It's your show virtuovice, and a good one at that. Your opinion it quite worthy of listening to. The quest for finding and personalizing our favorite/perfect knife or knives continues. Thanks for your input. I for one am learning from this saga of the consummate knife lover you have perpetuated. Cheers
Dutch bushcraft knives brought me here . Fascinating, I only got into knives the past year due to watching bushcraft shows during COVID . Yes bushcraft knives like cpm 3V as there favourite steel. You inspired them very much. Keep well keep safe. Daz from australia
Im surprised the Bravo 1.5 did not make the list. I thought you liked it much. The Lovelace hunter looks very nice for for deer dressing. Cant wait for deer season!
Awesome collection! Your great observations noted. More videos like this would be fantastic! Thank you for your many informative videos. Love the attention to details on feather sticks making.
Super video! I own at 100 knives but only a few I use alot! Bravo and little caper for hunting and bushcraft! Plus, Ontario machete! Too bad about those Japan laws! My machete is priceless in all situations! Enjoy you video and please keep them coming!
Thank you! Very usefull information. You are very thorough and I have learnt allot from your videos. Also it is very good to see the landscape in Japan. This summer I will try your way of preparing trout:)
Yes Sir I have been waiting a long time for this video. And I inderstand that six months ago or six months from now it could easily have 4 or more different knives in the mix. Same is here. Whichever knifes are in my bag are my necessary knives. Thanks for new video. Take care
Great you show a new video in english! I tried following your other channel in japanese but no way for me to understand a single word. Thanks for sharing!
Doc, I had my Rodent 6 thinned down and the top gaurd taken off its becoming one of my Fav. 6" blade, and it came out great at the Busse Custom Shop, I have a suggestion for your Bear Protection Knife, instead of modifying the Rodent 6, I'm thinking of taking the top gaurd off on the Busse Team Gemini, I bet we would have some of the best knives for such use, it's long, it would be more fluid, and the steel IMO is the best.
You sir are a master blade sharpener. Fantastic collection of knives. Bark River makes some beautiful, high quality knives. What is the model name of the black Bark River life you use for bushcraft/survival? Domo Arigotto. (sp?)
My favourite bushcraft knife, to date, is the Jeff White Bush HD. The knife is beautiful to me, keep a remarkable edge and is my best one for sharpness vs blade thickness. Unfortunately the handle is too small for my big hands. But still is my favourite overall knife.
Great videos again..I must say your videos on knives are my most favourite as I to are a knife buff..I have many different bushcraft knives but my main carry now is my Fallkniven Idun with stacked leather handle..4"laminated steel blade..expensive but well worth the purchase in the long run...I also take my condor bush lore with me ,I prefer convex knives but usually tend to go for full ting with good ergonomics ...good Scandinavia grinds are also good...but I always have to take my Ka bar BK2 when I go in to the woods or mountains ..heavy but by far the best for chopping and battening ..been in the UK we have some great blades due to our great Sheffield steel company here..I'm just starting to learn how to begin reprofiling blades...made a few mistakes but getting there..keep up with your videos very interesting and beneficial...Many thanks
My friend. You are a legend. EDIT. I have a few of these knives. Love the way you altered the Ontario.. though mine is bayonet style. Mora, I love..carry everywhere. It's replaced the knife my father gave me(buck110) though mora I have is companion style but carbon. Have recently transitioned to the BPS adventurer as my everyday carry.
I have bought two new knives, thanks to Virtuovice's reviews! Mora Companion and Fallkniven TK2. The thin blade, and very comfortable handle of Mora Companion, makes it excellent for cutting tough material like wood. The convexed top of the handle fit into the palm of the hand perfectly, and relieve pressure when cutting down hard. The thick blade of TK2 is more suited for cutting soft material, like meat. The handle is very comfortable, but not suited to cut tough material like wood, because the top of the handle is NOT convex, and does not fit into the palm when cutting down hard. However, the angled design of the handle is wonderful, and you know exactly where the knife is in your hand and which angle the blade has without looking at it. More precise to hold than Mora Companion. Now I have three knives for different purposes: Mora Companion: For all around utility and bushcraft. Also good for hunting, fishing, shellfish and clams. (I think this knife is pretty ugly looking, not harmonic in forms, but still very comfortable and useful. Strange that something that is ugly, can be functional. It is ironic, that my cheapest knife, the Mora Companion, will probably be my most used knife.) Fallkniven TK2: For hunting. (My most expensive knife. TK2 is luxurious and beautiful. It is like a jewel! I don't want to mess it up, and will use it only for the most exclusive of activities. It is a pleasure just to hold, and it feels like a natural outgrowth from the hand! A Masterpiece of craftsmanship.) Gerber Silver Trident: For self defense. A brutal knife. No one is going to force their way into my home.
Doc, you worry me with this bear obsession. If I was going out into bear country I think I would leave the reground Nata in the garage and take a couple of handheld flares. Bears have got multiple Bark Rivers of their own... 2 pairs of 5 each at the end of 2 long, fast, powerful arms, plus another 10 in reserve. On top of that they have a mouth full of Ka-Bars AND the willpower to keep going - even if they are badly hurt. I'll miss that "Hello -knife people".
