Brisket,
1 - "I consider the F1 a cutting tool and as such have never used one to pry, dig or baton."
- I did not pry or dig with the blade and i too would consider this abusive (not mistreatment) but I did baton small branches with it in the way I have done for years with other knives without issues.
2 - "It is not a bushcraft knife, shovel or axe and there is a reason why we don't see those tools made from premium stainless steels of high hardness. As arty mentioned above, those tools are usually made from high carbon steel and they are less prone to chipping and are easier to repair in the field should they need it".
- The F1 is used as a bushcraft knife all over the world with many happy owners, just look through some of the pics posted in this thread of people using it for Bushcraft. Just to mention though, I use my knife in conjunction with a Bacho folding saw and Axe where necessary.
"I know the F1 is marketed as a survival knife, but that obviously means different things to different people. I see survival in general as the process of enduring and escaping whatever situation you are in with what resources are available to you. Those survival resources are generally limited and not replaceable, so if you take your refined edge cutting tool made from a premium powdered & high hardened steel to improve edge retention and start hammering the crap out of it with a stick, dig a hole with it or other stressful tasks to the point where it is no longer a refined edge cutting tool then you just might just fail at surviving because you suck at preserving your limited resources."
- I knew it wouldn't be long until the insults started pouring out. The following quotes are taken from Fallknivens website detailing the F13G PILOTS SURVIVAL KNIFE;
"The knife meets and surpasses by far established international standards for strength, personal security and value for money."
"Mod. F1 represents an entirely new philosophy with respect to knives for survival use. At the same time it combines the experience of generations of knife manufacturing with modern technology. The handy size, the well thought-out design, the incredibly tough laminated steel are only a few of many details making this knife something you can rely on."
I agree with your survival statement but the tools we take in to a survival situation after consideration and preparation are ones we must hold to a high standard ourselves. They are chosen by us for their performance and applications and there ability to provide us with multi-functional capabilities based on weight, space available and possible scenarios we could encounter. Wether the F13G is a refined cutting tool is beside the point, it is marketed as a PILOT SURVIVAL KNIFE. Do you not think that Fallkniven and the Swedish AirForce would have put the knife and its possible uses to a pilot in a survival situation through some rigorous testing? Fallkniven could have used a high carbon steel but they chose to use VG10 and 3G to make the F1 so who are we to argue with them.
3 - "The F1 is well known as the survival knife of the Swedish Air Force and though I haven't seen their survival manual I have scanned the Swedish Army survival manual and doubt that it is significantly different. That manual, like many others, cover the use of your survival knife and other kit items to make items such as bowls, spoons, improvised footwear, snares, traps, shelters, bone sewing needles & fish hooks, twisted rope, etc. as well is game processing. The photos depict small tree branches for use as wood material and there are no instructions in the 200+ pages that I have found for using your knife to split wood, dig holes or other knife stressing activities."
- You listed making bowls, spoons and shelters, all of which require splitting wood. Where are you getting the "dig holes" thing from YOU mentioned that, not me?
4 - "Fallkniven has a excellent reputation for warranty service and I would imagine that they will make good on this claim even if they find the knife free of manufacturing defects."
- They sent me back the same knife, reground so i presume they thought like you that I miss used the knife or that it was free from defects.
5 - "That is one of the reasons why Fallknivens are on the pricey side and why user misuse helps keep it that way."
- Many other excellent manufacturers, who's knifes are half the price of a F1 have no questions asked returns and replacement lifetime warranties so your statement doesn't make sense and should not be taken seriously. Price is not and should not be an indication of quality and as far as "user misuse keeps it that way" sorry but that is just BS
6 - "Just to be clear I'm not saying the OP doesn't have a defective knife and that is certainly possible, but it appears from his own photos and description that misuse might be a factor."
- WHERE in my description does it appear that misuse might be a factor. If you read my post you would know as much as I do and since I stated that I did not misuse the knife then you are calling me a liar.
7 - "Tips don't just fall off knives (defective or not) on their own. I have broken very few knife tips post puberty and in every case I knew immediately after it happened. In all but one case the tip breakage was due to an accidental knife drop".
- Maybe you never got post puberty, this is a Blade Forum for talking about knives, I posted an honest, un-biased review of a product and all you do by calling me a liar and doubting my story instead of the product I reviewed is throw yourself and this forum into disrepute. Read the conclusion and judge for yourself but I have nothing to prove to you or any of the other forum bullies on here. Luckily there are members who show respect and share there knowledge and wisdom which is why I come back.
and I am absolutely confident your better-than-new F1 will perform great.
What is the handle material?
