Falkniven F1 3G - Sadly disappointed

[bld522]

Ask yourself, given a choice do you want good warranty service or no need to use that service?

Ask yourself, would you be willing to buy a product, particularly a "life and death survival" product, without a warranty? If not, why not?

 

[hardheart]

That's the thing about these supposed life & death items. If the company has the confidence, or margins, to support a lifetime warranty, that is a good thing. But then, in a true life & death situation, a warranty is useless. Even for my mundane uses, I don't really care about the warranty as much as the quality, because I can't cut stuff with a warranty. But I still want one, because that is an indicator of the company and its policies.

 

[kinskibrain]

You see knives marketed for hard use, then people badmouthing a person for using that same knife for anything harder than slicing salami.

I know what you mean but I don't think this was about bad mouthing. I am equally annoyed when people have a rant at some other make when the facts surrounding the case is very unclear to say the least. A classic example is users who destroy shallow angles and hard steels. Then they come out and complain because they can't tell geometries from one another. If that keeps up we will all be stuck with "idiot-knives" with crowbar-profiles made in soft 440A.
That is why I posted the picture of Cody Lundins Mora no 2. It is half as thick as an F1 and needs far more attention and yet the man has used only that knife for over twenty years all around the world teaching thousands of students including special forces.

Saying this I also think that one needs to be allowed to criticize and the tone on the first page is very tolerant.
The tone soured when posters started giving Fällkniven products a beating when they don't know anything about circumstances of the knife being damaged. That is what I call bad mouthing.

 

[parbajtor]

I think a consumer owes a greater courtesy to other consumers to make them aware of problems and update them on how the problems are resolved. Twenty people posting about how the same problem was resolved in the same satisfactory manner seems more like 19 stories that could have been "I waited until the first guy reported that the manufacturer recalled the product and fixed the issue before I bought one without wasting return shipping fees and turnaround time." As a consumer, I would rather other consumers helped each other save time and money, instead of looking out for the bottom line of companies who need help fixing their issues.

This isn't twenty stories though, it's one.
I also know of many companies that have no quibble replacement warranties. That kind of Warranty is great for customer satisfaction, but there's no great incentive to sort the problem out. Plenty of Chinese Samurai sword sellers on e-bay and indian sub-continent manufacturers of damascus blades who will also happily replace your broken/defective/nothing like the picture/not the knife I ordered/50hrc HT'd blade without question, provided you pay the shipping. It's often cheaper to just replace the item than to sort out any potential problems in production, it doesn't actually make the replacement any better than the original.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Ask yourself, would you be willing to buy a product, particularly a "life and death survival" product, without a warranty? If not, why not?

No.

Ask yourself if the life-critical product had a 50% failure rate, would you care about the warranty?

 

[kinskibrain]

While your sat there on the internet making claims against me, polishing your well used F1 im out in the bush using the product in slightly more testing situations and for me, it failed. Falkniven have asked me to send them the knife, they were polite to me and im waiting to see what happens.

I am not making claims against you. I am making claims against your review. I am sorry Welshman but you don't know anything about me or my use of knives so you calling me an indoor knife-polisher is unfair. And I don't know anything about you either. All I know is that I have seen a picture where the knife edge has quite clearly been used with a fire steel (judging from the brown particles surround what looks like a burn) and that the user has allowed a stainless knife to corrode.
Experienced users know the importance of taking good care of their equipment in the field. Especially if their life depends on it.
The circumstance of the broken tip or the damaged edge is still not known. I re-read your post and there is just a general description of an evening with camp duties. As I wrote - I am only commenting on your post. Nothing else.

 

[PropThePolecat]

Back to the F1....I've got a laminated vg-10 myself (and a A1 too), and I've managed to break a VERY small piece of the tip off too. We are talking about 1 mm. It happened while I was trying to pry frozen fish from each other. Totally my fault. It's still my go-to outdoor blade though, and that 1 mm doesn't mean squat.

I've also chipped the blade and like the OP, I don't recall how. The stock edge on Fallkniven is very fine (and sharp)...after a few sharpening sessions though, you get to the good stuff, and its as strong as it gets. Just for the record, ive also managed to chip 1095, when I banged my Ontario into the ground while splitting wood. Guess what? Both knives still work just fine.

I couldn't care less about a lifetime warranty. It's just clever marketing in my opinion. What matters, is if the company stands behind its product, when there's a manufacturing defect. That being said, ive never heard of a Fallkniven suffering a catastrophic failure. There's a reason Fallknivens are so popular.

