The Bravo Necker II from Bark River Knives has been around for a bit. They recently released a new run of them in a dizzying array of handle materials. It’s a great option for anyone seeking a fixed blade knife that they can pocket carry.
Bark River Knives
Bark River Knives was founded by Mike Stewart in 2001 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. One of the hallmarks of BRK is their endless assortment of models and designs. They have a crew of around 45 employees who work together to produce thousands of knives a month.
What’s In the Box?
The Bravo Necker II has an overall length of 6.9375 inches. The S45VN steel blade runs 3.625 inches. The blade is just 0.092-inch thick at the spine. In other words, this is one heck of a great slicer. The Bravo Necker weighs a mere 2.89 ounces. For our purposes, this is based on the basic model with black canvas Micarta scales and no extra liners. That weight might change ever so slightly with different handle materials.
As with all Bark River blades, it comes with a convex edge. Something about convex edges that many don’t realize is that they’re far sharper than they may seem right out of the box. Be warned, they can bite if you aren’t paying attention. The Bravo Necker II’s spine features a small section of jimping.
The handle is just long enough to get four fingers around it when held in a classic hammer grip. But once you move the knife into more of a saber grip, it becomes more of a 3.5 finger grip. There is a lanyard hole at the base of the handle. The addition of a lanyard would provide a little more grip, but I don’t feel it’s truly necessary. And I say that as a guy who has fairly large hands with long fingers.
The Bravo Necker II comes with a nice leather sheath. As the name would imply, this is a knife that’s set up to be worn around the neck. There is no retaining strap, but the sheath has a magnet embedded inside to secure the knife.
How Does It Perform?
I’ll tell you up front that the Bravo Necker II has quickly become one of my favorite Bark River models. And that’s saying something, considering I’ve owned several dozen of their knives. I still have most of them, but a few have been traded over the years.
Personally, I’m not fond of carrying knives on a cord or strap around my neck. I’ve just never found it comfortable. With the Bravo Necker II, I just drop it in a pocket and away I go. It’s light enough that it doesn’t feel like a pile of rocks dragging me down.
This knife has tagged along for numerous hikes with my wife and I. It’s also spent some time in the kitchen handling vegetables, fruits, cheese, and more. I’ve used it to break down boxes, cut cordage, and carve pointed ends on a few branches.
No matter how I’ve used it, the Bravo Necker II has held up very well. It’s easy to carry and comfortable to use. I wouldn’t want to rely on it as a one-tool-option for extended stays in the wild. But for routine, daily use around home, it’s exceptional.
Find the Bravo Necker II here at DLT Trading.
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