I'd have to say I also love the mora light my fireknive as a must EDC.with a good full tang.(bark river with 4inch)and I'd be good for just about every thing.
Again, I say...many, many, many confirmed accounts of a man killing bears (even grizzlies) with just a knife. In the late 1800's knife hunting was a celebrated sport with and without the use of dogs and several legends of that period killed hundreds of bears with a hunting knife. One was former Governor of South Carolina: Wade Hampton. He killed upwards of 500 bears in his life with fifty of those being taken with just a knife. A man with a good knife and a cool head in battle can kill the crap out of any bear.
I'd love to believe that. Sincerely. But I just don't know what a 200 lbs man vs a 600 to 1000 lb raging charging Grizz at least 20x stronger and faster than a man, that rolls around large boulders and logs and digs all day long for subsistence could possibly do in terms of any significant damage to it with a hunting knife. I wouldn't even feel secure with a 454 Casull. But I'd rather go down fighting anyway with some chance of evening up the odds if the bear was hard wired with intent on eating me alive. Respectfully...
roadwary56 I hear ya. I never fought a bear. But, a 100 lb pit-bull got in my house when I was moving in (2005). I didn't see him till it was too late. I grabbed him by his collar, dragged him outside, picked him up over my head and body slam him one handed. He didn't feel heavy at all. He whimpered like a puppy and ran home with a broke leg flopping. I'm not by any means a physically impressive man...just a short fat dude. I could have wrung a bear's neck easy at that moment for sure, lol. Cheers.
Haha. Hey that's a good one. Good on ya. Remind me not to tick you off or wind up in your house uninvited (not that I would or could). lol Yeah, sometimes motivation trumps size. Imagine what you could have done to that pooch with your knife in hand. And cheers to you down in "Tar Heal" country. Used to live next door ya in east TN, go Vols. You know what I'm talking about.
Grizzlys usually aren't raging, especially 200 years ago when they had less encounters with man. I think that makes it more plausible for one man to kill more than one bear.
Picked up a Weatherby Vanguard series 2 in .308 caliber a few weeks ago. As you may know Wako, it is actually a Howa product; I'm very please with this fine Japanese product.
With practice it should be possible to get used to effective deer dressing with any decent hunting knife. I would choose Fallkniven TK2 or a Bravo, simply because they are more handsome than Fox River! Maybe even get used to exclusively handling a Bravo 1.5 for deer dressing - because then, in an emergency situation, you will have both survival knife and effective hunting knife in one.
haha lol...you were spot on about how much money you have to spend before you find out which ones were good ,bad. etc..its called an expensive education but i think its just something we all do,amd even when we know as much as anyone can and after years of spending lots of money,we still cant resist a knife that catches our eye lol,the big question is what did you learn. and if you could only keep three which would you choose?
I have spent a lot of money on knives and learned that what I necessarily need are Bravo1.25 3V for survival and Fox River 3V for hunting and Mora Garberg for bushcraft.
No swiss army knife? The blades are thin and tiny, for small everyday tasks only but the tools are fantastic and the quality and worksmanship are awesome. I feel naked without one in my pocket. I guess you can legally carry the 58mm ones in the city even in Japan, it may look like a toy but it is still a very useful little tool.
Greetings from Tasmania. l've been following your youtube videos for a while now. l'm into bushcraft and my current loves are the Tops BOB, and as a secondary l use a Tops Scandi trekker. l love these knives, but wanted to see what all the fuss was about when it came to Mora knives. l watched your clip on the Moras and a few other scandi grind knives and went for the Marttiini which cost me $35 AUD all up shipping included. l love the thin scandi blade for wood working. The only down side is that l find the grip to small for my hands (not really an issue as my hand travels all over the blade foe carving). l know you are fond of the Moras, but l reckon you should give Marttiini of Finland a go. Also just currious as to where you live. l didn't realise hunting was such a big thing in Japan. Keep the videos coming. Well done.
Say Heah Doc, I live in a area where we have Black Bears only, even then I feel the Bears have the edge, heh heh heh, (pun)anyhow in those areas I carry my modified Para Ordnance Expert in Stainless Steel .45acp 1911 re - done into a .460 Rowland, even then some say it's too lite, I know better, but a knife ? You must be a Superman.
Great choices, I have some of the same ones. I think I have also seen you with bear spray on your belt when out fishing. This is also a great choice. Fighting a bear with a knife must be a last resort.
i think you have 2 sets of fine knives, for "all around" use. knives for a life-time and back up (or alternate) choices you could outfit yourself and one more person/even 4 people in one camp i admire your choices
The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys ,we all like to play and then justify it afterwards,PS I also have wasted thousands of dollars on knives,and it was worth every cent,good luck with your toys.
Love your videos. I'm a knife collector as well benchmades are my favorite ( rift, hunt skinner especially). What r your thoughts on kabar knives (aka. Kill a bear).