 

[Mod 7]

You guys are bewildering me (is that a word?).
I just cannot imagine damaging my S1, ever!
Maybe I should send it to you guys!
I have owned it for 10 years without a single problem (and I have batoned it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)!

Mine is VERY old (old kydex sheath).

Like the top one in this photo!

 

[Bodis]

if the company sell the merchandise with a wery high margin then it´s no problem to have a no question asked waranty.

That said I´ve had a folder (fällkniven U2) with a slightly loose blade (it didn´t lock solid) they told me to send the knife to them. I tried to get more information maybe a send it to us and we will get you a new one but they just said "send it to us" nothing more, so I was a bit frustrated I wanted a more calming reply. Anyway I sent the knife to Boden from Stockholm and it took one day for the knife to arrive to them and one day more for the new one to arrive to me. If it´s no obvious user error you will have a new knife as fast as the postal service can work over the North sea. At first I was a bit disappointed but when I got the new knife I fell in love the U2 Gemini is beautiful little folder. I also have the F1, A1 and P3goak and I love them all. Today I carved frosen wood with my F1 and it took it like a charme, no chipping or blunt edge.

Before when my sharpening skills was nonexistent I bought a Esee 3, the plan was to replase the F1 so I didn´t had to learn ho to sharpening a convex edge. But the Esee 3 dosent compete in the same division (my personal opinion) cause the Esee cant carve wood for shit. I also have Esee Junglas and that one I love but it has a different user area. So if you thinking of getting a Esse for carve wood think again (again my opinion). I´ve carved frosen wood with my Esse 3 and Mora 2000 as well and they all managed it with out chipping or blunt edge but the F1 and Mora did it much better.

So don´t be afraid to buy Fällkniven cause it´s one of the best knife brand I´ve ever owned and they take care of the costumers they replace the knifes that has a deffect (can happen any brand) but they reserves the right to ask if the user did anything wrong.

Edit: But of course they should have a lifetime warranty if there´s no user error the knife is good enough for that kind of warranty.

 

[remmmm]

So if someone pays the money for a high end knife, then the knife experiences a failure, it's that persons responsibility to keep it quiet until the manufacturer is notified and allow to fix it and assuming they do fix it, the failure should forever be kept quiet so as to not harm their reputation??? What???

I thank the OP for his post and what appears to me to be honest information. To the OP, please ignore the haters.

 

[hardheart]

This isn't twenty stories though, it's one.

Yes, and that is what I prefer. I don't prefer this story to be sat on. In other threads, someone will post about a problem, and then multiple people add "I had the same thing, I sent it in and they took care of it." Reporting of good warranty service after the fact didn't stop anything. Maybe my view is really out of line with the typical perspective, but if I read a lot of stories about great warranty service, it makes me want the product less. It's like you say, being easy with repairs or replacement doesn't mean the product is any better on average.

But my statements are straying too far from the OP and FK in particular. I don't think the damage shown is too out of line, but it would depend on personal observation of the edge grind. If I bought and received it and looked over the edge, I would still use it as I pleased, but would have a better idea of my own expectations. Then it would also come down to what I expected the knife to do compared to how it is advertised, compared to what I actually bought it for, and compared to how it was actually designed and ground. But I have used a SGPS FK before, and I just don't like the steel at all. Deforms and dulls too quickly for my tastes. But my uses don't require easy sharpening.

 

[jdk1]

I know what you mean but I don't think this was about bad mouthing. I am equally annoyed when people have a rant at some other make when the facts surrounding the case is very unclear to say the least. A classic example is users who destroy shallow angles and hard steels. Then they come out and complain because they can't tell geometries from one another. If that keeps up we will all be stuck with "idiot-knives" with crowbar-profiles made in soft 440A.
That is why I posted the picture of Cody Lundins Mora no 2. It is half as thick as an F1 and needs far more attention and yet the man has used only that knife for over twenty years all around the world teaching thousands of students including special forces.

Saying this I also think that one needs to be allowed to criticize and the tone on the first page is very tolerant.
The tone soured when posters started giving Fällkniven products a beating when they don't know anything about circumstances of the knife being damaged. That is what I call bad mouthing.

That wasn’t necessarily about this thread. More of a built up annoyance at people who show up in every failure thread and cast insults concerning choice of knife, level of skill, unnecessary tasks being performed, etc. It gets old.

