NICE, thanks for the video. Looking forward to water stones & stropping methods. Stropping my volcano has become very therapeutic for me. I'm still amazed with this steel. It ticks every box in my maintenance, performance & endurance wants n needs. I am glad you are enjoying the knife n look forward to your further exploration of its potential. Wish I still had the kolt n GP, this steel is perfect for an edc knife too, but they had to go to get the volcano. Keep em comin brother.
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Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Fallkniven A1 Pro review
- Thread starter DeadboxHero
- Start date
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- Mar 22, 2014
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- Joined
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It's definitely turning into my favorite steel.
It just want to be sharper. It's like a stainless superblue.
Great stuff.
The DC 4 get the job done but this knife will get the stone treatment with a mirror polish for some flair.
I'll.keep em coming
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2014
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The Fallkniven A1 Pro
This is the best production stainless steel survival knife in the world
It is the paragon of what a survival knife should be.
Indestructible, low maintenance, powerful, laser sharpness,
Easy to sharpen with good wear resistance and toughness for proper use.
Let's cover some backstory
October 2015
I was very excited about its release.
When I read the specs and saw a picture of it I wasn't that impressed.
I was stoked about trying the new Lam. CoS steel,
however when I saw the grind was lower and the spine thickness was increased, I was a little bummed out.
How could I even see the benift of the new CoS steel if the geometry was going to be so obtuse?
With name like "professional survival knife"
I figured Fallkniven was attempting to cater more to the pry bar crowd.
To me what makes Fallkniven A1, S1 and F1 line such great knives is that they have have an emphasis on cutting performance over tactical appearances and overbuilt geometry that makes most survival knives horrible cutting tools.
It was disheartening to see pro line got even thicker.
Yet Fallkniven claimed improved geometry.
Fallkniven knows how to make great knife designs that have heavy emphasis on function and performance.
So I reserved my judgement
After a recent camping trip in the rain, I rekindled my love for the A1.
It was time to try out the new A1 Pro
It also helped that they were finally back in stock at DLT trading.
Currently the only US dealer that carries the pro series.
I'm not one for packaging but I was very impressed buy the presentation of this knife.
The box is a fully functional dry box. The foam on the lid is soft but the cut out foam is very firm and feels durable.
The factory edge wasn't great.
It came with a small ding in the edge.
The geometry is more acute then the regular A1 and it was able to shave hair good.
The geometry is very similar to the regular F1, which has the convex start at the Lamination.
The A1 Pro has a flat saber that transitions into a convex at the Lamination. You can see the rough machine scratches were the microbevel bevel starts to form the apex.
This gives the knife an even higher potential from sharpness then the regular A even with the more robust 7mm spine.
Stronger and sharper, wow
I stroped the edge to remove the ding.
No luck, needs to be sharpened out.
However,the edge did respond insanely well to stroping it took a very high sharpness. My regular A1 was not as responsive with the factory geometry and stroping.
The feathers this knife carved were incredible.
Almost translucent there are so thin.
A good chest lever cut this piece straight off with ease.
It has a good amount of "bite" in the wood as well.
More then the regular A1 stock geometry.
It makes great notches
This is on of the best features, no other 6in survival made can baton this good
After the blade has been seated a good solid One to two strike will split any straight grain, knot free wood. It's incredibly efficient.
I'll cover more about the handle, balance, and steel later.
This is the best production stainless steel survival knife in the world
It is the paragon of what a survival knife should be.
Indestructible, low maintenance, powerful, laser sharpness,
Easy to sharpen with good wear resistance and toughness for proper use.
Let's cover some backstory
October 2015
I was very excited about its release.
When I read the specs and saw a picture of it I wasn't that impressed.
I was stoked about trying the new Lam. CoS steel,
however when I saw the grind was lower and the spine thickness was increased, I was a little bummed out.
How could I even see the benift of the new CoS steel if the geometry was going to be so obtuse?
With name like "professional survival knife"
I figured Fallkniven was attempting to cater more to the pry bar crowd.
To me what makes Fallkniven A1, S1 and F1 line such great knives is that they have have an emphasis on cutting performance over tactical appearances and overbuilt geometry that makes most survival knives horrible cutting tools.
It was disheartening to see pro line got even thicker.
Yet Fallkniven claimed improved geometry.
Fallkniven knows how to make great knife designs that have heavy emphasis on function and performance.
So I reserved my judgement
After a recent camping trip in the rain, I rekindled my love for the A1.
It was time to try out the new A1 Pro
It also helped that they were finally back in stock at DLT trading.
Currently the only US dealer that carries the pro series.
I'm not one for packaging but I was very impressed buy the presentation of this knife.
The box is a fully functional dry box. The foam on the lid is soft but the cut out foam is very firm and feels durable.
The factory edge wasn't great.
It came with a small ding in the edge.
The geometry is more acute then the regular A1 and it was able to shave hair good.
The geometry is very similar to the regular F1, which has the convex start at the Lamination.
