Fallkniven f1 or Bark River Bravo 1?

I have the Bravo 1 and the F1, I have had both a couple of years now and the Bravo 1 remains my most used and carried outdoors knife.
 
I have an F1 and another of Bark Rivers knives. As to BRKT's edges I have had no problems whatsoever, and A2 is a great steel tough stuff which takes and holds an excellent edge.

The F1 is an impressive knife once you start using it. While it doesn't hold an edge quite as long as some of the higher quality carbon steels. The edge it takes is very crisp and sharp, plus it retouches exceptionaly easily. While some folks report the handle is a little thin It still fits excellently and provides a fantastic grip and I have xlarge hands. Put gloves on as in northern cold climates and it fits perfectly. The Thermorun is very very durable as well. The F1 was made to be a capable yet compact knife for pilots in the Swedish AF and they designed a great little knife. Personaly I prefer a larger blade so I will pick up an S1 one of these days.
 
I have had both, and liked and enjoyed using both. I have had a couple Bravo 1's, and would go with the F1 out of those two. If you want to go with a Bark River, there are plenty of smaller models out there you can use, that are comparable in size to the Bravo.
 
HandofCod said:
I will be definitely considering the upgrading the Bravo1 when it comes out in CPM3V and CPMS35VN in a few weeks or months. Haven't decided which I'll choose... hell I'll just get both! But I will get rampless this time, that thing just gets in the way.
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Hey HOC, what advantages/ disadvantages do those 2 steels have over the A2 version?
Thanks,
Lenny
 
Lenny said:
Hey HOC, what advantages/ disadvantages do those 2 steels have over the A2 version?
Thanks,
Lenny
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A2 is great. It's tough and keeps a good edge while being very easy to sharpen. 3V is much tougher however and holds a edge longer than A2. It's perhaps one of the toughest modern steels available today. It isn't however as easy to sharpen being more resistant to wear however it stains less than A2 so it doesn't need as much pampering in moist environments.

S35VN reported out performs CPM154 on both toughness and edge retention though I have no direct experience. Being stainless it can be taken into very damp conditions without fear of rust compared to both A2 and 3V.

Both are very modern steels which is an attraction in itself for many people, myself included.
 
I had both. I like my Bravo 1 more than F1.
As it was said before these knives are a bit different. F1 is a bit closer to a Gunny.

F1 is an excellent knife. I really like the Zytel sheath. It is simple and works great. If you want stainless I think F1 is a better value than CPM154 stainless B1. But as I have said before I like my A2 bravo more than F1. Blade on B1 is thicker, but still performed a bit better than F1 (your experience may vary). Handle on B1 is more comfy too. Kydex sheath the way it ships from Bark River is pretty crappy. With some heat and a bit of tinkering, it can be adjusted and fitted properly.
With time I sort of replaced my F1 with Mora Bushcraft (Sandvik) as my stainless option. Though I feel that F1 is a bit more "universal" choice than Bravo or Bushcraft.

My suggestion to try them both and keep the one that you like more (or keep both).

P1050688.jpg
 
kickplate69 said:
Im looking at either knife for a purchase soon. ... I want to use the knife as a bushcrafter, not a chopper or food prep knife. I was looking at some youtube destruction tests on the Bark River and the edge seems a little on the delicate side. Some of the comments were taking jabs at the A2 steel on the BR, but I felt that it was because the blade has a more pronounced hollow grind ( perhaps? ) and therefore there is less steel when you get to the sharp edge. Keep in mind I have a lot to learn and take the attitude of a "knife student" if you will. Im leaning toward the Fallkniven, but I'm open to any comments on either knife. Thanks guys.
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For the purposes mentioned... What are you planning on doing with the knife?
To me, "bushcraft" brings to mind a smaller tool for carving/whittling, light batonning, general cutting, food-prep, etc. which recommends the Fallkniven F1 or a similar sized or even smaller knife, a puukko, etc. - Mora #1, Mora Clipper, Jarvenpaa Aito, Kellam puukko, ESEE Izula, etc.
I own a Bravo1 and consider it over-sized for such purposes, esp. in regard to thickness. I would consider this a "survival" or woodcraft knife (American "bushcraft"). The purpose of such a tool is to handle the same chores as the lighter-duty knife, with the addition of heavier tasks including heavy batoning/splitting, digging, prying, hammering, etc. In terms of these tasks, my needs have been better served by a longer, thinner knife (of same weight) like the Cattaraugus 225Q.
Regarding the edge-durability of the Bravo1 seen in the videos, general conclusions pointed to poor HT in combination with overly-thin edge-grind. Compare the performance of that specimen to that in Bluntruth4u's videos. Also compare to the performance of the BRKT Boone II destruction video.
With the BRKT, the Lifetime Warranty says they will fix the edge should you experience serious issues... Fallkniven does not offer a lifetime warranty, but I've also never heard about poor performance in their products compared to issues with BRKT products.



But this thread is almost a month old. What knife did you get?
 
I vote for the F1 as well. I think it cuts very well, holds an edge very well, it's light without being too light or too small, it just seems to do what I want really well.
 
Bluntruth compares the Bravo and the F1 in this video. I have the F1 and it is a great knife but the Bravo is a better chopper. If you arnt going to be chopping at all then the F1 is the better knife IMO

[youtube]bQKuVB3YmRI[/youtube]​
 
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