Hey there, I am a silent watcher of your videos and enjoy them so far, but now I am about to buy my first bark river knife and I'm thinking about the Gunny rampless or hunter, bravo lt hunter and the fox river, but I am not sure about the steel yet, because I want it to be easily sharpened and because I use it for camping, hiking and kitchenwork and also for hunting in Germany(here we usually open the belly first and only take the guts out not the meat) and I don't want it to rust too easily because it can lie around in the blood for a while and I'm often not able to clean it instantly, so I'm not sure if the a2 with a patina or the cpm 3v is better and the other thing which is the harder one is that I want to be able to sharpen it on a field trip, I'm not sure if I would be able to easily sharpen the 3v with just the bark river compounds(black and white, without green ;) ) or if I should take sand paper or anything like that as well and which grit, I wouldn't care if I had to sharpen it after like 2 days of kitchen work or light hiking/camping or after every 1-2 red deers from Germany to retain the edge easier, because I'd rather sit for 5 minutes every second day of the week than for 30 minutes with more material I need once a week(just as an example) I hope that u can help me Best regards Moritz
I have decided to buy a Bark River knife based largely on your reviews. I am hoping for a knife that will be the best option for many needs, specifically hunting large game, camp use, and some bushcrafting. What is your recommendation of the bark river knives?
+Jonathan Blanck The best game dressing knife is Fox River LT Elmax. In case the game is small like a 180 pound doe, Classic Drop Point Hunter Elmax should be the best. Rampless Gunny Elmax is good regardless of the game size. Elmax is the most suitable steel for game dressing practically in my experience. For bushcrafting I love Bravo1 the best. Its steel should be A2 or 3V because of their toughness. Bravo1.25 is a little too long to carve or whittle wood cleverly while it has an advantage for batoning. Rampless Gunny 3V is a little Bravo and always handy for the same purpose. The old batches of Bravo1 3V and Gunny 3V had fat geometry. I recently confirmed the new batch of Gunny 3V had a nice thin geometry. I will check the new batch of Bravo1 3V soon. Thanks.
Wako, Please stay far away from bears. My wife and I saw one last year. It was a large California Black Bear that was the size of a mid-sized car. They have a lot of power, and they are fast. That Counter-Assault is a good first line deterrent. If you have your hunting rifle, I would not hesitate to use it (despite the law) if the bear spray does not work. What good is the law if you are dead? That said, most bears will avoid people, and I see you take precaution with bear bells and such. I would hate to be in a knife fight with a bear, but make him earn his prize if it ever gets to that point. My wife and I always carry Counter Assault when hiking/backpacking in bear country. The real danger are the wild cats, which are 150+ lbs. You can use bear spray, but you are suppose to fight the cat off if you get mauled. Fight back. I carry an Emerson CQC15 and a Bark River Bravo 1 for this.You need a knife that is fast, will not fail, and has traction and secure grip. The Emerson CQC15 has all of these for me.
Hi. You did not say the name of your preferred bushcraft knife here (the fifth one here) . What is is? A Bark River Bravo? (It would be helpful if you list the knives in the description :) )
I would use my Cold Steel SRK in VG-10 SAN Mai” for fighting bear, or my Glock 81, maybe my Kbar 1211, also have bushcraft Gerber Prodigy fine edge, and a Cold steel Kubon Tanto” my Stepdad just bought the Recon Tanto VG-10 San Mai, very nice Knife!
You have an awesome knife collection there thanks for sharing I loved the fourth knife it looks very cool by the way what do you think about recurve blades? And also how do you sharpen them?
Doctor: I appreciated very much seeing you discussing your primary knives. I would like to purchase a Bravo 1 3V rampless. I am primarily a feathersticker and rope cutter. Would you recommend the Field version or the LT version for my usage?
I am not a knife collector. I am a book collector. BUT, I still felt that something IMPORTANT was missng from my spontaneous collection of knives. A real good survival knife! So, now I have bought a Bark River Bravo 1.5. I am sure it will be my best companion when Europe collapses, and everyone has to defend for themselves, and survive on their own. Now I have four great knives: Mora Companion Fällkniven TK2 Bark River Bravo 1.5 Gerber Silver Trident I must say again how great TK2 is. The angled form of the handle makes you know immediately its position in your hand. MUCH more so than a knife with a handle made of curved forms! This also makes TK2 a great knife for close up self-defense combat, for you can very quickly change its position in your hand, without looking, and know its exact position by feeling. Japan, land of the Samurai, land of Integrity and Honour, and straightforwardness. Please stay true to your culture and racial identity. Please don't become multicultural. Don't make the same mistake that Europe has made! BECAUSE it would be your destruction. The International Banking Empire hates Japan's independence, integrity, and ethnic unity. They will try to destroy you, like they do to every country, and make you part of a global New World Order. They will try to flood your country with Arabs and Africans, break you down, and mix you up. DEFY IT! Hail Victory!
I learned, that most factory edges are not good, and It is better to have some marring on face grind and a sharp convex edge, marrring , can be smoothed out, hard fine stone fine sand paper
Hi Wako, I've watched 4 of your video's today, really helpful. Can you please tell me what the smallest Bark River knife you have in this video is, the one that you prefer for dressing smaller deer/does that might weigh 150 pounds or so? Thanks, Gus
The best knife I love for dressing small deer is Loveless Drop Point Hunter in this video. Currently it is available in 3V as well as in A2. The weight of the small deer I call is around 150 pounds as you mention. Thanks.
