- Joined
- Oct 7, 2009
- Messages
- 63
The legendary Fällkniven F1 shouldn't be an unheard-of piece of steel for most knife-fanatics. This knife was developed in 1995 for the Swedish Air Force as a survival and utility knife for the pilots, and I see why it was chosen(which I will discuss later on). Fällkniven is a very well known knife manufacturer from Sweden. They're known for making very strong, durable and functional knives. They're pretty much the opposite of MalNinja-knives. Pretty much as a Volvo, simple, but functional and strong.
I have quite a lot of experience with this knife(I have owned a second one which I used in the military) and this review will be very much my own opinion about it, its pros and cons etc. This is not my first knife and I handle knives every day. Sorry for my bad camera, but bear with me!
The Fällkniven F1 is a medium to small survival, utility, bushcraft and military knife. It is an excellent all-rounder which will do great in most tasks, at least for its size. The knife's specs are(taken directly from Fällknivens website):
Total length:210 mm (8.3")
Blade length: 97 mm (3.8")
Blade thickness: 4.5 mm (0.18"), tapered
Tang: Broad, protruding tang
Weight (knife): 150 g (6oz)
Steel: Lam. VG10
Blade hardness: 59 HRC
Handle: Thermorun
Sheath: All-covering leather or zytel sheath
Made in Japan(a very good thing, earlier versions with the ATS-34 I believe was made in Solingen, Germany)
The knife I have is the uncoated version with zytel sheath. It does also exist in a full-tang micarta version and you can also buy a blank blade
and make your own handle for it.
As I mentioned before, this was designed as a pilot's survival knife. This also reflects in the knife's size and compact form. Of all the knives I have owned, this is probably the smallest one that stays comfortable even during heavy use. A lot of people love this knife not only because of its performance, but also its simplistic appearence. It is in my opinion everything a knife should be and nothing that a knife shouldn't be(hope I got that right, lol). You can really say that this is a Mora knife with a thicker and broader blade, convexed grind and full tang construction.
Let's talk about the blade. The blade is laminated VG-10. They layer 420 J2(I believe) on a thin slab of VG-10 for increased bend and rigidity strength. I believe that Fällkniven has a statistic over a test where they bent all of their blades to failure on a tensile machine. The blade is a convex grind, allthough Fällkniven makes a microscopic secondary bevel like a sabre grind, but you will have to look very closely to see it. The F1 is also offered in 3G steel.
I'm no bushcrafter. I have used it mostly for military and general outdoor use like batoning tent stakes, cutting rope, carving, prepping food etc. All I can say is that this knife cuts like a chainsaw and it really holds an edge like crazy. I've heard that this knife is also an excellent bushcrafting knife and I see why, but it may be a bit thick for some of the more delicate carving jobs. The blade sharpens up very easily when done correctly(as most of you know, convex grinded blades need a bit different approach). Fällkniven also offers the F1 in a black CeraCoated version. This was the version I had before and I can say that it wears off quite easily, do not expect a coating of ESEE's or TOPS' caliber. At least Fällkniven offers it for people who either want a none glare version or a more tactical look(keep in mind that the coated version is a bit more expensive). The reason to really choose this over carbon steel is its incredible rust and corrosion resistant properties. I live in a humid area by the coast in Norway and I know how fast carbon blades can rust in this climate. You may say that it is only some drops of oil, but believe me, if you use your knives hard, things can happen.
Allthough the lam. VG-10 has incredible edge retention, strenght, ease of sharpening and corrosion resistance it has one major con which must be taken to consideration. Because of its incredibly tough hardness, it can chip out very easily if you hit dirt or small "stones". I'm not talking about losing huge chuncks of the blade, but have in mind that you should be careful not to hit the ground while batoning or hitting any hard materials like metal etc.
On to the handle. The handle is offered in both micarta and thermorun. The thermorun is by far the most common so I can only speak for that.
Thermorun is pretty much a much harder, less tackier and more element resistant version of Kraton. I personally find the handle very confortable.
It provides adequate grip even when wet and it totally encapsulates the tang which is thick, full and protrudes at the back and can be used as a hammer, glass-breaker or a LTL-device for tactical situations.
I have medium sized hands and the handle fits my hand quite nicely. I will point out that this handle is not designed for knifefighting, self-defense because I will consider it a "unsafe" handle for that task because the lack of jimping and adequate handle guards. It might work for some people, but I would not choose this knife for that task. This knife is not designed for fending off bad guys.
