Fallkniven F1 opinions

troutfisher13111

troutfisher13111

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I am considering a F1 and was wondering what you guys who own one think of it. Is it a hard use blade? What are it's pros and cons? How well does the laminated vg-10 hold up? Thanks
 
The general consensus is that it's a poor design hacked out of inferior materials that nobody likes. Yup, that pretty much covers it.

Or you could do a forum search...
 
Ummmm wrong, to say the least. It's a great design with excellent materials, imo the handle leaves a little to be desired in terms of flat it is. Funny how people hate on the thermorun, but put kraton on any kabar or something else and ppl jump for joy. I love how it cuts, the full convex grind really bites into wood. Great rover knife being so stainless and great lightweight yet bulletproof backpacking blade. Don't listen to shmuck face mc no experience over there, its a well proven well respected bush tool.
 
I'm pretty sure Sutured was being sarcastic and telling the OP to do a search. Anyway, I have an F1 with a Bark River handle and it is a great knife. It came with a very sharp convex edge and seems very durable. It slices well and feels very robust fo a 4 inch blade. I've had no problems with the laminated VG-10, but I've also never batoned or pryed with it. I can't speak to the handle of the standard F-1 but I've never had a problem with it in other knives I've owned. I have heard people with large hands complain that the handle is a bit small. I think that if you do a search that you'll find the consensus on this knife is overwhelmingly positive. I definately like mine.
 
Hmm kinda thought so, I get a little pissy Sunday mornings :D Yeah I have large hands and find the handle a little flat comapared to something like the bhk bushcrafter, I have battoned with it and it works great. You won't be disappointed with this knife.
 
HardTripper said:
Ummmm wrong, to say the least. It's a great design with excellent materials, imo the handle leaves a little to be desired in terms of flat it is. Funny how people hate on the thermorun, but put kraton on any kabar or something else and ppl jump for joy. I love how it cuts, the full convex grind really bites into wood. Great rover knife being so stainless and great lightweight yet bulletproof backpacking blade. Don't listen to shmuck face mc no experience over there, its a well proven well respected bush tool.
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Yes, it was sarcasm. Few knives have received so much attention with such general positive review. No offense to the OP, but a modicum of research would have revealed pages and pages of information.

Good on you for going straight to name calling though. Classy!
 
Great knife. I bought one with the white micarta handle and I'm hesitant to even use it since it is so purty! It may well be the most expensive production knife that I own. My BlackJack 125 had taken over the niche that the F1 was supposed to fill for now. Really like this knife in A2!
 
HardTripper said:
Nice, how is the pure one? I suspect they went lam because it was too brittle. No chipping or snapping?
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I guess that they quit making it from solid VG10 because:
- Solid VG10 is more expensive than laminated, even with the added cost of the laminating process.
- Solid VG10 is harder to manufactureand also more difficult to sharpen for the end user, who will find easier to go through the softwer steel on the sides.
- With a core of VG10 and a softer metal on the sides, they might be able to take the VG10 to a higher RC value and not risking the blade snapping.

Also, I could be totally wrong. Anyway, the cool factor of having a laminated blade is also something to consider! I also own a U2... and it is a also a great knife (also laminated steel, but different core).

Mikel
 
Mikel_24 said:
I guess that they quit making it from solid VG10 because:
- Solid VG10 is more expensive than laminated, even with the added cost of the laminating process.
- Solid VG10 is harder to manufactureand also more difficult to sharpen for the end user, who will find easier to go through the softwer steel on the sides.
- With a core of VG10 and a softer metal on the sides, they might be able to take the VG10 to a higher RC value and not risking the blade snapping.

Also, I could be totally wrong. Anyway, the cool factor of having a laminated blade is also something to consider! I also own a U2... and it is a also a great knife (also laminated steel, but different core).

Mikel
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Peter Hjortberger, the owner of Fallkniven isn't too concerned about the final price of his knives, his main priority is all about making the best knives in the world (as he sees them). Lam. VG10 is tougher than non Lam with no performance drawbacks, other than price that is. :)

I would strongly recommend any Fallkniven product. I own two F1's, one A1, one H1 and a U2 and would like to own an A2 and WM1 in the future.
 
All my Fallknivens ( 3 F1's , 2-S1's and an A1) are thermorun , which I find a great handle material. I wish all rubber-handled knives had it. The edge holding and performance of all of mine have been great. I've had no chipping or edge abnormalities other than slight dulling from use. Back to the sandpaper for a few minutes , and all is well again. I use 400 and 600 grit , then a leather strop.

I have all the different Fallkniven sheaths for those knives ( pouch , dangler & zytel) Sheaths don't bother me much as I make my own , but so far the Fallkniven ones all have their advantages and dissadvantages , Imo. Zytel one is good if your in the wet a lot.

I would definately recommend the F1 as good knife for multiple uses including bushcraft ,survival and any other outdoor pursuit.
 
I have the F1 and S1, love them both. The handles are fine for me, no problems or complaints with the steel, compact size at a fair price.
 
I have tested both(as well as MANY other knives of that type)

Both are EXCELLENT

You will have to test one yourself to see if it works for you-and how it feels in your hand

But you could stake your life on either one in regards to quality and ability to take hard use

Dr.Bill
 
One of my all time favorites! Of coarse, part of that is because of the way it fits my hand.
 
Lots of people are not thrilled with the thermorun handles, myself included. But oddly, I think it's one of the features that really makes the knife a success. I have very large hands and I find the F1 handle to be suitable, though not luxurious.

The F1 is simplicity itself. There's just no part of the knife that's anything other than a well thought out compromise. Simple grind, low-maintenance, hight quality steel, minimalist styling, lightweight, and a handle material that's aesthetically neutral, to put it kindly.

The Bark River F1's sure look nicer, and they feel nicer in the hand, but the balance isn't quite right. Also, they're heavier, and a LOT more expensive.

To me the stock F1 is as heavy a knife as I'm willing to cary on a regular basis, and it's the thermorun handle that keeps it within reason. A Bark River F1 tips the scales to something I'm just not going to cary very often. That might seem silly to some, but when I'm out in the bush I'm usually doing something other than playing with my knives, and grams count.

Now in reality I don't cary my F1 that often. Mostly it's relegated to when I'm in a saltwater environment. Day to day I prefer a scandi ground blade which is a bit narrower than the F1...and a bit lighter.

There is no "wow" in a F1. It's just a simple, solid design that is well though out and does anything a cutting tool is supposed to do without being burdened with anything extra.
 
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