CABSLE, Bravo 1, and S1

CapitalizedLiving

CapitalizedLiving

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Dec 1, 2007
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This thread picks up where this other one left off...

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/898962-CABS-and-Bark-River

I don't have a lot of time to put this together so I'll let the pics do most of the talking. But by way of introduction, I have three survival knives - a Busse CABSLE, a Bark River Bravo 1, and a Fallkniven S1. By "survival knife" I mean "get me home alive or at least keep me alive until I can be found/rescued" knife. These are pretty much the only knives I carry outside of urban environments. I do have an axe as well, so there's that.

Here's a pic of all three.

all.jpg
 
Now for the Fallkniven S1 and the CABSLE. I included sheath pics - the S1 sheath was made by Martin Swinkels and the CABS sheath by Al Welke. I like Al's better (less rubbing against the blade) but I do like the bottom drain hole on Martin's sheath.

bf1.jpgbf2.jpgbf3.jpgbf4.jpg
 
Very nice, I love the pics! You have good taste.

Which do you like the most? Which handle and which blade do you prefer? Can you tell a difference in the steels?
 
Thank you drbarnes! Comparisons are difficult, because these are very different knives. But I'll give it a shot anyhow...

I don't like the swedge on the S1. I prefer distal tapering as I feel it gives the tip greater strength, so blade steels aside I think the CABS blade profile makes for a stronger tip than the S1. The Bravo tip is definitely stronger, geometrically speaking, but isn't as well suited for finer tasks as the other two. The CABS tip is the best of both worlds.

I love the thickness of the Bravo handles and the micarta-covered guard area, which provides greater security than the CABS. The bare-metal rounded guard which is so common on Busse models doesn't provide much in the way of protection. However, the thinness of the CABS handles plus the uncovered guard allow me to pinch this area and gain a greater amount of versatility in handling than the Bravo. Of the three, the S1 offers the best combination between protection and versatility. I also think the S1 is much more "winter survivalist" than the other two, as I know of situations in which an exposed tang is not the most pleasant thing to hold onto.

I put the sharp spine edges to use in the field, so the rounded spine and butt on the CABS will take some getting used to, despite how nice it feels in the hand. I carry a couple pieces of broken hacksaw blade with me, and try to use them more often than I use my blade spines, so I'm not sure I'll have a problem here.

So, tip strength goes to the Bravo and handle versatility-to-protection ratio is more balanced on the S1. Overall versatility of use will probably go to the CABS due to its thinner blade and steeper drop point, but that has yet to be seen.

I also need to do some field work with the CABS to get a better understanding of the difference between its flat-to-convex edge and the full convex edges on the other two.

That's pretty much all I have for now...
 
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Huh, I always thought the Bark River was longer than that. Guess not. Thanks for the comparison.
 
Any updates on your comparision. I have a CABS and am considering the Bravo 1. How easy is the A2 steel to sharpen. I am sharpening challenged.
 
Updates...

I really like the flat-to-convex grind on the CABS. It's SHARP and easy to keep that way. However I still think I prefer full convex. Regardless of preference, it doesn't create a lot of drag, like v-ground blades do, so it's most certainly a good grind for field use and maintenance.

As for the Bravo? Get one. It's very easy to sharpen with leather strops, sandpaper, and smooth stones (I'm still learning how to do the latter). I advocate starting by following the advice presented in Bark River's tutorial (google "Bark River Collectors Association Convex Guide"). Get high grit sandpaper (I use 600, 1000 and 2000), which can be found at auto parts stores. For regular maintenance I use a Jemico adjustable tension strop with black and green compound. In the field I use a piece of wood with leather glued to both sides (pre-loaded with compound) and just wrap a piece of sandpaper around it when I need to fix a ding or roll.

In summary, full convex grinds are the easiest to sharpen in my opinion and I once felt sharpening challenged until I sold all my v-ground field knives and ended up with the three presented here. The CABS is a bit different but since it has no shoulder (it transitions seamlessly from flat to convex), it is easy to adapt to.
 
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I sure like my CABS.

Got a chance to use mine tonight, showing some scouts how to build a fire, make feather sticks, and batton wood (they used the SarQ for that).
 
I'd also recommend the BRK Gunny. I was just on a trip and used the CABS to prepare prickly pears for eating. I thought it worked well but I'm going to be adding a Gunny to my stash as I think the thinner stock will come in useful. I might bend and get a HOG MUK instead but at the prices they run I doubt I'll find the courage to do so. And of course the Gunny ergos are spot on while the MUK is, uh... We shall see.
 
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