Mountain Man knife review: Classic design combines with modern materials 

In addition to my modified BR Sportsman I love my 5-1/2” Mountain Man knife. Good historic review of what worked back in the day. No reason it won’t work today.

Old "common sense", for old "common knife design". Really beautiful knives. Superb steel and craftmanship. A work of art. Truly.But in the same time, fine Green River Knives and Ontario Old hickory butcher knives will cut your brisket and your cabbage as well for the price of an old "common man" budget.

Great video, thank you!

Very good video! Thank you.

Just got my BR Mountain man!!! Absolutely love the thin stock and light weight. Definitely a change of pace from my Bravo 2. I have to say you can't judge a knife until you hold it and it absolutely surpasses expectations. Definitely bought as a kitchen knife but in hand I can tell it'll hold its own outdoors as a main belt knife. 3V steel so the thinner stock doesn't worry me but better bring a heavy chopper for wood processing bc this won't do it.

I bought the smaller mtn man. The top of the blade is swedged from one inch forward of the handle to the tip. Does the larger mtn man have this same feature? Truthfully I was a bit disappointed with the swedge. Can you speak to whether or not the original Russell knives swedged the top of the blade?

Curious as to the pros and cons of the short one as compared to the longer one. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Wonderful looking blades. Still have paw's 2 'Ole-Hickory's. Patiently waiting the wet-forming video. Thanks 4 sharing ATB Terry God Bless

The Green River knives, while it did play a role in the Rocky Mountain fur trade, weren't introduced until late in the historic era. However, many of them made their way into the hands of wolf and buffalo hunters, after the beaver trapping days were pretty much over. More common production knives of the beaver trapping trade were English made Sheffield's, or hand forged knives by local blacksmiths, carried out to the West, by the trappers, themselves. Don't reckon me wrong, there were 'Mountain Men's who did carry the Russell 'Green River' knives, but they weren't that ubiquitous in the beaver trade era. AND they are excellent knives. Period. I have owned and used a few over the years, and am particularly fond of the 'Hunter' model, which Russell STILL produces in the present, accompanies me on deer and elk expeditions out here in the Far West, where I live, and even to modern day Rendezvous. I own a butcher, produced in the 19th Century, and it's hard to find modern knives which have as good quality steel, as that knife does. No markings, so provenance unknown. More valuable than my frontstuffers, which are reproduction firearms. Trapper Tom

I'm not sure if you're aware of this but another youtube channel under the the name of National Self Reliance Association is using your content with no apparent stamp of the video being your property. Just a heads up

Wish Bark river would have made them out of 52100. What do you think the pros and cons are one way or the other?

A great classic blade. If it works don't change it ; )

Anybody try flaying a fish with the 5.5 inch blade version?

Would you ever consider making slightly longer videos? I love your content but i crave more.Thanks,ATB,Nash

Do you mean to say that people used these thin knives and didn't feel the need to baton everything?

Good history and plain old "common sense" spoken here.

Bark river, in its attempt to enrich its range with new models as ordered by modern marketing, filled its catalog with bad taste and useless knives. Specifically based on knife designs from the 1800s, he released this monstrosity in a simple yet modern version. Now why did he put that unsightly bump on the spine ask its designer. Some comment says not to tear the gut. Any chance a hunter could skin this thing? Other knives had ramps and customers were sending them back to be removed. If he keeps it up he'll soon be making prehistoric stone knives.