Thanks Virtuo, My understanding is that the traditional "loveless" grind is a hollow grind, but you seem to prefer convex. I find convex much fiddlier to sharpen in the field, whereas I can more easily touch up a convex grind in the field. What is your thinking on this? Second question - the regular style Bravo Gunny looks to have almost the same length, thickness and geometry as the Loveless Drop Point Hunter. Is it just that you like the handle better on the Hunter, or is it the drop point you like better? Thanks, Gus
Osmium Gus The belly lines are substantially different between Drop Point Hunter and Gunny. Drop Point Hunter has a rounder belly and is suited for a high angle approach to rib bones to take straps. It is better for small deer. Of course the specific hunting handle of CDPH is excellent. Hollow grind is much easier to sharpen with bench stones. But for the field touchup using a small piece of fine stone or leather strop with a compound, the both geometry has no difference in my opinion. Chip restoration is unnecessary and ridiculous in the field. Stropping makes a sharper edge than stone touchup obviously, and the convex geometry is better suited for the stropping. Thanks.
Thanks JPS, i cant really see the difference in the belly lines from the pictures on the BR website so that feedback is really useful. Appreciated. Gus
Hi Wako, I've had the BRK drop point hunter now for nearly 2 years and I love it. It is my only convex blade and even though the handle is a little short and only gives me 3 1/2 finger grip but it feels great in the hand. for field dressing Fallow deer it is a ripper. Thanks for the advice.
I really cannot think of a better thing to waste money on than guns and knives. There is just a magical feeling of slowly opening a box with a new gun or knife in it. We can’t carry hand guns for protection up here in Canada neither. Although I would hope to never have to tackle a bear with a knife, I carry either my Kabar fighting knife or my Kabar Big Brother. It would be better than fighting a bear with your bare hands, lol.
+virtuovice Hello virtuovice i have got a bark river bravo 1 in cpm s35vn + one enzo birk 75 in D2 + a benchemade torrent nitrios 890 and two blades on my leatherman charge al do you think is a pertinent choice? by the way thank you for your vidéos
Cool collection. I like how you've changed your bevels. I have a question though. What brand is the fourth knife to the right (the second bear fighter)? I like the brass bolster guard and the "raw" finish towards the spine of the blade.
I would love to see that Video in 2021. Keep up the good work and thanks for your videos.
It's your show virtuovice, and a good one at that. Your opinion it quite worthy of listening to. The quest for finding and personalizing our favorite/perfect knife or knives continues. Thanks for your input. I for one am learning from this saga of the consummate knife lover you have perpetuated. Cheers
Dutch bushcraft knives brought me here . Fascinating, I only got into knives the past year due to watching bushcraft shows during COVID . Yes bushcraft knives like cpm 3V as there favourite steel. You inspired them very much. Keep well keep safe. Daz from australia
Im surprised the Bravo 1.5 did not make the list. I thought you liked it much. The Lovelace hunter looks very nice for for deer dressing. Cant wait for deer season!
Awesome collection! Your great observations noted. More videos like this would be fantastic! Thank you for your many informative videos. Love the attention to details on feather sticks making.
I too have wasted money on knives, fishing rods, women, weed & whiskey ...
nothing from above is WASTED, well that fishing rod maybe
Money well spent.
DBK sent me here. Great channel. I
I wish you would redo this video for 2019. Thanks
2021 now lol
2022 now
Is it 2023 yet?
@@DavideCerriGA2024
Great video, Wako my friend!! Can't wait to see your camping/bush craft/ fly-fishing videos. God bless. John
good selection
Always enjoy your videos, please keep them coming. Your knife videos are some of my most favorite. Thank you for sharing sir.
i enjoyed seeing your beautiful collection of knives very high quality . thank you
Super video! I own at 100 knives but only a few I use alot! Bravo and little caper for hunting and bushcraft! Plus, Ontario machete! Too bad about those Japan laws! My machete is priceless in all situations! Enjoy you video and please keep them coming!
Yeah me to.Have about 100 use about 7 .And truth be told the knife I use the most .swiss army knife.
Mostly what i got out of this video, is he is prepared to fight bears. Like prepared to merc one.
Thank you! Very usefull information. You are very thorough and I have learnt allot from your videos. Also it is very good to see the landscape in Japan. This summer I will try your way of preparing trout:)
Yes Sir I have been waiting a long time for this video.
And I inderstand that six months ago or six months from now it could easily have 4 or more different knives in the mix. Same is here. Whichever knifes are in my bag are my necessary knives.
Thanks for new video. Take care
The Light My Fire version of the Mora, with a firesteel integrated into the handle, is even more useful than the otherwise excellent Companion.
BTW, I think the sheath is from Spec-Ops
Thanks for a look at your top choices. I know a lot of your time, doing real work with those, went into these choices. Stay well, Doctor.
Great video...outstanding knives!
Great you show a new video in english! I tried following your other channel in japanese but no way for me to understand a single word. Thanks for sharing!
DBK sent me, thank you for all your work
Interested in an update video. :)
Doc, I had my Rodent 6 thinned down and the top gaurd taken off its becoming one of my Fav. 6" blade, and it came out great at the Busse Custom Shop, I have a suggestion for your Bear Protection Knife, instead of modifying the Rodent 6, I'm thinking of taking the top gaurd off on the Busse Team Gemini, I bet we would have some of the best knives for such use, it's long, it would be more fluid, and the steel IMO is the best.