As for the “idiot” knives comment, some people may like those knives. I’m not sure what you mean exactly by that term, but I assume you mean thick. I’m no Cody Lundin, for sure, and I like my outdoor knives much thicker than my kitchen knives. Then again, I don’t always live in a well-controlled world, so I prefer to be overly prepared. Some may also need to do things with a knife others wouldn’t need to. I'm glad we have the variety we have.

About the warranty issue folks are mentioning, I like a good warranty. Take ESEE’s for example, it’s not a gimmick. They have the best warranty they can offer because they believe their knives will not fail under all but the most abusive conditions. I like that. It gives me confidence. I don’t mean to interject fanboyism and they’re not the only company with that sort of warranty, but they provide a good example for a warranty discussion. The OP also mentioned buying one of their knives. Hopefully, FK will be able to determine what happened and make it right, if need be. Take care.

 

[Mikael W]

Typical thread, mention a problem and the fans get indignant. Of course this is a knife review, The Welshman described what he does with his knives and how surprised he was that the F1 experienced significant failure. That's what we want to see in knife reviews, not that he got one more great example of a respected brand, but what can happen and what we can do when something goes wrong.

Maybe there was a defect in steel or heat treat, maybe there was an error in use. We all learn from that, even Fallkniven. Why do you think the brand is so good? They analyze their problems to correct them! We need a public post for others -- polite, analytical, or angry -- to pick away at the possibilities.

Do not ever denigrate the poster for an honest question. Do not question his honesty based on nothing more than cynicism or speculation. If I were speculating, based on what he's told us, he has more experience than most, and knows what he's talking about. Courtesy is integral to a productive discussion.

Ok,roger that!

Regards
Mikael

 

[Mikael W]

Mete


Thanks for the answer!

I've only asked about VG-10/420j2 and this was ok according to Peter, but no I haven't asked about the 3G.
I will proceed without welding and do a mechanical attachment of the screw.

Regards
Mikael

 

[bld522]

No.

Ask yourself if the life-critical product had a 50% failure rate, would you care about the warranty?

Ask yourself if the life-critical product had a 50% failure rate, would the manufacturer be able to stay in business long enough for their warranty to matter? (I don't know about you, but I wouldn't think of buying a life-critical product from a manufacturer who hadn't been around for a very long time and whose customers' testimonials and reviews AS WELL AS THEIR WARRANTY didn't speak to the fact that their products could be trusted.)

As far as having a good warranty is concerned, I'm with jdk1. The fact that there are lots of great stories about Busse Combat's warranty service, for example, doesn't mean that I need to be concerned about their knives. More than enough rock-solid reviews and testimonials exist to convince me that I don't have to worry about whether their knives can take anything I can dish out. And as far as I'm concerned, the fact that they've got what is arguably the best warranty in the knife business isn't an indication of weakness. It's an indication of strength.

 

[dayhiker1968]

I don't doubt that the OP could have received a faulty knife from the factory. And I hope that he posts Fallkniven's response when he gets it.

But here is my VG-10 F1 being pounded through a 3 1/2" diameter chunk of Poplar.

They all aren't lemons. I've been using this one for about 4 years.

 

[The Welshman]

Typical thread, mention a problem and the fans get indignant. Of course this is a knife review, The Welshman described what he does with his knives and how surprised he was that the F1 experienced significant failure. That's what we want to see in knife reviews, not that he got one more great example of a respected brand, but what can happen and what we can do when something goes wrong.

Maybe there was a defect in steel or heat treat, maybe there was an error in use. We all learn from that, even Fallkniven. Why do you think the brand is so good? They analyze their problems to correct them! We need a public post for others -- polite, analytical, or angry -- to pick away at the possibilities.

Do not ever denigrate the poster for an honest question. Do not question his honesty based on nothing more than cynicism or speculation. If I were speculating, based on what he's told us, he has more experience than most, and knows what he's talking about. Courtesy is integral to a productive discussion.

Thankyou Esav, I actually started thinking I was going mad for a moment, Appreciate the courtesy and your polite, mature attitude towards my obviously controversial review of the F1.

Regards

J

 

[zcd]

Thankyou Esav, I actually started thinking I was going mad for a moment, Appreciate the courtesy and your polite, mature attitude towards my obviously controversial review of the F1.