The A1 Pro has a flat saber that transitions into a convex at the Lamination. You can see the rough machine scratches were the microbevel bevel starts to form the apex.
This gives the knife an even higher potential from sharpness then the regular A even with the more robust 7mm spine.
Stronger and sharper, wow
I stroped the edge to remove the ding.
No luck, needs to be sharpened out.
However,the edge did respond insanely well to stroping it took a very high sharpness. My regular A1 was not as responsive with the factory geometry and stroping.
The feathers this knife carved were incredible.
Almost translucent there are so thin.
A good chest lever cut this piece straight off with ease.
It has a good amount of "bite" in the wood as well.
More then the regular A1 stock geometry.
It makes great notches
This is on of the best features, no other 6in survival made can baton this good
After the blade has been seated a good solid One to two strike will split any straight grain, knot free wood. It's incredibly efficient.
I'll cover more about the handle, balance, and steel later.
Nice. Happy to hear/see that the pro is meeting & exceeding your expectations. The volcano certainly blew me away. Fallkniven and Hattori(maker) have definitely combined to make some truly phenomenal knives.
Have you ever checked out Hattori' s knives on Japanese knife direct? I love his stuff. A pleasure to look at. Some other lookers on that site as well. Some of Kiku' s are impressive.
Thanks for taking the time to share. I enjoy your posts n look forward to more observations, methods & application there of.
Have you ever checked out Hattori' s knives on Japanese knife direct? I love his stuff. A pleasure to look at. Some other lookers on that site as well. Some of Kiku' s are impressive.
Thanks for taking the time to share. I enjoy your posts n look forward to more observations, methods & application there of.
Last edited:
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- Mar 22, 2014
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- 5,364
Thanks bro
Hahaha, soon. I need more pictures!
And time.
The A1 Pro is a laser cannon.
Love it.
Hattori is quite the legend.
His knives are almost impossible to get and even if they were available they are wayyy out of my budget.
You know your a top tier knife guy when you have your own steel "cowry x"
Thanks man, I have much to share, no detail will be spared.
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2015
- Messages
- 1,351
Thank you for the great review!
Just when you thought it couldn't get any better they go and improve it! Awesome knife.
Ive lost my Falky a few times now do to the strap coming undone and it sliding out on me onto the ground. I dont know if I forgot to snap the button closed or if it just got caught on something.. Ether way the retention on the zettal sheaths need improvement IMO.
I created my own solution.......doesn't need a button strap anymore, (I kept it on anyway for now) its very tight and clicks in with a audible "snap" ...this mod would only work with the steel type guards...like my phk..and the new improved design...
made from a spring clip I had laying around, ss pop rivets and washers on the back side... its ugly but functional!
Just when you thought it couldn't get any better they go and improve it! Awesome knife.
Ive lost my Falky a few times now do to the strap coming undone and it sliding out on me onto the ground. I dont know if I forgot to snap the button closed or if it just got caught on something.. Ether way the retention on the zettal sheaths need improvement IMO.
I created my own solution.......doesn't need a button strap anymore, (I kept it on anyway for now) its very tight and clicks in with a audible "snap" ...this mod would only work with the steel type guards...like my phk..and the new improved design...
made from a spring clip I had laying around, ss pop rivets and washers on the back side... its ugly but functional!
Last edited:
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- Mar 22, 2014
- Messages
- 5,364
That means alot coming from you Mikael.
I know your a huge Fallkniven guy.
Thanks
That what its all about brother, function!Thank you for the great review!
Just when you thought it couldn't get any better they go and improve it! Awesome knife.
Ive lost my Falky a few times now do to the strap coming undone and it sliding out on me onto the ground. I dont know if I forgot to snap the button closed or if it just got caught on something.. Ether way the retention on the zettal sheaths need improvement IMO.
I created my own solution.......doesn't need a button strap anymore, (I kept it on anyway for now) its very tight and clicks in with a audible "snap" ...this mod would only work with the steel type guards...like my phk..and the new improved design...
made from a spring clip I had laying around, ss pop rivets and washers on the back side... its ugly but functional!
Nice mod
It's probably in the ball park of a blue paper steel
Its might have more wear resistance then CPM 154
It won't touch S30v, However, The beauty of CoS is not in its wear resistance ,but in how elegantly it takes a screaming sharp edge.
CoS and Aogami (blue paper, carbon steel) have a similarity to each other much like
AEB-L and 52100
With claims that AEB-l almost behaves like a stainless version of 52100 (with the right heat treatment of course)
We will cover this in exhausting detail later.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2014
- Messages
- 5,364
The Handle
The first thing I noticed when I pulled the knife out of its foam cut out was the new handle design.
It felt incredibility powerful in my hand with a tight grip
There is a new contour to its shape with the palm swell being move forward for more comfort when choked up to the guard while carving.
The new guard is very well Finish and is amazing comfortable. Every contact point is smooth and well rounded.
Another contributing factor in why this knife feels so powerful is that the balance has been moved forward of the guard.