I always enjoy your videos THANK YOU
You sir are a master blade sharpener. Fantastic collection of knives. Bark River makes some beautiful, high quality knives. What is the model name of the black Bark River life you use for bushcraft/survival? Domo Arigotto. (sp?)
same question here. propably a gunny. asymmetrical grind.
nvm. it's a bravo1.
@@daschamaeleon i was thinking maybe its a bravo 1.5 now im not so sure... i guess he forgot to mention it
My favourite bushcraft knife, to date, is the Jeff White Bush HD. The knife is beautiful to me, keep a remarkable edge and is my best one for sharpness vs blade thickness. Unfortunately the handle is too small for my big hands. But still is my favourite overall knife.
It's not a waste of money if you truly enjoy it.
Great videos again..I must say your videos on knives are my most favourite as I to are a knife buff..I have many different bushcraft knives but my main carry now is my Fallkniven Idun with stacked leather handle..4"laminated steel blade..expensive but well worth the purchase in the long run...I also take my condor bush lore with me ,I prefer convex knives but usually tend to go for full ting with good ergonomics ...good Scandinavia grinds are also good...but I always have to take my Ka bar BK2 when I go in to the woods or mountains ..heavy but by far the best for chopping and battening ..been in the UK we have some great blades due to our great Sheffield steel company here..I'm just starting to learn how to begin reprofiling blades...made a few mistakes but getting there..keep up with your videos very interesting and beneficial...Many thanks
As someone who is new to hunting, this is very helpful information Wako.
Great to see 2 moras of 8 knives total. I think Mora is essential as well and should not be overlooked.
My friend. You are a legend.
EDIT. I have a few of these knives. Love the way you altered the Ontario.. though mine is bayonet style.
Mora, I love..carry everywhere. It's replaced the knife my father gave me(buck110) though mora I have is companion style but carbon.
Have recently transitioned to the BPS adventurer as my everyday carry.
I thought only Russians fight bears with knives. this thing is serious.
russians drink vodka with bears.... they dont fight them
@@jbbolts did you really expect a reply from an ancient comment?
@@jawadibrahim2367 not especially... why do you ask?
@@jbbolts just for fun.
@@jawadibrahim2367 Yet you still gave him one...
thanks for sharing! good knife selection!
I have bought two new knives, thanks to Virtuovice's reviews! Mora Companion and Fallkniven TK2.
The thin blade, and very comfortable handle of Mora Companion, makes it excellent for cutting tough material like wood. The convexed top of the handle fit into the palm of the hand perfectly, and relieve pressure when cutting down hard.
The thick blade of TK2 is more suited for cutting soft material, like meat. The handle is very comfortable, but not suited to cut tough material like wood, because the top of the handle is NOT convex, and does not fit into the palm when cutting down hard. However, the angled design of the handle is wonderful, and you know exactly where the knife is in your hand and which angle the blade has without looking at it. More precise to hold than Mora Companion.
Now I have three knives for different purposes:
Mora Companion: For all around utility and bushcraft. Also good for hunting, fishing, shellfish and clams.
(I think this knife is pretty ugly looking, not harmonic in forms, but still very comfortable and useful. Strange that something that is ugly, can be functional. It is ironic, that my cheapest knife, the Mora Companion, will probably be my most used knife.)
Fallkniven TK2: For hunting.
(My most expensive knife. TK2 is luxurious and beautiful. It is like a jewel! I don't want to mess it up, and will use it only for the most exclusive of activities. It is a pleasure just to hold, and it feels like a natural outgrowth from the hand! A Masterpiece of craftsmanship.)
Gerber Silver Trident: For self defense. A brutal knife. No one is going to force their way into my home.
Great Knives!!
Thank you for your opinion. You have saved me a lot of time, thank you.
That #4 is absolutely gorgeous
love it
Really enjoy your videos very interesting and beneficial...Many thanks
bear fighting knife ! oO DAMN ! i love it
Very good knives .
You are very lucky
I have to say, having a dedicated bear-fighting knife is very manly
Doc, you worry me with this bear obsession. If I was going out into bear country I think I would leave the reground Nata in the garage and take a couple of handheld flares. Bears have got multiple Bark Rivers of their own... 2 pairs of 5 each at the end of 2 long, fast, powerful arms, plus another 10 in reserve. On top of that they have a mouth full of Ka-Bars AND the willpower to keep going - even if they are badly hurt. I'll miss that "Hello -knife people".
Hi Wako. Can you do a quick video explaining how you make the belt loops for your Mora knives?
I'd have to say I also love the mora light my fireknive as a must EDC.with a good full tang.(bark river with 4inch)and I'd be good for just about every thing.
The sheath for that big Ontario Navy looks like a Spec Ops sheath.
Great selection there,
Again, I say...many, many, many confirmed accounts of a man killing bears (even grizzlies) with just a knife. In the late 1800's knife hunting was a celebrated sport with and without the use of dogs and several legends of that period killed hundreds of bears with a hunting knife. One was former Governor of South Carolina: Wade Hampton. He killed upwards of 500 bears in his life with fifty of those being taken with just a knife. A man with a good knife and a cool head in battle can kill the crap out of any bear.
