I didn’t expect anything from the knife company, but was checking out the customer service, return policy, and just how hard it would be to return something. (You’re welcome, oh loyal readers!)
I bought a Bark River Fox River model, and handled one for the first time upon opening the UPS box. Initially, I was wowed by the workmanship, steel quality and blade design. I carried the Fox River for a few months, intending to field dress a deer in the fall. But I didn’t kill one, and never got a chance to use the knife for hunting. However, I whittled sticks, cut meat, did kitchen chores, and was 97 percent pleased with my purchase.
The dis-satisfaction was strictly personal. My wife could use the Fox River with complete comfort, but I have large hands, and the handle was a smidgen too short. And I didn’t like the extended tang.
The warranty said “complete satisfaction” so I called the Bark River factory in Escanaba, Michigan. Desiree, a nice lady with a Midwestern accent, answered the phone. I explained the situation, said I wasn’t completely satisfied and wondered if I could exchange or get a discount on another knife. Desiree transferred me to another line. I let it ring about eight times then hung up. Within minutes, Desiree called back and transferred me directly to Mike Stuart, company president.
I explained how I had used the knife hard, but didn’t like how the handle fit. Mike asked about my knife needs, then offered to exchange straight across for an Aurora, Bark River’s most popular Bushcraft knife with a longer handle.
Long story short, the Aurora arrived in the mail shortly after. I really like it.
There are few companies quite as polarizing as Bark River. I don’t have enough experience with them to weigh in. But it doesn’t take a great deal of google fu to find out plenty of good and bad. Good read.
Read the whole thing at SurvivalCommonSense.com
Ten tips about buying a high-end and/or custom knife online
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