Fallkniven A1 Pro review

You're making it tougher to spend the same amount or slightly more from a singular maker on a knife the same size
 
Comparing the A1 to the A1 Pro


At first glance, the only thing that stands out is the new stainless guard.

This could not be further from the truth and the new version definitely is deserving of the title "pro"



Upon closer inspection, we see that the swedge on the Pro (left) is not as long and the grind not as high.
Yet, the A1 Pro is sharper from the factory because the convex geometry is less bulbous.



The handle on the pro is amazing. I didn't know the regular a1 needed the upgrade.

It's slightly shorter, and has a finer checked pattern. But one of the best new features is how the palm swell has been shifted slightly forward locking ones hand into the incredibly comfortable finger guard.



I was weary about the new metal guard being uncomfortable, but the transition between the Thermorun and the guard is seamless.

Very streamlined and comfortable.

Going back to the regular A1, it's simply not as comfortable


It's feels small and really "hooks" onto the index finger, it's narrower and sharper transitions then the Pro. It's still a comfortable guard though.


The Pro guard is wider, flatter and really "seats" the finger with now sharp transitions.

the Pro is more comfortable. Especially for Larger hands.



The pro has slimmer handle but this is mitigated by having improved ergonomics


The Tang tapers in height towards the end if the handle on the Pro.

This improves the balance and also cuts back on the weight from the additional 1mm of thickness added to the blade.

The Pro only weight 0.8 ounches more the then stock A1 at 12ounches versus the Pro at 12.8 ounches.

That's alot of power in a lightweight package. For reference 16oz is equal to 1lbs.

The A1 Pro is longer and thicker then a BK2 and weighs less.

Very Impressive.



This one of my favorite upgrades, the balance has been moved past the guard



On the regular, the balance is right at the guard. Which isn't bad, it feels very stable but the Pro feels more "kinetic"




Of course the obvious, the Pro is 7mm thick versus the 6mm on the reg.

The great achievement here is that the Pro does this without any consequences to the cutting performance and we get an even more durable and dependable knife.
How durable? I talked to Eric from Fallkniven
"The A1pro holds up to 400kg before it breaks."

That's up to 800lbs!




Might have to do a rope rappelling test in the future.

The regular A1 break point is at 242kg
And can be found on the website
http://www.fallkniven.com/en/breaktest

I'll post more about a performance comparison soon.
 
Cobalt said:
good pics. thanks. The pins will make a difference
Click to expand...
Anytime bro :)
Boggs said:
You're making it tougher to spend the same amount or slightly more from a singular maker on a knife the same size
Click to expand...
Oh no! ;)



Here's a video of me shaving with the A1 Pro

I didn't do anything fancy with the edge.

This is after sharpening with the dc4 (which is probably 600grit at the highest) and then stroping on leather with Bark River White compound followed by Flitz Metal polish on leather.

This steel gets very, very Sharp with minimal effort.

It would definitely perform better with a waterstone polished edge.

I was just surprised how sharp it was even without a refined apex for shaving.
Cobalt Special :thumbup:

I'll make a waterstone sharpening video soon, I'm giddy to see how sharp this blade can get.


[Youtube]A6K_G0TKUrw[/YouTube]
 
DeadboxHero said:
Comparing the A1 to the A1 Pro

Of course the obvious, the Pro is 7mm thick versus the 6mm on the reg.

The great achievement here is that the Pro does this without any consequences to the cutting performance and we get an even more durable and dependable knife.
How durable? I talked to Eric from Fallkniven
"The A1pro holds up to 400kg before it breaks."

That's up to 800lbs!

The regular A1 break point is at 242kg
And can be found on the website
http://www.fallkniven.com/en/breaktest
Click to expand...

From 242 kg to 400 kg, that is quite an improvement!

I wish more brands could do tests like this and go public with the results.
I know it will not happen, but it would be interesting for knifenuts like us.


Regards
Mikael
 
Mikael W said:
From 242 kg to 400 kg, that is quite an improvement!

I wish more brands could do tests like this and go public with the results.
I know it will not happen, but it would be interesting for knifenuts like us.


Regards
Mikael
Click to expand...

Indeed:)
 
Looks like you are enjoying your new toy more n more. Thanks for sharing & keep em coming.
 
Mikael W said:
From 242 kg to 400 kg, that is quite an improvement!

I wish more brands could do tests like this and go public with the results.
I know it will not happen, but it would be interesting for knifenuts like us.


Regards
Mikael
Click to expand...

Well, That is why we have BFC and folks like DeadboxHero!
 
The original DC-3 and 4 came apart as mine did . Then I saw why -the back of the diamond was polished surface. Many years ago I was taught to roughen up a polished surface if you are going to paint or glue it . Seems few people are taught this today. ! Have the new ones been changed ?
IIRC the A-1 had a longer grip than the S-1 had . True ? I found the S-1 was a good length for taking apart larger deer like the Red Deer or Elk , TK-1 for white tail etc. The S-1 has the minimum handle for my large hand.
Nice review Shawn !
 
Mikael W said:
From 242 kg to 400 kg, that is quite an improvement!

I wish more brands could do tests like this and go public with the results.
I know it will not happen, but it would be interesting for knifenuts like us.


Regards
Mikael
Click to expand...

A thicker blade has a higher stiffness and thus a higher breaking threshold. If both knives were the same thickness then you could compare apples to apples. But in this case it is not, because of the knives not being the same thickness.

Also, for comparing to other knives not done, you need to know the length of the lever. In this case it was 6". So anyone can duplicate this test, which is nice.
 
