Loving that great design in S35VN! I'm jealous!

Beautiful knives and the handles are fantastic,thats like a Tiger grain in the handles.

Came here Bec I want to see Trailmate 2. I'm SO sold on getting this model!

Love the belly on that Trailmate. Thanks for the preview.

Thanks for sharing!

How did the trailbuddy work out for you? BTW i like your videos and thanks for the metric info

@TheAmericanOutfitter

7 жыл бұрын

Hi, the Trail Buddy is great at slicing and making deep long cuts into the meat to separate it from the bone. It also excels at skinning. No surprise there. It is a pure hunting knife for medium to large game animals. I have not used the Trailmate on any animals yet, but believe it might be too short to cut around the pelvic area. S35VN seems easier to sharpen than Elmax. Best of luck afield, respectfully

Hi, so I finally decided and ordered Bark River Canoe and also according to your recommendation a Bark River Classic Drop Point Hunter with Elmax steel blade. I think that this two will satisfy my needs. I watch some other of your videos and I see that you also have Bark River Gameskeeper......can you tell me how it works with so thick blade? Its marked primarily as a dedicated hunting knife, but isn't it by your experience too thick to be good hunting knife? How it works on game processing, or in other knife duties? I think that its stunning knife, one of the visually most pleasing from Bark River, and I'm speculating, that when I save some money, I order also this one, but I'm not sure about its performance. Sorry that I have too many questions and thank you in advance for answer.

@TheAmericanOutfitter

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, I think the Gameskeeper is too thick overall for my preferences, but I wanted a heavy duty knife to take to Africa for large, big boned animals, and something that could also serve as a survival knife if we ever got stranded in the bush. In Africa, I used it to baton trees and build a hefty blind to conceal ourselves from the Warthogs. It is a beast of hunting knife and the choil is most functional. I used it a couple of times since in the States and found it to be a bit clunky when skinning animals. Yes, esthetically the Gameskeep is very pleasing and it will also pry sockets and bust through the sternum bone. I still prefer my Fox River LT, but I plan to hold on to my Gameskeeper for sure. Hopefully, I’ll draw a moose tag this year. Respectfully

@pavelkvak9852

6 жыл бұрын

TheAmericanOutfitter Thank you for answer, you helped me again. Have a nice day.

Hi, do you still have these two knives? Can you tell me your actual opinion about their performance? I want to order one of those but can't decide which one to chose. Do you think that trailmate with its short blade is long enough for wild boars and small stags? Or is by your opinin trail buddy better for that? And whats your experience about them as a camp or kitchen knives for food preparation and whittling? Thank you in advance for answer. Greetings from Slovakia.

@TheAmericanOutfitter

6 жыл бұрын

Hi, if you already have a reliable full size hunting knife it may be more advantages to order the smaller knife thus giving you some diversity in your inventory, but the Trail Buddy with its larger blade and handle will probably work better on a Stag. I have not done a hog with the Trailmate, but it should work with its stout and easy to handle blade. The cutting edge on the Trailmate is 6.9 cm. The Trail Bubby and Trailmate are not the best choices for food prep. I prefer my Featherweight Fox River, Fallkniven WM1 or Mini Aurora for meal prep or small kitchen chores. The Fox River, Gunny Hunter and Classic Drop Point Hunter are also worthy of attention as dedicated hunting knives. Take your time and choose what is best for you, your environment and the type of hunting you do. Respectfully

@pavelkvak9852

6 жыл бұрын

TheAmericanOutfitter Hi, thank you for answer. As you mentioned Fox River, do you still have the LT version? What do you think about it in comparison to standard version? Is the thinner edge strong and stable enough to prevent the edge chipping? And also if you have experience with different blade materials on Bark River knives, which steel you prefer for hunting applications and which one is by your opinion best as most versatile, all around steel - A2, 3V or Elmax? And if I may ask one more question, have you experience with Bark River Canoe knife, or do you know someone who has it? I think also about this model for hunting and camp duties, but there is very little informations about it, so what do you think? Thank you again.

