Did I make a poor decision? (RE: Survival Knives)

C

Curse

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Dec 28, 2007
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Alright, so a while ago after reading a lot and judging from my own (fairly limited) experience, I chose the Fallkniven S1 as my primary survival knive (aka, the One knife) to carry.

However, after reading more and experiencing a bit more, also video reviews by Nutnfancy (awesome reviews), I'm thinking the knife may be a bit short.

I live in a mostly dry area (Southern Idaho) and prefer to keep my activities in this state, and the more I learn the more I feel I may have made a bad choice..

This summer I didn't get any chances to really put the knife to the test, so what do you guys think? Would something like an RTAK-II be better, along with carrying maybe an AG Russel Trout knife for smaller stuff? Unfortunately, funds are rather limited for knives for now... I may end up trading my S1 away..

What do you guys think?
 
I wouldn't call it a mistake, every knife has it's pro's and cons and the smaller ones are very popular with some folks. Going up to a larger knife is almost always a matter of personal preference, unless you plan on chopping, in which case bigger is generally better.
 
I wouldn't call that a poor decision at all. You don't need an enormous knife to do things. You may find that you won't be carrying the large knife as often as the small, and what good is a knife that you don't have with you?

But what do you mean with a dry area? Desert? Or just somewhere with no lakes or streams and little rain? In any case, that sounds like an area with not that many trees, and if there aren't trees and wood, there probably won't be chopping and batoning either, which are just about the only things big knives are superior for.
 
I'm sure you picked a superb knife, Fallkniven are a solid choice. But if that were me, I would also look at getting one of the Bussikin family(Scrap Yard, Swamp Rat & Busse) of knives, for a survival stick.
They're just soooo tough & dependable. Just one of the reasons why I acquired my Scrapper 6. It gives me confidence deep in the woods!

Just my thought & opinion ;)
 
I prefer the F1 over the bigger RAT-5 i got, certainly when i also carry a kukri for chopping

but, i think its a matter of personal preference anyway
 
I wouldn't call it a mistake especially since you haven't been able to put it to the test and see what it can and can not do for you. You are taking an opinion of someone else to tell you if the knife you have is right or wrong for you.... Don't...

Wait till you are able to test it yourself and see how you like it.
 
The S1 is a nice knife. While I don't have one myself, I have used and sharpened my friends. Takes a nice edge and I think the size is decent. Its not so short that you can't chop or baton with. Honestly IMO, if you're thinking about chopping wood, if the S1 can't handle it then you're probably better off with a hatchet.

It would be one of my picks to be the only knife I carry into the woods.
 
that Fallkniven S1 looks like a winner :thumbup: Not too big, just right. Its almost unfair to compare the two. Both have their uses and i'm sure excel at them. Bigger isnt always better and sometimes smaller doesnt really work...
save your money up and buy the RAT then you'll have everything covered:D
I Like the Fallkniven :D looks like a nice size to carry
ivan
 
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There's nothing wrong with the S1. You probably can't break it. I'd give it a try before getting rid of it.

Of course, if you really hate it, I'd give you fifty bucks for it.
 
My only objection to the Fallkniven is the handle. Replace that krayton junk with something smoothe and hard, and you have an absolute winner of a knife.
 
You cannot always trust another person's experiences to correlate directly to your own. How does the S1 work for you? Does it do everything you need it to do? These are questions you need to answer through use, not by watching videos on the internet.
 
fallknivens are very good knives,,,:thumbup:

and the AG Russel Trout knife for smaller stuff is an excellent idea,;), but as stated above in other replys,,,test the s1 in the field ,,if you still feel its not right for your intended uses you can always trade/sell here ,,:D
 
neeman said:
What is small about a 5" blade?
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I was thinking. I have the Fallkniven NL3 and it's 6" blade is about as large as I'd want to carry. I'd say anything from 3.5" to around 6" will do the job.

BTW, someone needs to catch that last sentence for W&C... ;)
 
chuckschilling said:
My only objection to the Fallkniven is the handle. Replace that krayton junk with something smoothe and hard, and you have an absolute winner of a knife.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not a fan of those handles, either. I only buy their leather or wood handled knives. I looked at the A2 as a camp knife and the handle was the only thing that put me off. They'd do better with Micarta on those - they would probably look better, too. Guess, that means more $$, too.
 
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