Fallkniven NL3, NL4, NL5?

[Rainweed]

Hi, I just joined Bladeforums and my first thread is below called "seeking advice". I've been trying to soak up some advice from the wilderness folks on this forum. I'm looking for a nice knife for wilderness living. I've been reading up on the knives recomended to me.. BRK&T, SwampRat, and Fallkniven.
So as I've been looking at all the Fallkniven knives I'm really drawn to the models NL3, NL4, and NL5. I know that the F-1 is highly recomended for bushcraft but I'm wondering if any of the other models would suffice for wilderness living.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'd appreciate all your opinions on these Fallkniven knives.

[Temper]

Welcome to the forums.

I have handled all of these (handled not used) but they are wonderfully made and you would be proud to own one. If you are not mad keen or unsure about the leather handle get a F1 with the Micarta, its a beauty.

IMHO The Thor (NL1) is a bit of a handful, but 2-5 are fine.

I cant tell you how well the leather handle will hold up though, but I suspect that once its been used a little and newness has worn off it will be OK.

[Rainweed]

Hi Temper ~ Thanks for your kind welcome!
Okay.. so how would these fair for hard wilderness use? I don't want to make a poor choice.. I sure am lacking knife knowlage!

[Vorpal Blade]

Hi Rainweed:
The Fallkniven NL3,4&5 have stacked leather washer handles; A time honored, good looking and practical way of building a knife. Many like them but others are drawn to synthetic handles for superior performance; I among them.I like the rubber style handles because they are durable and long lasting and provide a good grip, wet or dry. Rubber handles tend to feel more comfortable in the cold. Micarta, G10, or glass-filled nylon handles can also be grippy if not highly polished and/or textured. They may be the most durable.

Leather handles may dry out after long use whereas the commonly used sythetics presumably have a longer life. In the end it is up to you. If you like the look of the leather handles, you will not be wasting money by buying from a reputable company like Fallkniven.

Another thing to consider is "stainless" Vs. non-stainless steel. Fallkniven uses a stainless sandwich which is tougher than homogeneous stainless because of the hard/soft combo. But, in general, stainless is more brittle than non stainless and will not stand up as well to chopping/batonning as non stainless will. In my experience, stainless takes and holds an edge just as well but is not as tough for impacts. Of course stainless requires less maintenance than non. For large knives, I prefer non stainless but for small knives which will see little impact, I feel stainless steel is superior. In the end, it is a personal decision.

[Rainweed]

Great info Edgy! Thanks.
I much prefer natural or organic materials. I'm making a skirt out of buckskin right now!
Do you have any opinion on which one of these 3 would be better "all around" for outdoor stuff?

[bulgron]

Rainweed,

It occurs to me that you might be more comfortable buying something that you've had a chance to handle. You might, therefore, try to catch one of the knife shows that appear from time to time. I've never been to these, so I can't say for certain that they'll work for you, but it might be better than "buying blind" over the internet.

I believe you mentioned in the other thread that you intend to be traveling. Is it possible to amend your travels so that they intersect with a city that has an on-going knife show? I don't know where or when these show up (maybe someone in the forums knows) but if you could get to one before buying a knife it might help you avoid getting the wrong thing.

[Temper]

Rainweed,

Codger has summed it up nicely. Fallkniven has a wonderful reputation and the NL modles are extrememly well made. I can't in all honesty think that you would be dissapointed.

The owner of Fallkniven is a man driven by perfromance, I find it hard to beleive that he has not tested/had tested these knives in tough conditions.

Either way, any Fallkniven you get is money well spent.

[Rainweed]

Thanks you guys. This is really giving me confidence to make a good choice.

[ras]

Of the Fallkniven NL3, NL4 and NL5, I'd go with the NL5 first because I'm finding the smaller blades to be more useful for all around use. A small knife has trouble doing big knife work, but there are more small jobs than big jobs. Big blades look better when you start playing the "one knife" issue and forget that axes have a role to play in chopping. I like 4" blades so I'd start with the NL5. YMMV. I carry more than one knife.