Regards

J

Controversial yes, but I'm sure nobody will be surprised when Fallkniven makes it right (they will). Looking forward to part two of your review

 

[The Welshman]

I am not making claims against you. I am making claims against your review. I am sorry Welshman but you don't know anything about me or my use of knives so you calling me an indoor knife-polisher is unfair. And I don't know anything about you either. All I know is that I have seen a picture where the knife edge has quite clearly been used with a fire steel (judging from the brown particles surround what looks like a burn) and that the user has allowed a stainless knife to corrode.
Experienced users know the importance of taking good care of their equipment in the field. Especially if their life depends on it.
The circumstance of the broken tip or the damaged edge is still not known. I re-read your post and there is just a general description of an evening with camp duties. As I wrote - I am only commenting on your post. Nothing else.

Ok Kinskibrain, I don't know how to say it any clearer, I have nothing to loose or gain by lying ill tell you exactly what I did.

FOR THOSE INTERESTED HERE IS THE EXACT ACCOUNT OF THE TIME LEADING UP TO THE KNIFES BROKEN TIP AND OTHER DAMAGE

I opened the knife on christmas day and did nothing other than admire it for the first few days.

I then went on a 2 day / 1 night camping trip in Wadi Bani Awf (a dried up river bed) in Oman with the intention of climbing through Snake Canyon - a 4km gorge.

That day I put the knife (in its sheath) in my rucksack and completed the Snake Canyon trip. During the trip I jumped from a few ledges into pools and did some climbing but I didn't hit the bag hard on anything. The knife and leather sheath would definitely have got wet in the bag at this time.

At the end of Snake Canyon I took out the contents of my bag to dry in the sun (it was approx 25 deg C) I pulled the knife from its sheath and lay it on my wet t shirt in the sun with the sheath.

The first night I used the knife to batton some small branches and then make some feather sticks. I inspected the knife and saw no damage and I remember being impressed at its ability to slice tiny feathers in the wood. The Knife was also razor sharp afterwards. The sheath was still slightly damp from earlier on.

I then used my fire steel to ignite the fire. I USED THE SPINE OF THE KNIFE to do this as you can see from the pictures. I WOULD NEVER USE THE EDGE OF A KNIFE TO STRIKE A FIRESTEEL!!! I have lit countless fires with a fire steel over the last 15 years or more and was taught at a very early age to not use the edge for this purpose. The last thing i would have done is used my brand new Falkniven's blade for this purpose.

The spine threw off some good sparks and the fire was lit on the 3rd or 4th go. The knife never touched the ground, it never hit anything, i didnt drop it and i had no reason to think the knife was damaged as i put it straight back in its sheath after I had used it although it was dark and I would not have seen any damage if it was present.

The next morning I got up, and once again used the knife's spine and a firesteel to light a 'dog end' / charred piece of wood and start a fire.
I did not notice any damage to the blade or tip however i will admit that it was very early, i was waking up and I did not closely inspect the blade.

Later that morning I once again unsheathed the knife to prepare breakfast and that is when I noticed the damage to the blade and the broken tip. I searched inside the sheath and my bag for the broken tip but could not find it.

After the trip the knife remained in the sheath for another full day and when i removed it the rust spots had appeared.

That is exactly as it happened.

 

[The Welshman]

1 - I call BS on all this talk of knife failure.



2 - This knife still seams quite survivable to me as a survival knife,

...in fact, I bet it still cuts better then all those "Sharpened Pry-bar" survival knives.



3 - Being the Op can't even figure out how he damaged the tip,

...I suspect some ham fisted abuse was part of the equation.



Review? No, more like wine and cheese.



No worries though, Fallkniven takes care of its customers.





Big Mike

Well I knew after the first few dismissive replies to my review I was gonna hear some crackers but you just took the prize buddy,

1 - You can call and talk all the BS you want, Im not a liar and my review and conclusion was honest and based on my experience of the knife

2 - Would you seriously be happy with a knife with a broken tip to use as your EDC or even worse as a 'survival' / bushcraft knife. I DOUBT IT

And when you talk about "sharpened pry-bar knives" PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE unleash the BK2 / ESEE 5 / RAT crew on this guy ;-)

3 - No i can't figure out how I damaged the tip because I didn't know I had damaged it until the morning of the next day.

"I suspect some ham fisted abuse was part of the equation." You suspect wrong, I already said I didn't mistreat the knife and I have used knives for those task numerous times for the last 15 years. I had on my person at the time a Bacho folding saw which i didn't use because i didn't cut anything big.

4 - Whats your definition of a review

and your quote below "Looking at the original photo provide (not the close-up), it doesn't look near that big." I measured it at between 2 and 2 1/2 mm as i have nothing to compare it to.

Try and be polite, calling me a liar is pointless and immature, I told you im not a liar, I told you how it was, but then again I have nothing to prove to you