Poetry in Steel: Bark River's Camp & Trail

The other day, we were listening to a radio interview with one of our favorite celebrities as he traced the strange and circuitous path that led to his current fame. (We're not going to name him, but we will say that this fellow has had more than his share of dirty jobs.)

As part of his explanation, he used a phrase that really stuck with us: "way leads on to way."

Many of you probably recognize these words -- they're borrowed from "The Road Not Taken" by American poet Robert Frost. In this context, it means that each life experience takes us to the next. Each builds on those that came before. And, if we're doing it right, we get better every day.

It's a useful way to look at life, really, both in hindsight and in the present moment.

The new Camp & Trail from Bark River Knives is, to us, a great example of "way leads on to way." Its heritage, clearly, is the venerable Gameskeeper, a hell-for-stout hunter that's given birth to many of Bark River's most popular knives. The Camp & Trail builds on the best of the Gameskeeper and, in some respects, improves on a classic.

The two knives share the same handle, a versatile and comfortable profile proven on countless Gameskeepers. The Camp & Trail's drop-point blade is about 12% thinner and a half-inch longer. Because it doesn't have the Ganeskeeper's extended ricasso or large choil, its effective cutting edge is significantly longer.

Beyond that, the new knife is what you'd expect -- full tang, convex grind, A-2 tool steel, dozens of handle materials, great sheath, lifetime warranty. After all, it is a Barkie.

Although a rundown of the Camp & Trail's features and specs may be interesting, it doesn't tell the whole story. This is a knife that really starts talking when it's picked up and put to work.

Mike Stewart, the head man at Bark River, has been known to refer to a particular knife as being "fast in the hand." Translated, it means that a knife is particularly nimble and well-balanced, especially for its size.

The new Camp & Trail -- perhaps more than any other Bark River knife we've ever handled -- deserves the compliment. And that's really saying something.

Heft the Camp & Trail and it almost disappears in-hand. Let it rest and it balances perfectly on the first finger, right behind the guard. It handles like a laser -- any grip, any angle, any task.

This is a knife that just makes us smile.

Bark River has described the Gameskeeper as "a heavy hunter specifically designed for large game dressing and quartering," while the Camp & Trail is cast as "a general-purpose knife for camp chores, lighter and easier to carry for all-around use as a belt knife." Ultimately,

both Barkies can fulfill either role -- that is, the Gameskeeper can be a great camp knife, and the Camp & Trail can be a capable hunter -- but honestly, the new kid on the block will be the better choice for most of us, most of the time.

The reason is simple: The Camp & Trail is a general-purpose knife, and (let's face it) we're general-purpose people. Think about it -- how do you use your go-to knife in the woods?

You cut walking staffs, build shelters, make fuzz sticks, process kindling, chop onions, dice bacon, cut paracord. Seriously, when was the last time you quartered an elk?

Mind you, the Camp & Trail is not a compromise -- far from it. When you choose this knife, you're not "settling." In fact, the Camp & Trail may just be a perfect all-around fixed-blade knife.

Wait... did we just say the p-word? Haven't we told you over and over that there's no such thing as The Perfect Knife?

Look again -- we said that the Camp & Trail is a perfect knife. It truly is that good, a spectacular blade.

We've heard the Bark River Camp & Trail referred to as "a better Gameskeeper," and we'd be hard-pressed to dispute that. That's because, as hard as it is to admit it, most days this knife is just...well...perfect.