That said, there are lots of good knives out there and you will not pick the perfect knife -- it doesn't exist. Each knife has pro's and con's. You got good advice in the other thread, I particularly like that someone besides me recommended the BRKT North Star; it isn't perfect, but it was designed with Bushcraft in mind. However, the Fallkniven VG-10 sandwiched with 420J2 looks interesting. I wonder how tough that laminate is compared to A2. I wonder how well VG-10 holds an edge compared to A2. Stainless laminate vs carbon tool steel??? Anyone? Bueller?

[mete]

I don't have A2 to compare but I've been very pleased with my new Fallkniven S-1.Holds an edge very well and easy to sharpen.

[Vorpal Blade]

Rainweed:
Advice is more widespread than pollution so use a few grains of salt if necessary.

You may have to give up the dream of making your first knife your forever knife. I guess you will be practising wilderness skills in a variety of environments when you start travelling. You will also be in the company of those who use many different types of knives and you will get using experience yourself. It would actually be strange if your tastes didn't change, at least a little. It is hard to think the same on Wednesday as you did on Monday if TSHTF on Tuesday.

So my advice would be: Get a knife you like now, not too expensive. Something with a four to six inch blade with a handle of natural materials. Keep the idea of the 'perfect knife for life' in reserve for when you are better equipped to make that decision. I know you must be hot to trot but most of us here on Bladeforums have gone through many knives and our tastes and ideas have evolved with experience. Read knife magazines and books and keep watching the forums. In the meantime enjoy the knife you have selected until you get more personal experience.

[Rainweed]

EdgyCodger ~ I can't deny the truth in your words. I really appreciate your honesty and kindness. I don't have any family or friends(yet) who are wilderness or knife lovers so I'm really greatful for people like you!
I think your advice is right on. I read too much.. with the state of the world it's hard sometimes to not be anxious about doing things right or being prepared. At least there are some lightly polluted wild places hidden away for me to run to. Thats what gives me peace.
Thanks so much EdgyCodger

[muzzleup]

Rainweed,
I have an NL3 as well as about 12 other models of Fallkniven. I think the NL3 would do you very well, however, for camp duty you don't really need a double guard. I can't tell you how impressed I am with my F1GM with the micarta handles....that one would be my ultimate suggestion for an all around survival/camping knife.
I like all of the knives from Fallkniven...as an after thought, which ever one you get be sure and also get a U2 to fit in your watch pocket. That's one sharp and handly little knife and the edge is Rc 64 so you won't be haveing to do much sharpening on it.

Ciao
Ron

[Big Bird]

I have an NL5 and it is a really nicely made knife. The 2 outer slabs of 420J2 are not exactly the same thickness and the sheath is a not great but otherwise the knife is very good. The handle is a bit smooth at first but a good shape. One thing that has not been discussed is blade profile and the NL5 (and I think the other Fallknivens) are all convex. This is not the easiest profile for starting out.

[Rainweed]

Thanks Muzzleup and Big Bird.. I really love to hear personal experience.
Yea, I've heard the talk about the convex issue. Even though I don't know what I'm talking about.. I have to say I'm really artistic and crafty and I love a challange. I'll just have a talk with the knife and it will tell me what to do.

[Vorpal Blade]

Rainweed:
A flat ground blade is shaped like a wedge from edge to spine (except for the short sharpening bevel near the edge). Look at a kitchen knife and it will usually be flat ground. Swiss Army Knives all have flat ground knife blades.
When a bar of steel is flat ground to sculpt a blade, the backing for the abrasive is flat. Proponents of flat ground blades often say they slice better because of the gradual and steady increase in resistance as the blade goes through. Many say a hollow ground blade does not slice as well because of the sudden increase in resistance as the spine of the blade passes through the material.

A hollow ground blade is convex between the spine (opposite the edge) and the edge bevel which is relatively thin. Most of the hollow is up near the spine. A hollow grind can be achieve using a large diameter abrasive wheel. Proponents of the hollow grind say it lightens the blade without weakening it because the spine can still be thick and strong but the cutting part of the blade is thin. They might opine that flat ground blades are unecessarily heavy. They might see a flat ground blade as too thick near the edge where most cutting occurs.

