comparing 2 great survival knives

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bhamilton

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Jan 8, 2010
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I wanted to do a comparison on my friends fallkniven A-1 and my Rc-5 in case someone was interested in either of these knives. We took these out the other day to practice on some fire making skills. Here is a side by side view.
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[/IMG]more to come...
 
Both knives worked great to baton wood with. At the tip of the rubber handle on the Fallkniven, we noticed it was starting to crack and break down a bit after some abuse. The RC-5 only had a little trouble once we got down to the small kindling b/c of the thick blade.
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The Fallkniven did a great job for making feathersticks. the convex edge on the fallkniven really helped here. The Rc-5 can handle this task as well, however the thickness makes it a little harder.
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Thanks bhamilton. Both of these are on my short list for my next knife purchase. Good to see them in action.
 
At the end of the day we were both happy to have the knives we do, and it is all a matter of opinion. The Fallkniven is more expensive, and the sheath is not as great imo, however it was a little better for smaller tasks b/c of the convex grind. The RC-5 seems to be a lot stronger in the sense of being able to take more abuse. You get the lifetime warranty, kydex sheath and it is cheaper. They both get the job done. hope this helps.
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this definitely helps. I've got what I need for the finer things like feathersticks so I'm looking for a real workhorse. probably go with the rc-5 for my uses but if I can manage to save up enough I like to have them both.
 
Thanks for the review, always been interested in the S-1 and F-1 myself.
 
I agree with you on the RC-5 in that it is a little harder to use for the finer tasks. I carry a Bark River Bravo Necker for those tasks. Maybe RAT could come up with a piggy back system for the RC-5 and Izula similar to the Bravo 1 and Bravo Necker.
 
Good pictures Thanks, It's helpful to see them side by side and in the hand.
 
Just convex the edge on your RAT Cutlery your self, and bingo, better fuzz sticks.

Also, I am not too big a fan of Kraton handles. It cuts and tears too easily, and protracted use tends to really irritate my hands. I would much rather have mycarta, or resiprine C, or wood etc on a handle.
 
Thanks for the comparison it is very timely for me.

I just got my RC4 in the mail today and my plan is to test it against my Fallkniven F1. Ironic huh? :)

I've been using my F1 for about 10 years and it's my go-to woods knife so I'm anxious to see how they compare.
 
Indeed. I have had the luxury of using the F1 myself, and I think it's great. Be sure to let us know how the test goes with the rc-4 and the F1 TLR.
 
Bigfattyt said:
Just convex the edge on your RAT Cutlery your self, and bingo, better fuzz sticks.
Click to expand...

My tought too.


I have a factory 2nd RAT-3 in D2. The grind was too thick. I convexed and thinned the edge and now it's my favorite bushcraft knife (until I get my custom Ranger ;) )

I know, I should get a RC, but no funds at the moment :(

I too hate Kraton/zytel/FRN handles. But there are some F1 rehandled by BRKT. knivesshipfree keeps them.
 
I have an F1, Bravo-1, Gunny and RC-5. All very different I know. They all have there uses and are all good woods/survival knives. I'd like to get an S1 and RC-4 next to compare to one another. I think between these three fine companies you can cover all your needs from any one or all for that matter.
 
I got the A2 from Fallkniven since 2002.
The convex edge is fantastic and its almost a rust free 4mm thick camp knife.
I love it as a chopping knife because with a convex grind it never get stuck in the wood. It's stay razorsharp and this is great for all tasks in a camp. VG10 is a great steel.
I got the kydex sheath and it's a great sheath.
But be carefull not to hit any stones with the edge or it will get chipped.
As far as I prefere micarta to kraton, my seven years old A2 handle is still is great shape.
Back in 1998, I used to own a A1 before the A2. Mine was not laminated and not convex. And it was a very solid knife. (it went to a friend of mine who is guide in Africa. He still uses it !)
The RC-5 would be incredible if convexed by a habile craftman.
 
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