cant decide!!!!

H

hikerfam

Joined
Sep 2, 2010
Messages
9
Falkniven F1 or the ESEE/RAT rc6, I like the rc6 a lot more, but it just seems like it would be more maintenance due to the high carbon content therefore alot of rust, and why would anyone want a knife that requires so much to keep clean for a survival knife. I do like the F1 but I'm not a fan of stainless steel due to it being so soft and not as strong, and I cant strike a spark AS good as I can with high carbon steel. If I go with the rc6 then I will be going through alot of Tuff Glide and Tuff cloth, living at the base of MT.Hood in Oregon we have ALOT of wet weather and cold. Bring it!!:D
 
I live in Washington and it is super wet here all the time. All my fixed blades are carbon steel and I don't have an issue with rust. Just use the blades a lot and wipe them off. The patina protects a bit. Use mineral oil if you store a long time. The whole carbon steel rust issue is overdramatized.

I suggest you get the ESEE. If you can somehow manage to rust away the blade to nothing, they'll give you a new one. :thumbup:
 
All I know is that Fällkniven F1 is a GREAT knife. It may not have that cool looks but it will deliver!
 
The ESEEs do get some rust, but it is not a problem. All you have to do is whipe it off every now and then. Even if it gets a bit rusty it wont hurt anything.
 
Either blade would serve you well. But there's a lot of difference between an F1 (< 4" blade length) and an ESEE-6 (6.5" blade length). You might be better off comparing the F1 with an ESEE-4 (4.5" blade length).
 
dont let the higher susceptibility to rust scare you. Every once in a while put some oil on it and it'll be fine.
 
hikerfam said:
Falkniven F1 or the ESEE/RAT rc6, I like the rc6 a lot more, but it just seems like it would be more maintenance due to the high carbon content therefore alot of rust, and why would anyone want a knife that requires so much to keep clean for a survival knife. I do like the F1 but I'm not a fan of stainless steel due to it being so soft and not as strong, and I cant strike a spark AS good as I can with high carbon steel. If I go with the rc6 then I will be going through alot of Tuff Glide and Tuff cloth, living at the base of MT.Hood in Oregon we have ALOT of wet weather and cold. Bring it!!:D
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Easy - get the F1 (or maybe an S1 or A1 if you like the size of the ESEE6). In terms of the SS being soft > The steel in the Fallknivens is hardened to HRC59... the ESEE6 is at HRC57. In terms of "SS not being strong" - check out knifetests.com. They tested a Fallkniven A1 - it took far more punishment than I would ever give to a knife. I guess what I am saying is that I think your fears regarding the F1's SS are unfounded or based in erroneous or antiquated thinking (nothing personal... I myself have been erroneous & antiquated more that once or twice - RECENTLY) :D

YMMV...
 
Dude, I had a similar problem choosing between the Fallkniven S1 and the ESEE RC-5. Went with the RC-5 and I can tell you right now, the only thing that can rust on that thing is the edge and the letters/logo. But they don't, so long as you use it.
 
i lived in portland 2 years & hunted the west side of cascades in washington for yrs. carbon knives & carbon guns --no rust. take some johnsons paste wax & put 2 coats on gun barrells & do'nt polish it off. wipe knives & guns off in evening. i hunted in rain all day --no rust. anyway shiny knives look funny in the timber.
dennis
 
The ESEE-6 is a very big knife. It's a big Bowie knife type of thing really. It is great but it's big. I sold mine and got an ESEE-4 instead and I am much happier. So comparing an F1 and the ESEE-6 is tough.

The guy who bought it from me just loves it. He uses it as a full fledged camp knife and splits a little wood and chops a little and all that kind of thing. He is very happy with it.

For me, the ESEE-4 can be right there on the belt when hiking trails in the park, walking the dog in the woods, that kind of thing and if I had to get rough with it, I sure could. I think the same would be true of the F1.
 
If you like the ESEE-6 more, get that one. ESEE makes good knives and the ESEE-6 should work well as a survival knife. The coating on the blade will prevent rust for a while and if you use your knife enough then rust shouldn't form on the exposed edge, just keep it oiled when not in use and rinse/wipe it off after use.