The handle will eventually begin to wear, but I'm pretty sure it will last a lifetime unless you live in the forest. But I do wish that they offered the handle in a zytel or FRN version because of strength and wear resistance. Make sure when you baton that you don't hit the handle too much as it may crack on its thin topside(can be fixed with heat, but that's not pretty, is it?). One last thing is the rather strange location of the lanyard hole. It should be further back and I don't understand why it is placed where it is.
The zytelsheath is excellent. The F1 is also offered with a leathersheath for you leatherlovers out there. The sheath is as basic as it gets. It has a drainhole at the bottom and two eyelet-holes for lashing to a west, jacket, bag etc. The retention is not very good, so I would not consider this knife to be a good upside-down carry option. The beltloop and retention snap are made of high quality nylon and is riveted instead of stitched. This ensures more durability during tough use. I also like the fact that the retention snap is quite longer past the button than what is common. This makes it very easy to open under any given situation. Because of the sheath's size, you can store it almost anywhere without taking up space. Definately a nice feature to have. The only cons I will give the sheath is its knife-holding retention(with the handlesnap opened of course), not instantly MOLLE compatible(a MOLLE backing like the ones ESEE makes would be nice) and bit narrow beltloop that might not accomodate certain large pistolbelts.
All in all I would strongly recommend this knife for everyone who's looking for an excellent "function over looks" knife. This will serve you well in most situations where a knife is used. If you take in consideration what I've pointed out, this may very well be you're favourite knife in your collection. This knife is very pricey, but certainly worth every penny because its fit and finish is flawless. You can easily see that this is a Scandinavian styled knife.
Alternative options would after my experience be the Ontario RAT-3/ESEE RC-3, SOG Field Pup/SEAL Pup Elite/ and a lot of Bark River's offerings.
In case you wondered, the SOG SEAL Pup Elite is still my all-time favourite blade. I have owned a lot of US-made blades, but this Taiwanese-made beast has never failed me. And the last thing I know a lot of foreigners wonder about, is how you pronounce "Fällkniven".
In Norwegian, for my part at least, it is: Fäll(llike the word "Hell", the "ä" like "ae") and kniven (with K as in for example "Kiss", the "niven" is pronounced [knee-ven]. So it would be [Faell-elk-knee-ven]. This means "The folding knife" in English. It would be "Foldekniven" in Norwegian.
Have a nice day!
I have quite a lot of experience with this knife(I have owned a second one which I used in the military) and this review will be very much my own opinion about it, its pros and cons etc. This is not my first knife and I handle knives every day. Sorry for my bad camera, but bear with me!
The Fällkniven F1 is a medium to small survival, utility, bushcraft and military knife. It is an excellent all-rounder which will do great in most tasks, at least for its size. The knife's specs are(taken directly from Fällknivens website):
Total length:210 mm (8.3")
Blade length: 97 mm (3.8")
Blade thickness: 4.5 mm (0.18"), tapered
Tang: Broad, protruding tang
Weight (knife): 150 g (6oz)
Steel: Lam. VG10
Blade hardness: 59 HRC
Handle: Thermorun
Sheath: All-covering leather or zytel sheath
Made in Japan(a very good thing, earlier versions with the ATS-34 I believe was made in Solingen, Germany)
The knife I have is the uncoated version with zytel sheath. It does also exist in a full-tang micarta version and you can also buy a blank blade
and make your own handle for it.
As I mentioned before, this was designed as a pilot's survival knife. This also reflects in the knife's size and compact form. Of all the knives I have owned, this is probably the smallest one that stays comfortable even during heavy use. A lot of people love this knife not only because of its performance, but also its simplistic appearence. It is in my opinion everything a knife should be and nothing that a knife shouldn't be(hope I got that right, lol). You can really say that this is a Mora knife with a thicker and broader blade, convexed grind and full tang construction.
Let's talk about the blade. The blade is laminated VG-10. They layer 420 J2(I believe) on a thin slab of VG-10 for increased bend and rigidity strength. I believe that Fällkniven has a statistic over a test where they bent all of their blades to failure on a tensile machine. The blade is a convex grind, allthough Fällkniven makes a microscopic secondary bevel like a sabre grind, but you will have to look very closely to see it. The F1 is also offered in 3G steel.