I'd love to believe that. Sincerely. But I just don't know what a 200 lbs man vs a 600 to 1000 lb raging charging Grizz at least 20x stronger and faster than a man, that rolls around large boulders and logs and digs all day long for subsistence could possibly do in terms of any significant damage to it with a hunting knife. I wouldn't even feel secure with a 454 Casull. But I'd rather go down fighting anyway with some chance of evening up the odds if the bear was hard wired with intent on eating me alive. Respectfully...
roadwary56 I hear ya. I never fought a bear. But, a 100 lb pit-bull got in my house when I was moving in (2005). I didn't see him till it was too late. I grabbed him by his collar, dragged him outside, picked him up over my head and body slam him one handed. He didn't feel heavy at all. He whimpered like a puppy and ran home with a broke leg flopping. I'm not by any means a physically impressive man...just a short fat dude. I could have wrung a bear's neck easy at that moment for sure, lol. Cheers.
Haha. Hey that's a good one. Good on ya. Remind me not to tick you off or wind up in your house uninvited (not that I would or could). lol Yeah, sometimes motivation trumps size. Imagine what you could have done to that pooch with your knife in hand. And cheers to you down in "Tar Heal" country. Used to live next door ya in east TN, go Vols. You know what I'm talking about.
Grizzlys usually aren't raging, especially 200 years ago when they had less encounters with man. I think that makes it more plausible for one man to kill more than one bear.
briargoatkilla, are you serious? If you want kill bear with a blade, for sure it have to be a sword not knife
Picked up a Weatherby Vanguard series 2 in .308 caliber a few weeks ago. As you may know Wako, it is actually a Howa product; I'm very please with this fine Japanese product.
Any changes for 2019?
Very nice knives my friend, your bear fighters look intimidating. Good work thanks for sharing!! Cheers
Of all the knife channels on the internet...your opinion weighs the most in my mind.
With practice it should be possible to get used to effective deer dressing with any decent hunting knife. I would choose Fallkniven TK2 or a Bravo, simply because they are more handsome than Fox River! Maybe even get used to exclusively handling a Bravo 1.5 for deer dressing - because then, in an emergency situation, you will have both survival knife and effective hunting knife in one.
I have this sheath in black, it holds my Becker BK-2, its the small, and made by Spec Ops, excellent sheath.
haha lol...you were spot on about how much money you have to spend before you find out which ones were good ,bad. etc..its called an expensive education but i think its just something we all do,amd even when we know as much as anyone can and after years of spending lots of money,we still cant resist a knife that catches our eye lol,the big question is what did you learn. and if you could only keep three which would you choose?
I have spent a lot of money on knives and learned that what I necessarily need are Bravo1.25 3V for survival and Fox River 3V for hunting and Mora Garberg for bushcraft.
That bear knife is totally awesome!
No swiss army knife? The blades are thin and tiny, for small everyday tasks only but the tools are fantastic and the quality and worksmanship are awesome. I feel naked without one in my pocket.
I guess you can legally carry the 58mm ones in the city even in Japan, it may look like a toy but it is still a very useful little tool.
dude, if you fight bears daily, you really DONT NEED swiss army knife!
I love that fox river Knife. Yeah there is no one knife for all uses.
Greetings from Tasmania. l've been following your youtube videos for a while now. l'm into bushcraft and my current loves are the Tops BOB, and as a secondary l use a Tops Scandi trekker. l love these knives, but wanted to see what all the fuss was about when it came to Mora knives. l watched your clip on the Moras and a few other scandi grind knives and went for the Marttiini which cost me $35 AUD all up shipping included. l love the thin scandi blade for wood working. The only down side is that l find the grip to small for my hands (not really an issue as my hand travels all over the blade foe carving). l know you are fond of the Moras, but l reckon you should give Marttiini of Finland a go. Also just currious as to where you live. l didn't realise hunting was such a big thing in Japan. Keep the videos coming. Well done.
Say Heah Doc, I live in a area where we have Black Bears only, even then I feel the Bears have the edge, heh heh heh, (pun)anyhow in those areas I carry my modified Para Ordnance Expert in Stainless Steel .45acp 1911 re - done into a .460 Rowland, even then some say it's too lite, I know better, but a knife ? You must be a Superman.
Did anyone catch the model name of the Bark River survival/bushcraft knife, third knife from the right? It looks like a Bravo 1 or Gunny?
Thanks.
It's the Bravo 1.
Matthew de Paula Thanks Matt!
Matthew de Paula Based on his follow up video he states that his favorite winter survival knife is the Bravo 1 Light with edge profile modifications.
Great choices, I have some of the same ones. I think I have also seen you with bear spray on your belt when out fishing. This is also a great choice. Fighting a bear with a knife must be a last resort.
+Mea Woodsman Yah, a knife is much better than fingernails and foul language!
The sheath that the Ontario navy knife is in looks like a spec ops brand sheath
i think you have 2 sets of fine knives, for "all around" use.
knives for a life-time and back up (or alternate) choices
you could outfit yourself and one more person/even 4 people in one camp
i admire your choices
the 5th knife you shown the one you said was the best bushcraft survival knife. What knife is that and what steel is it?. Thanks
The knife is Bark River Bravo1 LT smooth spine in CPM-3V steel. Thanks.
