F1X arrived today

I

IndianRoc

Joined
Jan 31, 2021
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I had exhausted myself watching and reading reviews on all the Fallkniven F1s trying to decide which one would suit me best. I decided on the F1X having the cobalt coating. I ordered it just several days ago from BladeHQ and wasn't looking for it until sometime next week. Nice surprise in the mailbox today! Great job, BladeHQ, and the best price as well.

The knife is beautiful! Fit and finish is top notch. The cobalt coating looks more like gun blue and I think enhances the overall look of the blade. Size-wise the knife is what I had expected. Thankfully the plastic sheath is a lot smaller that what I had expected, which is great. I hate a clunky sheath. Inserting the knife into the sheath secures it for normal carry. Engage the camming lever and that knife isn't going anywhere regardless of carry orientation. The heft of the knife lets you know you have a quality blade in your hand. While the handle is a bit thin, I find it to be perfect for me. No doubt some enterprising somebody will be offering custom grips for this knife in the future.
It didn't arrive razor sharp. A few strokes on a steel followed by stropping solved that.
 
Maybe some additional comment should be made about the sheath. I had it in my mind that this sheath would see little use as I would be replacing it with a kydex sheath more to my liking from one of the makers. Now I'm not so sure. I'm liking the sheath. I like the way its not so clunky as I had expected. Its minimal to do the job. I like the way it locks the knife into the sheath once the knife is fully seated. (That small protrusion of metal beneath and in front of the handle fits into a recess in the sheath that performs this function.) You cannot simply pull the knife back up and out. You must first cant the handle forward a tad, releasing the tab from the recess, then pull. Its a small learning curve. You can use your thumb and push back slightly on the front edge of the sheath to reach the same result. (I have an IWB holster that locks the pistol in much the same way) There is only a very slight bit of rattle when shaking the sheath with the knife seated/cam unlocked. Its certainly not anything one would be bothered with. With the cam locked its like one solid unit. There is an insert inside the sheath that appears to embrace the blade and taking up any void. Knife security and retention is whats important to me in the activities I engage in... much more so that a "fast draw".
 
Enjoy, OP! I have the old, plain F1 with a leather dangler sheath. Top notch! Yours must be even better. :thumbsup:
 
I got this s1x recently and it is a nice piece of work. However compared to the regular s1 it is overly heavy and not nearly as comfortable in the hand. The handle has a very sharp edge where the butt flares out and the guard has sharp edges as well.
 
I don
Pilsner said:
Enjoy, OP! I have the old, plain F1 with a leather dangler sheath. Top notch! Yours must be even better. :thumbsup:
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't think it "better". The F1 has been around quite a while and all who own one, regardless of changes, find them very much to their liking and always never fail to tell everyone what a great blade they are. I'm just late to the party is all.
 
I've seen a video of the A1x and it's full tang is not skeltonized.
 
IndianRoc said:
...A few strokes on a steel followed by stropping solved that.
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Being convex ground (as I believe all Falkniven fixed blades are) I would suggest you slap a piece of sand paper over a mousepad or neoprene patch or whatever and avoid hard sharpening media as a rule (the steel you mention). Or have two loaded strops with coarse/fine grit.

w said:
... compared to the regular s1 it is overly heavy and not nearly as comfortable in the hand...
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The problem I see with having made long ago a great usable knife which is highly praised as is by most of the knife community... is that improving it substantially is quite difficult. I guess someone in the marketing department decided they need to do something to keep up with other brands or whatever.

The first F1 (although I guess it was the same for the S1 and A1) where solid VG10. Then came the laminated VG10, then other steels with the same handle style. I was perfectly ok with those changes. Later on came the steel guards (first runs had problems with the guard being loose), the full tang... and they lost it. They are much heavier, less comfortable in hand as you mention, do not absorb shock like the original rubberized handles, they are cold to the touch and let's not forget... MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.

I own an F1 and S1 (laminated VG10) and if I ever buy an A1... will try to get it with the rubber handle and no metal guard. If there is a better steel avalable than laminated VG10... cool. IF not, VG10 will be.

Mikel
 
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