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!
