Bear Forest Knives
American Outdoor Guide|February 2022
"Three power-packed blades with desert roots."
Story and photos by Reuben Bolieu
Bear Forest Knives

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.

SIMPLE

Indicative of its name, the Bear Forest Knives Simple is just that. It's 8 inches overall with a 4-inch handle and a 4-inch-long blade-simple! It's still in the prototype phase.

This story is from the February 2022 edition of American Outdoor Guide.

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This story is from the February 2022 edition of American Outdoor Guide.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.