The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys ,we all like to play and then justify it afterwards,PS I also have wasted thousands of dollars on knives,and it was worth every cent,good luck with your toys.
very nice collection,just have my first mora
i use many years other knife's
atb
steve
Love your videos. I'm a knife collector as well benchmades are my favorite ( rift, hunt skinner especially). What r your thoughts on kabar knives (aka. Kill a bear).
No more cKc Forrester 7? I'm a little bit surprised by that. It's been a favorite for a long time.
Hey there, I am a silent watcher of your videos and enjoy them so far, but now I am about to buy my first bark river knife and I'm thinking about the Gunny rampless or hunter, bravo lt hunter and the fox river, but I am not sure about the steel yet, because I want it to be easily sharpened and because I use it for camping, hiking and kitchenwork and also for hunting in Germany(here we usually open the belly first and only take the guts out not the meat) and I don't want it to rust too easily because it can lie around in the blood for a while and I'm often not able to clean it instantly, so I'm not sure if the a2 with a patina or the cpm 3v is better and the other thing which is the harder one is that I want to be able to sharpen it on a field trip, I'm not sure if I would be able to easily sharpen the 3v with just the bark river compounds(black and white, without green ;) ) or if I should take sand paper or anything like that as well and which grit, I wouldn't care if I had to sharpen it after like 2 days of kitchen work or light hiking/camping or after every 1-2 red deers from Germany to retain the edge easier, because I'd rather sit for 5 minutes every second day of the week than for 30 minutes with more material I need once a week(just as an example)
I hope that u can help me
Best regards
Moritz
I also use my Kershaw folding house knife more than any other knife. I use Mora for eating steak tho
DAMM Serious Knifes ...
I wanted to buy a Bark River Aurora .. but they are totally sold out ..
MAAAN ..That Japanese Hunting Knive is so DAMM BEAUTIFUL !!
Wow! Great video
It's not a waste! If you love them !
I have decided to buy a Bark River knife based largely on your reviews. I am hoping for a knife that will be the best option for many needs, specifically hunting large game, camp use, and some bushcrafting. What is your recommendation of the bark river knives?
+Jonathan Blanck The best game dressing knife is Fox River LT Elmax. In case the game is small like a 180 pound doe, Classic Drop Point Hunter Elmax should be the best. Rampless Gunny Elmax is good regardless of the game size. Elmax is the most suitable steel for game dressing practically in my experience.
For bushcrafting I love Bravo1 the best. Its steel should be A2 or 3V because of their toughness. Bravo1.25 is a little too long to carve or whittle wood cleverly while it has an advantage for batoning. Rampless Gunny 3V is a little Bravo and always handy for the same purpose. The old batches of Bravo1 3V and Gunny 3V had fat geometry. I recently confirmed the new batch of Gunny 3V had a nice thin geometry. I will check the new batch of Bravo1 3V soon. Thanks.
Wako,
Please stay far away from bears. My wife and I saw one last year. It was a large California Black Bear that was the size of a mid-sized car. They have a lot of power, and they are fast. That Counter-Assault is a good first line deterrent. If you have your hunting rifle, I would not hesitate to use it (despite the law) if the bear spray does not work. What good is the law if you are dead? That said, most bears will avoid people, and I see you take precaution with bear bells and such. I would hate to be in a knife fight with a bear, but make him earn his prize if it ever gets to that point.
My wife and I always carry Counter Assault when hiking/backpacking in bear country. The real danger are the wild cats, which are 150+ lbs. You can use bear spray, but you are suppose to fight the cat off if you get mauled. Fight back. I carry an Emerson CQC15 and a Bark River Bravo 1 for this.You need a knife that is fast, will not fail, and has traction and secure grip. The Emerson CQC15 has all of these for me.
thanks for the reaction,and for al the movies.
what you think of the buck ergo hunter pro 498 in S30V steel?
I personally don't need its round belly and recurve for my field dressing. Recurve is difficult to sharpen. Thanks.
Great job man
Hi. You did not say the name of your preferred bushcraft knife here (the fifth one here) . What is is? A Bark River Bravo? (It would be helpful if you list the knives in the description :) )
+Fjell Wood Yes. It is Bravo1.
Thanks!
I would use my Cold Steel SRK in VG-10 SAN Mai” for fighting bear, or my Glock 81, maybe my Kbar 1211, also have bushcraft Gerber Prodigy fine edge, and a Cold steel Kubon Tanto” my Stepdad just bought the Recon Tanto VG-10 San Mai, very nice Knife!
You have an awesome knife collection there thanks for sharing I loved the fourth knife it looks very cool by the way what do you think about recurve blades? And also how do you sharpen them?
Check out his video archive. Many, many vids on sharpening.
Doctor: I appreciated very much seeing you discussing your primary knives. I would like to purchase a Bravo 1 3V rampless. I am primarily a feathersticker and rope cutter. Would you recommend the Field version or the LT version for my usage?
Rampless Smooth Spine LT is the best Bravo1 except for military rough usage in my honest opinion. Thanks.
virtuovice Thank you.
If you had to choose only 3, which knives would you choose?
