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Ultra-Rare Early Bark River Knife & Tool (BRK&T) Custom Shop Steak / Table Knife – Hand-Ground A-2 High-Carbon Tool Steel – Solid One-Piece Water Buffalo Horn Handle – Single-Quillion Brass Guard – 7-3/4" Overall – Escanaba, MI
Up for sale/sale is a rare custom piece from Bark River Knife & Tool: a Custom Shop Hidden-Tang Steak / Table Slicer, handcrafted in Escanaba, Michigan. Unlike modern standard full-tang production runs, this piece represents early BRK&T custom shop work, featuring traditional hidden-tang construction and classic cutlery materials.
Measuring 7-3/4" overall with a 4-1/8" straight-back blade ground from A-2 high-carbon tool steel, this piece features a 1" extended forward choil, a single-quillion brass guard, and a solid one-piece water buffalo horn handle with an angled carver butt.
Custom Shop Highlights & Design Features:
Hidden-Tang Custom Shop Build: Crafted before modern standardized production runs, featuring a full-length hidden tang encapsulated in a single solid piece of natural horn.
A-2 High-Carbon Steel: Delivers surgical slicing capability and keen edge holding, finished with Bark River’s trademark convex bevel.
Tabletop Cutting Geometry: Features a straight spine transitioning to a continuous curved slicing belly. The generous 1" unsharpened finger choil allows the index finger to choke up forward of the brass guard for effortless tabletop leverage on thick cuts.
Solid Brass Guard: Fitted with a classic single-quillion lower guard, providing a positive stop between hand and blade.
Solid Buffalo Horn Handle: Turned and hand-shaped from a solid piece of natural dense black water buffalo horn in an oval carver profile with an angled butt.
Physical & Cosmetic Condition (Honest & Transparent):
Blade & Cutting Edge: Sharp, continuous convex edge with an intact tip. In the interest of full collector disclosure, the A-2 high-carbon steel shows honest, light culinary patina and small, infrequent oxidation spots consistent with age and use. Can easily be polished/flitzed if a bright finish is preferred, or maintained as an authentic working patina.
Guard & Fitment: The solid brass single-quillion guard is seated tight and firm against the blade shoulder, showing natural warm brass toning.
Horn Handle: The solid buffalo horn handle is structurally sound and tightly bedded with no wobble, or loose play. The handle has aged, and does show signs of natural cracking, as is due for material like Horn. This doesn't take away from the aesthetic, but confirms the vintage timeline of this rare piece.
Sleeve: This comes in a non-standard kydex sleeve for protecting the blade in transit, and then your knife drawer!
(Note: Does not include original box; will be securely sleeved and protected for transit).
A centerpiece for the dedicated Bark River collector seeking out-of-catalog custom shop rarities, or a gourmet enthusiast looking for a custom American-made table slicer.
Please inspect all high-resolution macro photos closely to evaluate the horn grain, brass guard fitment, and A-2 blade surface. Securely packed and shipped fully insured with tracking.
