Just missing these old days Wako and rewatching some of your old videos every bit as good as they were back then. Huge thanks for all of these Wako much loved friend be easy
Sir, you are an asset to the youtube knife community, and I'll also add that the world is a better place because you are in it. Be well, friend. By the way, most excellent video.
Thank you for your comments. I now have a Bravo1 Field 3V Bark River and the Sharpton stones with Bark River white compound. I sure hope Bark River does something for you. You are the reason I have all of their products. Again let me say how much I enjoy your videos and thank you for all the knowledge I have learned from you. Don
In my little experience 3V is a harder steel than A2. So It keeps longer than A2. But it is a bit more prone to chipping than A2. If 3V Bravo1 had the same geometry as A2 Bravo1, it would get damaged more. So 3V Bravo1 has fatter geometry from the factory not to take major chipping IMO. 3V is a harder steel to resharpen than A2. So the chip restoration on 3V tends to deepen the edge angle. The both steels take the same sharp edge without any problems. So I go to easier steel to restore. Thanks.
thank you for this video, you did a lot of abusing to the blade of your knife,and help a lot of people including me to decide for the steel, I will go for 3V. Thanks again!
The reason they consider chopping abusive is because there is far more freeplay and higher side loading stresses on an edge when swinging, compared to an edge lined up stationary and pounded through. an example of this is that most good knives will chop a soft nail that is clamped down tight and batonned. but if the nail is loose and rolling around then the free play can tear a chip out of your knife. the same can happen hitting a hard knot in wood. depending on edge grind of course.
Bravo Knife Master! Thank you once again for your excellent reviews and testing. With your help I am narrowing in on the knife that will be the perfect companion for me. Thanks.
I was having serious edge issues with my Bravo 2 (A2 steel), so I contacted Bark River. I was told that while batoning is not considered abusive, chopping is. Still, I find the edge to be a little fragile when batoning and splitting wood. But the edge is easy to restore. I guess that it's a small price to pay for the way it sails through material. There's nothing like it. Thanks for another great video, Wako! I love the longer ones, do don't shorten them! ✪✪✪✪✪
You're welcome. The response was the suggestion not to chop, but only baton with it. In addition, I was told that when the edge gets damaged, just send it in for a "spa treatment." But having been a "Wako Knife People" guy from almost the beginning, I've learned enough to restore my edges very well-- so I don't think I'll ever need to send it in.
What they say traction grooves or what we say gimping on the spine of Bravo1 Field Knife is very sharp and makes pain on our thumb. You can have the ramp removed by BRKT when you order it from a dealer. Some dealer doesn't charge you for the modification. Thanks.
It is very likely that the edge was just over heated and if the blade is sharpened a few time it will stabilize. There is no need to use a very thick edge for the work you are doing, if the steel is properly hardened it would not be a problem.
I too was wondering what the advantage of a larger and heavier knife is if you shouldn't chop with it. No, I haven't honed it. I only used a rod to align the rolls and dents, and then I stropped it. I did read that changing the edge geometry would likely make it more durable. I might email the company to see what they suggest. They must be very familiar with the issues.
I have been using one for a year now, but not a big fan of the A2 Steel. Dulls quickly and rusts way too easy. The design isn't too bad, but a tad big on the thickness. I have been using the Benchmade bushcraft in S30V and has held up much better. I haven't had to sharpen it once in a year, while I have to re-sharpen the A2 Bravo monthly. The sheath is crazy bulky.
thanks for posting. i got the knivesshipfree otter box sharpening kit. i agree, the green compound provides very little touch up when sharpening my 3v steel knife. my gransfor bruks hatchet get razor sharp using green for touch up, but the 3v is just too tough. that's special steel right there. wish i had the white stuff. i did persevere, however, and with enough strokes on the black compound and some on the green i was shaving hairs. you, sir, are a true ninja warrior.
I totally agree with you. A single point is that the 3V Bravo1 geometry is still small enough to go sharp and its deeper convex bevel takes less side friction from wood and separate it wider, and as a result it will make a better wood knife probably. If the wood was harder or in case of skinning, the story of the fat geometry would go different. Anyway the 3V Bravo1 edge angle is not critically deep like BR Bushcrafter and it still seem to have a room to grind to sharpen. Thanks.
Great video, very informative and beneficial for knife enthusiasts. By the way Dan Keffeler is a custom knife manufacturer who uses CPM-3V and he states that he has never encountered any issues with the steel. Noss4 (ex RU-vid knife tester) also tested one of Dans knives and it prevailed in every aspect of the test. Thanks.
I love my bravo 1 in standard A2. It's bullet proof. And with the polish removed from the natural micarta handle, it's very comfortable with good traction.
I don't have to worry about any of this since my blades don't cut anything tougher than paper...lol. I do appreciate that most folks actually use their blades for real work. :)
Wako, another point to mention that seems small, but is not. the 3V is only 58RC. the A2 is 59RC. this means the A2 is much stronger for a thin edge and will roll less. the 3V @58 is still 2+ times more wear resistant, but is more likely to roll when sliding across bones. had the 3V been RC to the same amount it would be Equally Strong, and still 80% tougher than the A2 if ground identically. Infact, the 3V at 62RC would be Much stronger than A2 at 59/60, and still same toughness as softer a2.