@TheAmericanOutfitter

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, I still have two Fox Rivers and dozens of other knives. Both Fox Rivers are LT versions. One is in 3V and the other is Elmax. I thought the standard version was a bit too thick for a hunting knife and prefer the thinner stock of 0.150. The standard version has a thickness of 0.170 and weighs about 28 grams more than the light version. The thinner edge on the LT is certainly stable enough to prevent chipping, especially the 3V version, which is tougher than Bohler Elmax, but Elmax is stainless and more corrosion resistant. A2 is an older steel, but proven and very good. It is simple to sharpen and strops easily. Also, A2 is a softer steel (59 rc) and not prone to chipping, but can dent or roll if abused. A2 does not hold an edge as long as 3V or Elmax, and will rust for sure if the steel is not taken care of. 3V is tougher (58-60 rc) than A2 and Elmax, and holds a fantastic edge, but can be more difficult to sharpen than A2. 3V is not stainless, but performs as if it were a semi-stainless knife, hence why it is so popular. Elmax is highly rust resistant, holds an excellent edge, but can be a bear to sharpen if allowed to go blunt and does not strop as nicely as A2 or 3V. Elmax is very hard (60-62 rc) and can be prone to chipping if it strikes a hard surface. I accidently chipped the tip on mine and had to have it refurbished, but Bark River made it look like new at no cost. Bottom line, there is no perfect steel for all environments, tasks or applications. If I had to choose one steel for myself, it would probably be 3V because it seems to hit sweet spot. I do not own a Bark River Canoe knife, nor do I know anyone who has one, but will buy one if it is ever released in 3V. The Springbok is also another nice sporting knife. All the best, respectfully

@pavelkvak9852

6 жыл бұрын

TheAmericanOutfitter Thanks again for answer.....If I may ask one last question, what is your experience with obtuse, thick bevel geometry of 3V blades in comparison to thinner profiles of A2 and Elmax on Bark River knives? I watch "Virtuovice" youtube channel and that guy in many of his videos says, that he don't like blade geometry on Bark River knives with 3V steel because of thick, blunt edge geometry and he always regrind them to be usable for him. Also he says, that A2 and Elmax blades from Bark River has significantly thinner edge geometry and he has no problem with them. So whats your experience? Do you use 3V blades as they come to you from factory, or is there need to regrind them? As I try to choose knife from Bark River, I stay away from 3V models mainly because of "Virtuovice" videos, but I don't know if only he has subjective problem with 3V blades, or is there problem in general with this type of steel on Bark River knives? Thank you again and sorry if I bother you with too many questions.

@TheAmericanOutfitter

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, I would have to agree that the geometry on some A2 and Elmax knives is slightly different, but I would not say it is a significant difference. I still prefer 3V, but A2 is a fine steel and Bark River has the heat treatment down to a science. The issues with A2 is that it can be a rust magnet, does not hold an edge like some of the newer super steels and is not as tough. I will also say that IMO, the Bravo line of knives with stout .217 spines are too thick for hunting. The Bravo line is great for survival, shelter building, hard use and splitting wood and so on, but I would choose something more practical for gutting and skinning. I prefer the thinner line of knives for hunting. I use all my Bark River knives as they come. I own dozens and have never received a blunt edge or dysfunctional knife. The only thing I might do is remove the secondary bevel or give the edge a good stropping, but this is not necessary. They preform very well right out of the box. The next big player is going to be CPM Cru-Wear. The word on the trail is that this steel is as tough as 3V, but holds an edge like no one’s business. Virtuovice is well educated knife enthusiast. He is very particular about his knives and regrinds them to achieve a highly customizable blade that meets his own personal desires. He basically takes a semi-custom knife and turns it into a very fine personalized cutting instrument. There is nothing wrong with that if you have the time, money and resources. Perhaps you may be more interested in having a fully custom knife build to your own specifications. This way you get exactly what you want with no compromises. The good thing is there are many other knife makers on the market besides Bark River. All the best in your research, respectfully