Both arguments have merit and IMO both flat and hollow ground blades are effective, more or less, depending on the type of cutting done. It has been debated to a fare-thee-well .

[DrIndianaJones]

Rainweed,
I have an NL3 as well as about 12 other models of Fallkniven. I think the NL3 would do you very well, however, for camp duty you don't really need a double guard. I can't tell you how impressed I am with my F1GM with the micarta handles....that one would be my ultimate suggestion for an all around survival/camping knife.
I like all of the knives from Fallkniven...as an after thought, which ever one you get be sure and also get a U2 to fit in your watch pocket. That's one sharp and handly little knife and the edge is Rc 64 so you won't be haveing to do much sharpening on it.

Ciao
Ron

I found this post very interesting indeed! I have been considering the Fallkniven NL4, NL3 or an F1 in 3G as my ultimate belt/ sheath knife/ survival knife and would like to request some help from knowledgeable forum members in choosing.

I believe the blade length of the NL3 at 5.1 inches to be very practical for most tasks, but the NL3 has a double guard which I really like and is said to have a stronger blade. Note I love both Fallkniven's leather handles and the synthetic cremoneum.

May I ask you, what is you're/ others opinion on the aluminium butt-cap or pommel on the Northern Lights series of Fallkniven knives? I understand these NL knives come under the category of exclusive knives and not survival knives, but do you know how durable/ fragile this pommel is?

Secondly, how do others rate NL4 as a survival knife given the fact that the NL4 does not have a full hand guard, like the NL3. Is this a concern, as I noticed the Fallkniven A1 Survival knife does not have a double guard yet the bottom lip of the guard/thermoneum handle seems more pronounced than other models?

Lastly, Fallkniven highly praises the NL3 as one of their best all round knifes, saying it has a 'powerful blade' and described the NL4 as having a 'relatively powerful' blade, but maybe this is because the NL3 is so expensive! I am of the belief that traditionally anything with a blade length of 6 inches (NL3) or more is considered to be a seriously capable knife. While I like the NL4 due to its compact size, I have concerns about the guard and strength of the blade. My as priorities in choosing the ultimate belt/ sheath knife include practicality, compactness as well as strength. Given this I would like to know how you/ others rate the NL4 in this regard?

I am giving serious consideration to purchasing an NL3/ NL4/ or F1 3G, but am gaving trouble due to a lack of the above considerations. Any help from forum members would be greatly appreciated.

[Hawkings]

6 year old necro tread aside. Here is a video that shows X-ray of, among others, an Idun and F1 and W1, the tang junction on the northern light series is......... not as well made as the normal fallkniven linen.

[LCO213]

I recently had some email correspondence with Fallkniven regarding their NL knives, and the tang geometry. They even sent me a picture of the tang, which was very thick. Anyway, in regards to your question about the pommel....The owner of Fallkniven emailed me and told me that they have NEVER had any of the NL knives sent back to them in pieces. In other words, the NL knives are very durable, and reliable.

The NL4 is very close to the S1. I have the S1, and find it to be a very capable and useful sized knife. I personally prefer the NL3 over the NL4 though, because of the blade length and width. The NL3 has more mass than the NL4 so it will naturally be a better chopper.

I know the F1 is strongly recommended by a lot of very knowledgeable wilderness people, and the 3G steel for that sized knife is about the best knife steel there is.

Good luck.

[Jim Craig]

If you're buying a tool to beat tripe out of in the woods, I would suggest something less elegant. If you want a knife for cutting wood shavings, twine and flesh, splitting some kindling, and general kitchen duty, as a knife such as the NL series is intended, it's a beautiful option - any of them. I prefer the one with the single guard myself. The leather is going to last. There are so many 70 year old knives with darkened leather handles floating around, the proof is abundant.

Also keep in mind, while a truly fine knife, the NL series cost more than many custom knives.

Whichever way you go, I doubt you'll be disappointed...