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Bark River Follows Up Shinigami with Smaller Sequel

February 12, 2020

Bark River Knives is returning to Japanese style bladecraft with the Kitsune, a smaller follow-up to the Shinigami. The Kitsune is smaller, lighter, made from a different blade steel, and keyed into a different type of cutting chore.

The Shinigami, which debuted in October of last year, adapted Japanese sword stylings to more modern outdoor fixed blade purposes, with full tang construction and modern steel. Visually, the Kitsune follows suit, retaining the same sweeping profile, but in a much reduced footprint. Its blade length runs to 3.7 inches – a significant reduction compared to the 9 inch Shinigami. These proportions put the Kitsune into an entirely different category of outdoor fixed blade use, and allows it to capably handle more mundane cutting chores with ease.

In keeping with the new use bracket, the Kitsune has been outfitted with a different steel. Where the Shinigami came with CPM 3V for resilience during outdoor activity, the Kitsune instead sports CPM-154, priotizing edge retention and corrosion resistance.

An elongated handle follows the curving arc of the blade, capped beneath the blade by a brass bolster. The oblong lanyard hole is cut into the butt end of the handle, and BRK has provided a leather sheath for carry. In terms of options users will have the usual extended selection of handle materials at their disposal, and liners of a second material can optionally be added beneath the Kitsune’s scales.

The Kitsune comes at the beginning of what is already shaping up to be a busy first quarter for Bark River. While they do keep things somewhat loose in terms of release dates, BRK has already revealed the Wasp, Golok II, and the return of the Smoke Jumper, among other incoming releases.

Knife in Featured Image: Bark River Knives Kitsune

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