Bark River Knife and Tool: KSF Machete
By Kevin Estela
Recently, Bark River Knife and Tool sent me one of their modified Ontario Model 1-18 machetes, the knivesshipfree machete, for testing. Having handled many knives in my lifetime, there are only a few that I have been this eager to try out. When I returned home recently, I found it waiting on my doorstep and at the next available free afternoon, I was off to do some field testing.
Immediately upon examination of the KSF Machete, one notices the subtle differences between the standard 1-18 and the customized version. First and foremost is the beautiful high polished finish of the blade and no black coating present. Coatings will prevent maximum cutting potential and therefore had to be left off the BRKT machete. Secondly is the custom palm swelled handle. Beautifully contoured, it fills the hand without being too bulky and is reminiscent of a bushcrafter blade. Also new is the slight drop point of the BRKT KSF Machete. While not offering much to the user other than a slight decrease in weight for greater swinging speed, it gives the machete a unique look.
A regular swing of the KSF machete results in deep penetration into wood.
Note the depth the blade sinks to. The full-height convex grind makes for excellent chopping ability.
The BRKT KSF Machete has a unique feel to it. Unlike the standard 1-18, the KSF Machete has a shortened blade but lengthened cutting edge where the unsharpened choil usually is. This packs extra cutting ability into a shorter blade. (A WORD OF WARNING! Having used machetes for some time now, I recommend a regular user of machetes take time to use the machete without choking up on the grip. Either that or wear gloves when using it. An accidental touch along the convex edge will surely draw blood.) Longer than the 12” model and shorter than the 18” model, the BRKT Machete reaps the benefits of both.
I am never going to perform a test on a knife that isn’t realistic. You’ll never see me in a basement with a mask over my face in “controlled conditions.” I believe in true dirt time testing and this KSF Machete, as it has been called, was up for the task. I figured a day out in the woods clearing the landing to one of my favorite private and hidden canoeing areas would be an appropriate test. No shortage of green vegetation exists here and some rather annoying briars and blackberry bushes needed clearing. I figured I would clear it out now before I stepped on it with a sandaled foot later.
After a half hour of chopping and wiping clean of the blade with water, the KSF Machete was still shaving sharp at the end of the day. There were only a few spots of surface rust but this was easily removed with 0000 steel wool. My other machetes from Ontario that are also 1095 carbon steel suffer from occasional rusting but this is not a concern of mine. A machete is a working tool, it isn’t a showy or flashy knife. My machetes have character and I’m willing to use them. In some countries, like my father’s Philippines homeland, machetes are carried throughout childhood working in the field. They’re trusted and used hard. Rust is common but easily removed and not really an issue in my eyes.
