condors and ontarios i must have 40 fixed blades i love the 1095 tops and beckers but once you use cpm3v or crew wear you just see the difference in how often you sharpen or how tough they are and the vengeful one is amazeing for a big blade i can do alot of detail but bushbat in there you have the perfect package you done a awesome job chris i cant wait to see what you got comming next
We have the same freaking taste. 4 of 5 from my side. 1- budget knife- Gerber Strongarm 2- Jx2- nothing beats my first version 3- Fobos Legion- elegant piece of steel 4- Jk5- made my axe a historic item 5- Bravo 1 Drop point CPM s35vn- a ball breaker. Honorary mention- The Cub...
G'day Chris, SRK -- 4 year old model. Took knife fighting classes with this one. Would reach for it first if threatened. Don't like the rubbery handle all that well but blood is Serlippery! JessMuk -- don't have one but I've got an LTWK Fish Muk and it's awesome in it's versatilitiy. The Legion -- 1st time ever I've stopped your video mid-stream to get on line and buy a knife! Outstanding design. I got one! Yesss! JX5 Vengeful 1-- A relatively small 'power-chopper' right in the 'Goldilocks Zone' Also comfy and versatile. Will pal up with The Legion darn well! Bravo 1-- In my top 5 list of most comfortable knives.(The other 4 are LTWKs) In A2 it's an outstanding tool. I also have the Bravo 2 in A2 just as outstanding and getting up there with the great all-rounders. I plan on a Bravo Necker soon. I love with the overall design, feel and great sheaths. Thanks for this video, Chris. Sponsors or not; doesn't matter. I've known you long enough to know you don't speak with fork tongue! Cheers, BH
I know I bitch and whine about all the stuff you review being too expensive and I appreciate you including budget stuff now. I like your list. I'd love to have any or all of them. I'm toting Timber Wolf junk right now and one Elite Tactical and a couple old Schrades. They will suffice until I can do better. Great video, Chris!
Have two bravo 1s, one in M4 and one in 3v. And yes with the sexyass ramps. Love these blades for general purpose. One of the best general purpose knives i’ve ever laid hands on. Easy to see why there have been so many of these made. Yet another outstanding vidio chris, and i see we’ve managed to mention batonning in the process. (YES ! ) aaaaand out.
I liked the design of the Bravo 1, but couldn't afford one so I ordered some A2 and made myself a knife of a similar size. Heat treating A2 is tricky but worth it.
I'm new to fixed blade knives. Seen a lot of great videos and comments about how great the Gerber stromgarm is, even tho I'm not a huge Gerber fan. I've always carried a Kershaw folding in my pocket as a edc. Now that I've paid $70 for the Gerber strongarm, still waiting for it to arrive in mail, I'm seeing nothing but negative comments about it. Feel like I should have done better research before buying it. I'm not looking for a knife for survival, more for abusing on job site, being able to pry, twist, and cut with. I'm hearing the 420hc was a bad choice for this? Do you have any opinions about the Gerber strongarm?
I agree about the A2 steel. Most steels(if tempered well) can hold up to batoning. I have an old UDT style military knife that is 440 c and it batons just fine.
Jessmuk 01 steel. Orginal leather sheath with dangler is comfortable. Love it for feather sticking and the sharp spine. A little learning curve though. Lt wright makes good quality knives.
i have the bravo 1.5 in 3v, i love the knife but if i could do it all again i would order the 1.5 LT (thinner stock) witch would make it a better slicer, its not a very tall knife so it is a very sharp transition from the top of the spin (the thickest point) to the tip of the blade edge. but holy shit that 3v is like space steel
I don’t have any of the knives on the list. But I agree with you on A2. I love the A2 from Bark River. One of my favorites is the A2 mini kalahari from BR and A2 LTW Genesis.
Wish I could see the convex grind a lot more than I do in the budget end of the pond. Robust edge angle, slight wedging action which is effective for wood, imho. But not so much wedge that the blade stalls.
JX5 - unrivaled chopping abilities . . . on par with most hatchets while offering a wider range of use than a hatchet. It's definitely not my favorite knife to baton or featherstick with, but can do these tasks if pressed into it. This is the only knife in your list that I agree with, but I respect your choices and its hard to argue against the Bravo 1. My choices would be 1. Bark River Bravo Survivor; 2. JX5; 3. Ambush Tundra; 4. LaRocca ST-4; 5. Not really necessary.
Thanks. I'm not a drug dealer or junk bond seller (still a pusher) so I can't afford the snob steels. I like the reviews on the high end stuff but it's nice to see reviews on stuff I can afford.
I have none of the knives but I do like the looks of all of them. Probably the cold steel I like the best. I use an old ol hickory 7 inch knife in a usmc ka bar holster with a tramontina 18 inch wooden handle with Wilson grip wrap when I'm at the river which is often. All those knives are bad ass.
