Bark River Knives, a well-known knifemaker based in Escanaba, Michigan, has shuttered its business in the wake of revelations regarding the steel used in some of its blades. The fixed-blade knife manufacturer has now admitted to using Chinese steel in several of its models, even though the knives were labeled and marketed as CPM 154 steel and made in the USA.
Some industry insiders have previously noted quality-control issues with Bark River Knives. And a whistleblower report published back in 2006 by an alleged former employee of Bark River accuses the manufacturer of running a similar false-advertising scheme with Japanese blades made of inferior steel.
Stewart also admitted in his Facebook post on Monday that his decision to use Chinese steel was part of ongoing mismanagement on his part. He wrote, among other things, that “this closing was long overdue” and he should have done it more than two years ago. Stewart is now likely to face legal repercussions for these deceptive practices, along with additional class-action lawsuits from buyers and knife dealers.
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