To me it looks more stunning. And I have some experiences where the blade held water drops between the Kydex and itself, and took rust. When the water drops are a few, leather absorbs them to prevent the rust in my experience. Thanks.
I know they say so. But I know Bark RIver's spine has an edge sharp enough to make lots of sparks from a fero rod. The ramp positioning is very wrong just interfering with thumb stretching onto the spine. How comfortable the Rampless is in the thumb on the spine holding. What they say must sound quite strange for everyone. The gimped ramp will look cool for collectors since it has a decent military story on its background. But I cannot understand what the original designer thought. Thank you.
Haha, forgive me for either not paying attention or not listening closely enough to the video. Thanks for the answer. Gosh, re-watching this video was amazing. Those Bark Rivers really bite deep into that wood. Gotta' get one someday.
Hi Doctor, you probably influenced my Bark River knife sets the most, I have 2knife sets, one in A-2, the other in 3v, I favor the 3V, and have the Bravo 1 in each set, between you and Bluntruth, I have to Thank You, if I was just stuck in a no where serious survival situation, and only had my Bravo 1 with me, I know I had a great knife with ne, it's a shame there's a pound separating us, I found a great bushcraft/survival/camp knife, for you to try, it became one of my favorites, and I have a few knives to compare the knife to, it is made by Busse, and it's called the Son of Badger, what makes this knife special, even though it's a 4 3/4" blade, it has a very functional small choil, not just a cut out, but a functioning small choil, I watch how you make any knife look so easy on your videos, I can imagine what you could do with the S.O.B., I know you would luv it too, your taste, and my taste in knives are very similar, keep up the great work, that video, when you had the trout lunch, I could almost taste how good it was, and alot of envy, just kidding, but keep up the great work, your a one of a kind, an Oriental Mors Kochanski.
I bought a bravo one today, first thing to do watch Wako San to get the ultra hype before it arrives in a few days. Bark river is as charming as you master Wako! Btw a rubber hammer is the Moste awesome shit for batoning!
It took micro bends or rolls decently after a single deer dressing. So, I needed to put a larger angled micro convex bevel on it. Gunny's original edge angle is pretty small like Bravo Necker2 in Sandvic which also needed a deep angled micro bevel to stand against bone touching. Thanks.
You can get it separately from The-Knife-Connection > Knife Accessories > Sheaths / Carry Accessories > Bark River Sheaths and Carry Accessories. It is $56.95 there. It is generally called Deluxe Sheath. But TKC doesn't call it Deluxe. But it must be the same thing.
He has videos using a SOG Seal Pup, Short Kabar and Navy Mark I Knife. He also had an Al Mar military-style knife he used to use years ago when I first started watching him. With folders, he has used Cold Steel AK47 and various Emersons. All of these are "tactical." And if you watch his videos on them, he appreciates them as much as "non-tactical" knives, or sometimes even more so because of their cool factor.
What I dont like.. in all honestly.. is that they claim to be easygoing.. but in reality the level of ridicule they throw at their own customers defies belief. they actually ridicule you into not taking up the warranty. make it so that if you do take it up, it seems like you were a bad person for doing so.. I mean. I've read 100 times something like "We cover everything, even when it costs us money and its because they are inept knife users" constant customer berating for having injured a knife
Oh.. one other thing.. as advertised on all their sales websites for the Bravo1 "The Final Result is a Heavy Duty Bushcraft/Survival Knife that can stand up to Abusive use." So honestly.. its quite clear that if chopping is abusive, its designed to be chopped with and not have edge failure.
I once owned the ESEE6. It was a bit light knife for chopping and I replaced it to cKc Forrester7 custom knife. I have a video "The survival hunting knife, cKc Forrester7 Japan version". Thanks.
No prob bud! Just figured I would tell you incase you missed it. Some times I dont catch things on the first watch so, i figure I would want to know too. heh. Yea. It is a pretty good video! I want to get one too pretty soon. I have a black jack knives model 14 halo attack, which is made by bark river and it is one of my favorite knives. I cant wait to get a bravo 1. Thanks bro!
contd.. in fact.. They say that its a no questions asked policy.. but clearly its a high abuse policy.. As long as a badger doesn't chew on it, its covered? well.. they say that, and they probably do cover a lot.. but I think its a case of covering what they feel like, rather than treating everyone equally. I've seen a number of cases where they sure as hell did not replace items snapped in 1/2 that a badger was no-where near. I'm sure their margins are not massive, but they offered it.
It looks like a tiny chipping in the microscopic view. I didn't notice it when I inspected the edge through the microscope. But the A2 must have had a single persistent nick which took time to restore completely. It must be the one viewed in the microscope. Thanks.
Great Video. But I'll stand by the words written by them. "have you tried to grind this stuff" its thicker because its so hard to grind. The lack of skeletonizing is compensation for them knowing they wont grind as much steel off. I do agree that the benefit of the thicker grind is to help rip wood fibres open. The downside is that it will require a vast amount of work to the end user in sharpening over the life of the knife. if its so hard for them to grind on a machine. think of handgrinding.