I managed to get my KaBar USMC through a log almost the full width of the blade, so I was hitting the fairly thin tip. I was unable to split the same piece with two axes (neither splitting, but both substantial shaving sharp felling axes). Batoning has its place, sometimes even for heavier pieces like that which just happen to be a horrible splitting wood, and certainly for safely splitting down to kindling and the like. People really need to get over thinking there is one right way to do something. I'm a bigger axe junkie than knife by far, but have never understood the ignorant attitude towards Batoning.
Great video as always Chris. Just an aside the Cold Steel SRK in the UK is priced at £134.00 which is about 182 USD. Different world over here. Stay safe.
I heard they are trying to ban knives or already have in the UK. I feel for you and your people. I hope that kind of crap don't happen here in America. I guess that's what happens when liberals run your country throws open the border and Muslim Invaders take over your country
Bravo! Good Sir. Sweet Selections. Been Rocking the Bubba Blade 7" Penetrator. Has an amazing Saw back. and Beautiful Grip and Handle. Perfect for Outdoors use and Personal Defense. When ever I choose not too bring the Kershaw Camp 10. One of my Main EDC. no matter what the outing.
I use my Fallkniven A1 the most. But choosing from this list I will go with my wife’s knife. Bark River Bravo 1 lt in cpm cry-wear, aka my back up knife.
Hi Chris, Just curious to hear your opinion on this topic. Two of the most common heavy duty bush craft knives that I see onYT are the Becker BK7 (which we know you have strongly approved earlier) and an Esee 6. What are you thoughts on the Esee 6? Perhaps you might consider doing at comparison video between those 2 knives? Very curious to hear your thoughts on these 2, topics! Thank you.
Chris did they stop making your Jessmuk in 01? I only see them in 3V lately. I'm thinking about getting a real deal premium blade but going above that $200 mark is really pushing it so I might get a GNS .
Probably. I don't know for sure. It's worth it though once you get the hang of it. But that's it you want full size to baton and stuff. Nowadays I use the Jessmuk-C more.
I have to say my BK7 is my favorite. I'd say how I feel about it review wise but it'd pretty much sound exactly like every other review on here. I was a bit reluctant to get it at first because of the price but I definitely don't regret it.
It's funny not long ago I was talking in your comments about my survive knife in 3v and you were still 1095 and you told me no its not affordable for the average user! Wich is somewhat true but I got a cold Steel master hunter in 3v for a hundred bucks and it's my favorite skinning knife! I don't skin as much as a butcher but 40 or so deer and an occasional pig and cow dint make me a novice either! Keep up the good work!
Always love the videos! I use a set of Condor knifes my most recent is the Sequoia which I would enjoy your opinion on, it is a large knife and I am not a big guy so kinda looks like Chucky welding a sacrificial butcher knife but that has it perks... Nobody asks for beer. I carry a Huron which you have reviewed and I really like it as simple carry knife away from base camp, lastly for mainly chopping tasks I love my Golock it can be used for several tasks even finer more basic knife uses. I own several other knifes and I am sure I will continue to buy different ones in fact one on your list in this video I will be checking out after I complete my one finger typing efforts. I actually live off grid using solar power so I would like to see you do few videos over the options on that subject! Keep up the great vids!
I have all knives except the JX5 and FOBOS. I’m seriously considering the latter! Great picks and, although I’m also a steel snob, I think O1 and A2 are MUCH better than the credit they are given. Great, balanced opinions in the vid, IMHO.
Chris, I have and use the Kabar BK 9 and the Ranger Swiss pocket knife... prices I could afford and a decent quality for my uses."They seem to do any task I put them through, no offense to the quality of your choices!
Love when you do these types of vids. I'm really glad to see the SRK on the list as I feel it is a very under-rated knife. I really hope one day that you do a review on the Dulo Viking Knife w A8mod (Viking) steel or even a different knife w A8mod (better than INFI)steel, though I think the Viking Knife is the best. It might really change how you feel abt your 3vs and other super steels. It's the absolutely toughest, knife there is. It would be a great gauntlet knife as it is indestructible. Anyway Chris, thank you for another great vid.
Western 36, because it belonged to my father, Mora Bushcraft Black, cause I just bought a month ago and loved it and my SCH 36 because I got it for free. Wished I had a BOB
Great video! Especially the “facts” about A2. But what happened to the Cub? I thought for sure it would be in a vid like this. In fact, it’s virtually disappeared from additional videos from you. What gives? Has the Phobos just replaced it as your ‘favorite’?
Fox knives bushcraft parang. Unbelievable blade. Does everything you need. Even chopping at only 170mm long. N690 cobolt steel. This thing is bullet proof. You really should review it. You will be surprised. Very expensive but worth every cent.
Bravo 1 LT cru-wear have two, they are near the top of my list. JX 5 just carry mine around too look cool. It is a badass knife though. Jessmuk 3v - eh I can take it or leave it. If I could only buy one knife it wouldn’t be the jessmuk. Sorry Chris. It’s all personal preference every knife mentioned are great knives. Bark River has a lot of great knives to choose from. honorable mentions include bravo squad leader, Aurora, and the Cub. Hard to beat the Cub for price for a 3v knife.
