Bark River: Mini-Fox River

Typically, I carry a Buck lockblade for trail riding and barn chores, but I thought it might be more convenient to carry a small fixed blade. I decided this little guy might just do the trick. 6.65" OAL, 2.9" blade, African Blackwood scales.

Thanks for looking!

Tom
nice looking knife. I find it interesting that it has the exposed tang with the loop and a tube for a wrist thong also.
It should be able to perform most any chore

Peter

VERY NICE KNIFE!!!

Bark River makes nice knives, good quality too. Good luck Tom, nice pic also.

Thanks everyone!



I'm not sure why there are two options, Peter. I like the tang loop, because it keeps the thong off of the handle.

That's a great lookin pick up Tom. I hope it serves you well!

Thanks James. It might be a good knife for the Grand Canyon mule ride, since there is a weight limit.

HA!!!!!

Good call though!

Nice knife Tom.

Bark River makes some excellent small fixed blade knives. I've had their Nomad Hunter model for a couple of years, and, while I only used it once, found it perfect for handling camping chores. Great size, and, as a bonus, legal to carry in NYC. Here's a quick photo and the knife details.

Nomad Fixed Blade Hunting Knife
-Blade: 3.775” A2 tool steel in clip point profile. Stamped/etched “Bark River Knives Escanaba MI A2” and, on other side, “First Production Run”.
-Handle: Desert Ironwood. Nickel silver single guard. Aluminum butt cap with wrist thong.
-OAL: 7.75”
-Sheath: Brown leather belt sheath.

Bob

I agree, Bark River has some really nicely made knives. I have a couple in my collection.

Pap

Bob,

Your Bark River looks like a RMK 5-4. Beautiful handle! How do you (and Mike) like the convex grind?

Tom,

I hadn't really noticed it before, but you're right, the BR Nomad does look like a 5-4. If I had a 5-4 in the collection (which, unfortunately, I don't), I'd post a photo comparing the two knives.

While I'm usually more of a fan of drop point knives (your Mini Fox River looks like it will be a great multi-purpose user), I like the Nomad features. Compact, fairly light weight, yet it has a real solidity to it.

I've only used it once, and that was for general camping/hiking chores (light cutting; food prep; no real heavy duty work). It performed very well, stayed sharp, cleaned up nicely, and the Ironwood handle (which is an attractive chunk of wood) feels great in the hand. Overall, the knife performed well given the limited demands I made of it (so far, anyway), and it presents with excellent fit and finish. This is my only Bark River, but assuming that it is representative of their craftsmanship, they make a solid good looking knife which I have no hesitation in using.

Thanks for the information, Bob. This Mini Fox is the smallest fixed blade knife that I have ever owned. I'm expecting it to be handy for quick cuts on feed bags, baling twine, tack, etc.

Last night, my wife and I watched (for probably the 5th time) King Solomon's Mines (1950) with Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr. It might just be the best safari adventure movie ever made. Anyway, it inspired me to pull some props out and take another photo of my Barkie since it has African Blackwood scales. Background is Thompson Gazelle hide with elephant hair and African brass bracelets.

Nice photo.

Thanks Pat. Animal hides always make a nice back drop for knife photos.

Great pic. Tom. I really like the African Blackwood too.

Thanks Duke. This is my first piece of African Blackwood. It's actually a very dark brown. It is harvested in East Africa (Tanzania and Mozambique), is considered the "original" ebony, and is more dense than ebony. Gotta love the internet.

Tom

I am a big fan of smaller fixed blades. Did you order/buy the knife with those scales? Did the knife come from Bark River or after market?

Great looking knife.

Hi Rod,

There are two main dealers for Bark River knives: DLT Trading and Knives Ship Free. My knife came from KSF. Bark River's claim-to-fame is offering many different models with a wide variety of handle materials. Fit and finish on my knife is outstanding - not a single flaw. They are considered semi-production knives with a lot of hand work, so there will be very slight variations similar to RMKs. Bark River's standard blade material is A2. All blades have a full convex grind. They do offer other blade steels as well, including stainless.

At 6.65" OAL, my knife is the size of a folder, but doesn't need to be opened and closed.

Thank you for the info Tom. I will look into a Bark River.

BTW I bought a Sep. S 5 from Knives Ship free about a month ago. They are great to deal with.

Rod,

I was aware that KSF sold RMKs, but didn't know they sold vintage Randalls. I'll have to keep a closer eye on them.

Tom,

Great call on the BR Nomad and its resemblance to the RMK 5-4"!

Here are a couple of photos of an RMK 5-4" with the Bark River Nomad. They're definitely cousins and could be 'brothers from different mothers'.

Bob

Don't forget the BR Canoe.

Pap

Thanks for the photos, Bob. Yep, that blade shape and length is just so practical and useful. Must be hard to decide which one to grab. I'd be proud to carry either one.