I guess two of them would be Bark River, and the third would be Bark River xD
What do you use to raise the bevel and get such a beautiful mirror polish? A system of whetstones, or something else?
+timothygrmn I use only water stones to polish the bevel. I have stones up to 12k grit. But generally I go up to 5k. Thanks.
I am not a knife collector. I am a book collector.
BUT, I still felt that something IMPORTANT was missng from my spontaneous collection of knives. A real good survival knife!
So, now I have bought a Bark River Bravo 1.5. I am sure it will be my best companion when Europe collapses, and everyone has to defend for themselves, and survive on their own.
Now I have four great knives:
Mora Companion
Fällkniven TK2
Bark River Bravo 1.5
Gerber Silver Trident
I must say again how great TK2 is. The angled form of the handle makes you know immediately its position in your hand. MUCH more so than a knife with a handle made of curved forms! This also makes TK2 a great knife for close up self-defense combat, for you can very quickly change its position in your hand, without looking, and know its exact position by feeling.
Japan, land of the Samurai, land of Integrity and Honour, and straightforwardness. Please stay true to your culture and racial identity. Please don't become multicultural. Don't make the same mistake that Europe has made! BECAUSE it would be your destruction. The International Banking Empire hates Japan's independence, integrity, and ethnic unity. They will try to destroy you, like they do to every country, and make you part of a global New World Order. They will try to flood your country with Arabs and Africans, break you down, and mix you up.
DEFY IT!
Hail Victory!
Interesting vid. Thanks for uploading. What model was the 5th knife? Is it a Bravo or a Gunny?
Hi Wako. Do you know the name of your Ontario MK3 knife sheath? Or where you purchased it? Thanks
Spec Ops Combat Master Sheath from eBay. Thanks.
if you had to pick just one of those, which one would you pick? :)
I learned, that most factory edges are not good, and It is better to have some marring on face grind and a sharp convex edge, marrring , can be smoothed out, hard fine stone fine sand paper
What steel did he say was on the bark river?
Hi Wako,
I've watched 4 of your video's today, really helpful. Can you please tell me what the smallest Bark River knife you have in this video is, the one that you prefer for dressing smaller deer/does that might weigh 150 pounds or so?
Thanks,
Gus
The best knife I love for dressing small deer is Loveless Drop Point Hunter in this video. Currently it is available in 3V as well as in A2. The weight of the small deer I call is around 150 pounds as you mention. Thanks.
Thanks Virtuo,
My understanding is that the traditional "loveless" grind is a hollow grind, but you seem to prefer convex. I find convex much fiddlier to sharpen in the field, whereas I can more easily touch up a convex grind in the field. What is your thinking on this?
Second question - the regular style Bravo Gunny looks to have almost the same length, thickness and geometry as the Loveless Drop Point Hunter. Is it just that you like the handle better on the Hunter, or is it the drop point you like better?
Thanks, Gus
Osmium Gus The belly lines are substantially different between Drop Point Hunter and Gunny. Drop Point Hunter has a rounder belly and is suited for a high angle approach to rib bones to take straps. It is better for small deer. Of course the specific hunting handle of CDPH is excellent.
Hollow grind is much easier to sharpen with bench stones. But for the field touchup using a small piece of fine stone or leather strop with a compound, the both geometry has no difference in my opinion. Chip restoration is unnecessary and ridiculous in the field. Stropping makes a sharper edge than stone touchup obviously, and the convex geometry is better suited for the stropping. Thanks.
Thanks JPS, i cant really see the difference in the belly lines from the pictures on the BR website so that feedback is really useful. Appreciated.
Gus
Hi Wako,
I've had the BRK drop point hunter now for nearly 2 years and I love it. It is my only convex blade and even though the handle is a little short and only gives me 3 1/2 finger grip but it feels great in the hand. for field dressing Fallow deer it is a ripper. Thanks for the advice.
What was the black handled bark river knife?
6,000+ brown bears? Wow, I would take a Katana! ;-)
I really cannot think of a better thing to waste money on than guns and knives. There is just a magical feeling of slowly opening a box with a new gun or knife in it. We can’t carry hand guns for protection up here in Canada neither. Although I would hope to never have to tackle a bear with a knife, I carry either my Kabar fighting knife or my Kabar Big Brother. It would be better than fighting a bear with your bare hands, lol.
Very nice knives. Are there any folding knives that you like?
+Pietro B I like 551 Griptillian very much.
+virtuovice Hello virtuovice i have got a bark river bravo 1 in cpm s35vn + one enzo birk 75 in D2 + a benchemade torrent nitrios 890 and two blades on my leatherman charge al do you think is a pertinent choice? by the way thank you for your vidéos
Cool collection. I like how you've changed your bevels. I have a question though. What brand is the fourth knife to the right (the second bear fighter)? I like the brass bolster guard and the "raw" finish towards the spine of the blade.
The maker is Toyokuni Knives, Japanese Maker.
Which bark river is that in the black handle. What blade steel?
good I am not the only one that doesn't know ...
Bark River Bravo 1.
ty
why the japanese knife for summer bear fighting instead of the ontario?
the dozier is convex? i always think it's hollow ground
The Dozier is hollow ground. Thanks.