This makes the knife feel very kinetic in hand.
The handle is slightly more narrow then the normal A1it feels slim for those with large sized hands yet this is overshadowed by the overall improved ergonomics.
The handle is still made out of Thermorun ( a high density, rubber like polymer)
With is more firm and durable then Kraton.
The checking works great with wet hands and the new ergonomics help prevent the checking from blistering the hands while chopping
Chocking up on the end of the knife really increases the chopping
But the handle becomes more narrow. A lanyard hole is provided to aid. But I'm not a fan of lanyard, which are no substitute for a strong grip.
Chest lever cutting is the most powerful cutting technique it utilizes the largest upperbody muscles for maximum cutting ability The neutral handle design is very comfortable. No sharp finger grooves the dig into the hand when using this technique.
The knife is also comfortable with the thumb on the spine.
No jimping is a plus.
I find jimping great when I'm fondling a knife, However, during use it destroys my thumb pad, it literally tear of the skin like a cheese grater
This is sometimes called the "Filipino grip" it's very powerful and controled grip for slashing. It grip the edge oriented to the user and increases leverage.
The Ice pick grip feels good. Also the reverse grip feels good too with the pinky choked up on the new stainless guard
This is one of my favorites, especially with the new balance, the pinch grip.
The thumb feel great on the guard as well for skinningor opeing up an animal. I can't say enough good things about the new guard.
Here's a more controversial grip I'll share that I personally use.
This is an advanced way to use a big knife. I don't recommend this to others because there is always that one guy that will find a way to hurt himself.
And yes, it's sharp
I love the new balance point
Very comfortable
Just remember, if it doesn't feel safe, don't do it.
If it feels good, do it
Next I'll compare the A1 Pro directly to the A1.
Thanks.
The first thing I noticed when I pulled the knife out of its foam cut out was the new handle design.
It felt incredibility powerful in my hand with a tight grip
There is a new contour to its shape with the palm swell being move forward for more comfort when choked up to the guard while carving.
The new guard is very well Finish and is amazing comfortable. Every contact point is smooth and well rounded.
Another contributing factor in why this knife feels so powerful is that the balance has been moved forward of the guard.
This makes the knife feel very kinetic in hand.
The handle is slightly more narrow then the normal A1it feels slim for those with large sized hands yet this is overshadowed by the overall improved ergonomics.
The handle is still made out of Thermorun ( a high density, rubber like polymer)
With is more firm and durable then Kraton.
The checking works great with wet hands and the new ergonomics help prevent the checking from blistering the hands while chopping
Chocking up on the end of the knife really increases the chopping
But the handle becomes more narrow. A lanyard hole is provided to aid. But I'm not a fan of lanyard, which are no substitute for a strong grip.
Chest lever cutting is the most powerful cutting technique it utilizes the largest upperbody muscles for maximum cutting ability The neutral handle design is very comfortable. No sharp finger grooves the dig into the hand when using this technique.
The knife is also comfortable with the thumb on the spine.
No jimping is a plus.
I find jimping great when I'm fondling a knife, However, during use it destroys my thumb pad, it literally tear of the skin like a cheese grater
This is sometimes called the "Filipino grip" it's very powerful and controled grip for slashing. It grip the edge oriented to the user and increases leverage.
The Ice pick grip feels good. Also the reverse grip feels good too with the pinky choked up on the new stainless guard
This is one of my favorites, especially with the new balance, the pinch grip.
The thumb feel great on the guard as well for skinningor opeing up an animal. I can't say enough good things about the new guard.
Here's a more controversial grip I'll share that I personally use.
This is an advanced way to use a big knife. I don't recommend this to others because there is always that one guy that will find a way to hurt himself.
And yes, it's sharp
I love the new balance point
Very comfortable
Just remember, if it doesn't feel safe, don't do it.
If it feels good, do it
Next I'll compare the A1 Pro directly to the A1.
Thanks.
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2013
- Messages
- 1,354
Exciting! Like how they used to serialize stories in magazines, one chapter at a time.
Cobalt
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Dec 23, 1998
- Messages
- 17,709
Strops like a dream bro, I love it.
Holds a great edge for the outdoor uses too
Still shaves even with the ding
I'm going to have to re apex it so Ill resevre my full judgement tell after.
Thanks man
Thanks homie, much appreciated.
I feel your pain on the dings but it needs to be sharpened anyway.
Thanks again.
Is it the picture or is the edge that badly damaged? And if it is, what did you do to get that kind of damage?
Did it sharpen out fairly easily?
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- Joined
- Mar 22, 2014
- Messages
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Thanks Bro, appreciated
Right on brother
Haha cool man! I remember those too.
The Kraton rubber is softer then the theromrun which is very firm.
As far as the handle loosening on the CS SRK, the construction only has the lanyard tube holding it in place
The Fallkniven A1 handle (top) has the lanyard tube in addition to two tang pins to keep it in place.
I haven't had anything to report about the theromrun getting loose or falling apart.