Making the Bark River UP EDC an even better Every Day Carry knife

Some outdoor gear, by long association, becomes a connection to the past. That is the case of  this most recent knife project by Kendall Carpenter.

by Leon Pantenburg

I had seen the big whitetail buck several times during the season, but never got a clear shot. That’s one reason I enjoy looking for shed antlers after the season is over – it gives me an idea of which bucks are still around. It also is a convenient excuse – as if I needed one – to ramble in the woods.

The shed was found in Warren County, Mississippi about five years ago at the intersection of a ridge road. It was within a few yards of the spot where I killed my first deer in 1981. The site was also about 80 yards from where my first cousin, Marion Fitzgerald, killed his first buck in 2021. Over the years, I’ve killed ten deer off a nearby stand. There is a lot of nostalgia in that area!

That tied in with a knife re-handle project I had in mind. I love the Bark River UP knife series, and use the UP Bravo and UP Gunny a lot. But the smallest knife in the series, the UP EDC didn’t work for me. The handle was barely long enough for my hand, and it was too slender for me grasp securely.

This custom Kendall Carpenter knife was made to my specifications. It features thin CPM-3V steel and a thick maple burl handle.

Fast forward. Kendall Carpenter is a friend and skilled knife maker, and we were sharing a booth at the 2022 North East Georgia Bushcraft Conference. He made me a custom knife in 2020, which rode in my daypack throughout a summer of hiking in the Southwest and in Central Oregon. He also rehandled  my Bark River UP Bravo and UP Gunny as part of a handle project I’d been working on.

I had brought along my UP EDC and that shed antler to the conference and we discussed how to modify the EDC handle to fit my hand.  The UP EDC Canadian blade is excellent and the handle is fine from most people. But I wanted a longer, thicker custom handle made from the shed antler. (FYI: The average American man has fingers that measure about 3.5 inches long. Mine are 4-inches long. So, I need a thicker, longer handle than the standard.) Here is how to find the best fitting handle for you. Kendall went to work.

Kendall Carpenter re-handled the Bark River UP Bravos (top) and UP Gunnys with antler from an Oregon elk I killed on Nov. 11, 2015.

Here are the re-handled UP EDC specs:

Here is how the knife is working out so far.

Grind: All Bark River Knives are convex ground. IMHO, convex is best for my cutlery needs.

Steel: A2 is one of my favorite knife steels. It holds an edge, is easy to sharpen, and does everything I need a knife steel to do.

Sheath: Kendall made a custom leather sheath for the re-handled EDC that rides high and is very comfortable to carry. Sheath design is paramount in an EDC knife.

Blade length: My UP Bravo has a blade that is 4.66 inches long. I prefer a blade between four and five inches long for gutting, skinning and quartering a whitetail. At 3.4 inches, the EDC is much more nimble while working inside the carcass. It is also a good length for skinning around the neck and shoulders.

Blade thickness: Thin blades work better. At .115 inches, the EDC blade is a superb slicer. With A2 steel, there is little danger of breaking a blade, unless there is some deliberate abuse involved.

Handle: Incredible. It should be – it was made for my hand. Here is how to figure out the best handle grip for you.

Do you need a custom knife handle on your EDC?

Maybe not. That’s a personal choice, and there are some really skilled knife makers that can customize a favorite knife to your specifications.

I know the differences between needs and wants.  And I wanted this particular knife that used that particular antler. Every time I use the EDC, I may remember seeing a majestic buck disappear into the bush from the ridgeline. Or recall my cousin’s elation at killing his first buck along that road. Or remember the decades of hunting one particular area, and all the memories associated with it.

Anyway, as best as I can tell, that monster buck is still out there in the swamp, and I will hunt that area in the fall. I may try to harvest him in November. Or I might not. We’ll see how that plays out in November.

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