I'm no bushcrafter. I have used it mostly for military and general outdoor use like batoning tent stakes, cutting rope, carving, prepping food etc. All I can say is that this knife cuts like a chainsaw and it really holds an edge like crazy. I've heard that this knife is also an excellent bushcrafting knife and I see why, but it may be a bit thick for some of the more delicate carving jobs. The blade sharpens up very easily when done correctly(as most of you know, convex grinded blades need a bit different approach). Fällkniven also offers the F1 in a black CeraCoated version. This was the version I had before and I can say that it wears off quite easily, do not expect a coating of ESEE's or TOPS' caliber. At least Fällkniven offers it for people who either want a none glare version or a more tactical look(keep in mind that the coated version is a bit more expensive). The reason to really choose this over carbon steel is its incredible rust and corrosion resistant properties. I live in a humid area by the coast in Norway and I know how fast carbon blades can rust in this climate. You may say that it is only some drops of oil, but believe me, if you use your knives hard, things can happen.
Allthough the lam. VG-10 has incredible edge retention, strenght, ease of sharpening and corrosion resistance it has one major con which must be taken to consideration. Because of its incredibly tough hardness, it can chip out very easily if you hit dirt or small "stones". I'm not talking about losing huge chuncks of the blade, but have in mind that you should be careful not to hit the ground while batoning or hitting any hard materials like metal etc.
On to the handle. The handle is offered in both micarta and thermorun. The thermorun is by far the most common so I can only speak for that.
Thermorun is pretty much a much harder, less tackier and more element resistant version of Kraton. I personally find the handle very confortable.
It provides adequate grip even when wet and it totally encapsulates the tang which is thick, full and protrudes at the back and can be used as a hammer, glass-breaker or a LTL-device for tactical situations.
I have medium sized hands and the handle fits my hand quite nicely. I will point out that this handle is not designed for knifefighting, self-defense because I will consider it a "unsafe" handle for that task because the lack of jimping and adequate handle guards. It might work for some people, but I would not choose this knife for that task. This knife is not designed for fending off bad guys.
The handle will eventually begin to wear, but I'm pretty sure it will last a lifetime unless you live in the forest. But I do wish that they offered the handle in a zytel or FRN version because of strength and wear resistance. Make sure when you baton that you don't hit the handle too much as it may crack on its thin topside(can be fixed with heat, but that's not pretty, is it?). One last thing is the rather strange location of the lanyard hole. It should be further back and I don't understand why it is placed where it is.
The zytelsheath is excellent. The F1 is also offered with a leathersheath for you leatherlovers out there. The sheath is as basic as it gets. It has a drainhole at the bottom and two eyelet-holes for lashing to a west, jacket, bag etc. The retention is not very good, so I would not consider this knife to be a good upside-down carry option. The beltloop and retention snap are made of high quality nylon and is riveted instead of stitched. This ensures more durability during tough use. I also like the fact that the retention snap is quite longer past the button than what is common. This makes it very easy to open under any given situation. Because of the sheath's size, you can store it almost anywhere without taking up space. Definately a nice feature to have. The only cons I will give the sheath is its knife-holding retention(with the handlesnap opened of course), not instantly MOLLE compatible(a MOLLE backing like the ones ESEE makes would be nice) and bit narrow beltloop that might not accomodate certain large pistolbelts.
All in all I would strongly recommend this knife for everyone who's looking for an excellent "function over looks" knife. This will serve you well in most situations where a knife is used. If you take in consideration what I've pointed out, this may very well be you're favourite knife in your collection. This knife is very pricey, but certainly worth every penny because its fit and finish is flawless. You can easily see that this is a Scandinavian styled knife.
Alternative options would after my experience be the Ontario RAT-3/ESEE RC-3, SOG Field Pup/SEAL Pup Elite/ and a lot of Bark River's offerings.
In case you wondered, the SOG SEAL Pup Elite is still my all-time favourite blade. I have owned a lot of US-made blades, but this Taiwanese-made beast has never failed me. And the last thing I know a lot of foreigners wonder about, is how you pronounce "Fällkniven".
In Norwegian, for my part at least, it is: Fäll(llike the word "Hell", the "ä" like "ae") and kniven (with K as in for example "Kiss", the "niven" is pronounced [knee-ven]. So it would be [Faell-elk-knee-ven]. This means "The folding knife" in English. It would be "Foldekniven" in Norwegian.
Have a nice day!
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