You probably wouldn't have much trouble with the F1 either but like bld522 said there's a big size difference between the two so they're not really comparable knives.

Raining said:
I suggest you get the ESEE. If you can somehow manage to rust away the blade to nothing, they'll give you a new one.
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Well actually ESEE's warranty doesn't cover rust, just thought I'd clear that up, though really rust shouldn't be a real problem.
 
hikerfam said:
...I'm not a fan of stainless steel due to it being so soft and not as strong...
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That statement tells the tale, the tale of misinformation. :eek:


In hardened knife steels, stainless or not, softer means stronger (tougher) and harder means more brittle.


There are many good steels, some classified stainless, some not; a knife blades performance is a balancing act of hardness (heat treatment), edge geometry, and metalurgy: buy a knife you like from a trusted maker and it will serve you well.


If you think you need stainless steel but like High Carbon steel; some of the highly alloyed carbon steels are quite a bit more stain resistant then the simple HC steels, D2, A2, and CPM-3V come to mind.

That said, there are plenty of very good Stainless steels available; I like 154-CM, CPM-154, S30V, as well as some Sandvik steels and some of the new Carpenter steels.







Big Mike
 
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Uncaoted 1095 rusts very easily in my limited experience. It is a commonly accepted truth about 1095, and while it is a drawback, the steel has many benefits to outweigh this problem... On Rust:

There may be times when you are hiking and your knife becomes wet. You may be aware of it or not. Either way, it can be easy to forget to wipe it off. It does not take long for the red stuff to set in, then the pitting deepens... With a nights rest and a forgotten blade, the Rust Fairy will visit you.

A coated RC knife will be mostly protected, but when you strip the coating off, you really need to keep an eye on her. This is where a patina, or a nice waxy oil comes in handy.

Worst case scenario, your edge becomes a little dull and rusted, and you have to do some sanding/ sharpening. Not too bad really, but none of this occurs with the stainless...
 
ok, so I think it may be the F1, just due to the stainless bit. But I still like the RC4 or 6, I think I will hit up the next local Gun and Knife show this month(thank you Obama) since they are every month now:D and see if they have any there so I can get a feel of them, again this blade will be for survival/camp and hopefully not slaying intruders. It needs to be able to create a spark,chop wood, and anything else I decide it needs to do. Thank being said off to shop for my next backpacking companion.
 
Bought an RC6 today Great feeling knife, big enough but i wore it all day on belt with just the paracord wrapped in sheath holes and loved it.... Super sharp out of bag now trying to decide on izula or RC 3.... GO FOR the ESEE!!!!!!
 
hikerfam said:
If I go with the rc6 then I will be going through alot of Tuff Glide and Tuff cloth, living at the base of MT.Hood in Oregon we have ALOT of wet weather and cold. Bring it!!:D
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I have a couple of both ESEE and Fallkniven knives.

Honestly I like ESEE better because of the community/warranty/customer support but I use the fallknivens in the winter and in wet weather.

What previous posters have said is true, if you wipe it down after every use and use it frequently it probably won't rust. That being said will you? Also keep in mind large temperature changes cause condensation that can rust the heck out of your knife if left in its sheath. So if your moving from a warm house to a cold winter you might want to re-apply rust proofing often. A lot of people seem to claim they left their blade wet and it never rusted but thats BS. Luckily most rust can quickly be removed.

The fit and finish on ESEE blades is nicer, the fallknivens are made by what a lot consider a better steel.
 
If country of origin means anything to you, the Falkniven VG10 blades are Japaneese; the ESEE are US-made. If US-made is important to you - and you like the VG10 steel - consider the Bark River custom made knives that knivesshipfree has made for them with the F1's blade. Nice handle selection and a great leather sheath.

I like my Bark River knives - all CS - and my one ESEE RC-5 - and, here in the humid south, I have had no problems with them gaining 'patina'. Last year, my Gulf Shores, Alabama beach vacation did result in a small dot of rust or two on my pocketed EDC BM 710's D2 blade - a first. Of course, several of my CS Boker Tree Brand slippies have grown their own patina. Oddly, even my Dad's old WWII KaBar still looks good, despite my stripping it of it's finish eons ago. I don't fear CS...

Stainz
 
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