Bear Forest Knives

"Three power-packed blades with desert roots."

- Story and photos by Reuben Bolieu

Garrett Tremblay, founder and creator of Bear Forest Knives (BFK), poses the question, Is there any greater feeling than finding self-reliance and solitude among the mountains and valleys?

BFK

Bear Forest Knives is based in Palm Desert, California. Working with metal as a fabricator, Tremblay is no stranger to hard work. He's made tools for himself and friends to use on camping and hunting trips, which became his passion. Eventually, he became a full-time knifemaker. Good, honest handcrafted knives made in America are what you get with BFK. He uses a variety of high-carbon steels such as 80CrV2, 1095 and 52100.

I love these steels because of their strength and durability in real-world applications and the ease of re-sharpening, Tremblay said.

I've been fortunate to use several different Bear Forest Knives models, both prototypes and one-offs, for over a year. However, these three gems are from the company's production lineup. Although there are standard features and colors, everything can still be tweaked with a little communication with the folks at BFK.

Tremblay sent me two prototypes for his new rustic, puukko-looking knife with a 4-inch blade. Two thicknesses are offered: 1/8 and 3/32 inch. I also received the Sierra Trekker, a stout, 3/16-inch-thick knife with a nearly 5-inch blade. Going bigger, the Mini-Bolo is nearly 6 inches long and is based on a Filipino-shaped bolo knife.