My A1 pro came fairly sharp from the factory but this thread motivated me to give the A1 a proper sharpening. In less than a few minutes of sharpening and stropping I achieved light saber like results. I had a stupid smile on my face all afternoon. The A1 pro was as easy to sharpen as any of my non stainless knives that I own. I'll take it out on a few short hikes soon and test it out.
 
mete said:
The original DC-3 and 4 came apart as mine did . Then I saw why -the back of the diamond was polished surface. Many years ago I was taught to roughen up a polished surface if you are going to paint or glue it . Seems few people are taught this today. ! Have the new ones been changed ?
IIRC the A-1 had a longer grip than the S-1 had . True ? I found the S-1 was a good length for taking apart larger deer like the Red Deer or Elk , TK-1 for white tail etc. The S-1 has the minimum handle for my large hand.
Nice review Shawn !
Click to expand...

Thanks Mete! :)

Not sure if they roughed it up.

I just noticed there is a black layer of epoxy between the ceramic and the diamond.

Yea the A1 handle is much bigger then the S1.

The A1 Pro handle is smaller but it's very subtle.



DJC72 said:
My A1 pro came fairly sharp from the factory but this thread motivated me to give the A1 a proper sharpening. In less than a few minutes of sharpening and stropping I achieved light saber like results. I had a stupid smile on my face all afternoon. The A1 pro was as easy to sharpen as any of my non stainless knives that I own. I'll take it out on a few short hikes soon and test it out.
Click to expand...
That's fricken awesome man nice upgrade! :)

I know that feeling ;)

I look forward to your pics and thoughts.
 
Cobalt said:
A thicker blade has a higher stiffness and thus a higher breaking threshold. If both knives were the same thickness then you could compare apples to apples. But in this case it is not, because of the knives not being the same thickness.

Also, for comparing to other knives not done, you need to know the length of the lever. In this case it was 6". So anyone can duplicate this test, which is nice.
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm aware of the importance of thickness and increase on the breaking threshold.
Still I think it's an improvement in breaking strenght over the regular A1.
If Fällkniven would increase the thickness of the A1 to 7mm, I believe both knives would reach similiar breaking levels.

The breaking tests are simple and scientifically repeatable for many testlab's.
It could easily be done by more brands, but for some reason they don't do it.
I wonder why, as it's not rocket science. ;) :rolleyes: :D


Regards
Mikael
 
Last edited:
Batoning

The Pro really shines in the technique. The wood really splits apart.

The Regular A1 is no slouch either;Powers through the wood. Its just the Pro takes less batoning for the same results; one to two less hits overall.

Remember to save your edge. When the crack has propagates all the way down, Stop, then twist the knife.


Works great, keeps a high performance edge from being damaged.


Feathersticking

The grip is narrower on the pro but is taller near the guard which gives is a great tight, comfortable grip despite its size.



The A1 has a slightly thicker and longer grip however, choking up into the guard is not as comfortable as the pro.


Both carve excellent


The Pro was able to make finer curls, even with a coarser edge.


The A1 did great, the polished edge really helps the blade slide on the wood.

Here's some more side by sides can you tell which is which?



Chopping

For this test, I was chopping a piece of pine 5 times per knife.

The piece was narrower were the pro was hitting so the results aren't as impressive visually.


The standard A1 is not the best chopper due to the weight distribution and handle. However the convex grind and a powerful strike overcomes this.


The Pro removes these drawbacks. I described the feel in hand as kinetic. This knife is very efficient at chopping compared to the standard A1. It doesn't hurt my hand as much.




Bite

They both have good bite in wood.
The stock Pro is sharper the the stock A1

However when there both sharpened it's about the same.



Here's the depth of bite

Pro, A1, Mora



Hole bore

Same, the Pro feels more burly but both knife perform the same





Size comparisons
 
Sheath

The Pro sheath is bigger and more robust. I prefer the slimmer profile on the Reg. But the pro knife is compatible with both sheaths.

The Reg. A1 fits in the other sheath but the the handle is to thick for the snap to close.




Very robust


They both have a hidden drain hole




The paint should wear off the snap just like the reg. Just takes time



Same rivet construction yet the belt loop is shorter.


This is a huge plus, it changes the way it carries and feels on the belt


There is less drooping on the pro because of the shorter loop
Yet it's still wide enough for any heavy weight duty/gun belt.


Carries straighter

Pro on the right


Pro

Reg



The tabs on the side of the new sheath are for MOLLE straps to attach the knife on a chest rig or body armor.

I'm indifferent towards this feature notto mention the MOLLE straps are not provided.

However it's great to have options for carry.

I'm sure the Swedish army appreciates this feature.

Also, perhaps scout carry can be modified with this feature.


The thump ramp is still present.



The retention tab is still present with a window access for modifications.

The steel guard on the Pro definitely has a more positive retention.

It might wear the zytel tab down versus on the Reg. The zytel wore down the Thermorun.

Time will tell.
 
Fresh off the stones


Hahaha not my best work. I got lazy!

I was filming footage


It turned out OK. I know in my heart this steel can get even sharper with a better shaped apex.

Still made some insane curls though.



Hello world!



Stone progression

Naniwa Professional (Chosera)
400
King
1000
Suehiro
3000
King
6000
Flitz strop
10,000 plus

I'll post the video when I'm done.

Shawn
 
Have you tried a microbevel, or do you always make a full zero-grind convex? Any performance differences?

I like the idea of zero grind, but if I'm out in the woods for a few days with just a DC4, I touch up by adding a microbevel to the F1. How do you manage it?
 
Shawn........

The A1Pro just continues to shine in your tests......not what I was expecting for such a thick blade
 
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