Isn't it funny how the edge of a knife can have a hard enough steel and good enough heat treat to survive that brutal (I would never use a hammer to chop wood! I still respect your expert opinion though) edge test, but you can easily restore the edge with some leather and fine particles mixed with water to form a strop compound? That so awesome. Have you figured that one out Virtuovice?
i forgot. re the comment from bark river about "have you tried to grind this stuff" as an excuse for them all to be thicker. i call serious bullshit even though it is harder. wako sent me the 60rc 3v brk bushcraft which had the very thick small grind and i fully ground it thin at 60RC. unless you are seriously skimping on decent fresh grinding belts ($5 each in USA) then there is no reason that the 3V blades shouldn't be equally fine ground.
No, I don't do that, you must have misunderstood me, haha. I was referring to how stropping compound is only a bit of fine sand mixed with water, rubbed on leather, and somehow that can restore the edge that has withstood tons of abuse. It's a little hard of a concept to convey through text, I understand. If you still don't get it, no issues, it was just a bit of speculation.
Its claimed to be, but i wonder if its dipped direct into the nitrogen leaving a frigid mess with many micro-fractures just waiting to crack when you test the friendship out. there is also often a problem with harmonic balance when you get bigger, with a bit of a warped sense of friendship. I guess not everyone considers BFF to be BFF.. its like offering a lifetime warranty* (* Life of Mayfly applies)
I'd rather be behind my product than in front :) And if it took 45minutes to do 6" then yes, the edge geometry was a far cry from what BRK or I put on a knife. Seriously though. I'm just a hobby guy. I stand behind my work, but I make no false claims that its indestructible, and neither do I offer a no questions warranty. certain things should be covered by warranty, like bad material failure. i dont believe in covering use or misuse. BUT THEY DO, AND ADVERTISE IT. Thats the difference.
Hello. I was getting some pretty serious rolling/denting. This continues to be an issue unless I'm tame with the knife. Absolutely... I would never chop anything harder than wood. The knife was expensive by my standards. If you're interested, I talked a little about the edge issues during my review, which you can find with searchwords: "Bravo 2 Review by Scott." Cheers.
Is it really that much harder before the heat treat? If they want to call it a Bravo 1 then the dimensions, weight, and design should technically be the same or it will look like false advertisement. Considering this it's not so hard to see it being called the Bravo 2 or something more appropriately titled for its purpose. These are not inexpensive knives and Bark River is a fairly large knife company to be somewhat misleading the consumer.
yes. 3v is harder than a2 pre-hT.. all things relative.. but I think a lot of their grinding is done after HT on full blanks, not pre-ht. that would place a lot more wear on the auto grinders as well as the belt grinders for finishing. I cant speak for how they are grinding. But yes. 3V in All areas before and after is more costly and time consuming to grind. like D2, the belts just slide off. you need fresh belts, and more time. doing it without burning the steel is much slower.
Given the size/nature of the knife I am fairly astounded that they would recommend not to chop with it as if you remove chopping from the scope of work then the design of the knife seems a bit odd as what is all the weight/thickness for (aside from splitting). Have you sharpened the knife since the initial use (not stropping), if so have you see any change in the durability of the edge at all?
Well done sir... well done. One of the most in depth and informative comparison video's of the different steel's I have seen. However, I have a question that is unrelated to this video. You may have covered it in a video I haven't seen yet. If you have, I apologize for taking up your time. The ability to strike a ferro rod and start a fire is very important to me as well. Have you noticed a difference in fire starting capabilities between the different steel's or different models of Bark River knives?
I almost always use the specific striker of LightMyFire and have never tested about the fire making capabilities between different knife steels. Thanks.
Great video & test, I'm still deciding on my first deer dressing knife to purchase in Australia & your channel has helped a lot. Any recommendations for a beginner anyone? Thanks
Have respect when you post here. This gentleman is a hunnter and he reviews hunting knives exclusively. So if you want tactical knives in for go to other channels. And if you post consider your words.
I've got a Swamp Rat Waki that I beat to hell for 45 minutes through a 6 inch diameter mesquite. It kicked ass and took names afterward. I know the edge geometry has a lot to do with it but had it been beat to shit I know Swamp Rat would have taken care of me. I was part of their test team and they encouraged that sort of behavior. All I'm saying is just like Justin Gingrich stands by his product, and the Busse family so far, and of course CKC, I would expect Mike Stewart to do the same.
That's not a steel hammer. Its essentially the same as a wooden baton. Those types of hammers are made out of plastic and weighted with sand. The hammer material is softer then the steel of the knife so its not any where near like using a steel hammer on a steel knife.
Many people on here, including the maker of this video are complaining about the sharp jimping on the blade. The problem is, is that this is not jimping for your thumb, that area on the knife is for striking a firesteel on it. Is not a thumbrest. See Bark River if you don't understand. Thank you.
If one wants a heavy duty wilderness knife why not use the Ontario gen ll SP 50? It can split wood all day long & handle abuse I would never put a BR knife through.
