Fallkniven F1

S

skjaldbakan

Joined
Dec 25, 2010
Messages
18
Hey guys this is my first thread and hopefully this is the right place to ask.
But anyway I bought the fallkniven f1 after seeing numerous and i really like it but I have only had it for 2 day and some small chips have appeared after some carving. The chips are tiny and will are likely to go after some sharpening. Admittedly this is my first real fixed blade knife and my technique may be off but so far the blade has been treated well, has only been used to cut wood and only very very light batoning. So should i be worried or is it fine?
Thanks for any help :D
 
Even light battoning can result in chipping if you aren't careful about what's underneath. Any chance you could have come in contact with rocks?
 
I've owned this knife before and I have quite a lot of experience with it. The steel they use is a laminated VG-10. 420J2 outer layers with a VG-10 core which is hardened to 59 HRC. The thing is that this really holds an edge, but will in my experience also chip very easily. If you hit a rock or tough soil with small rocks, you will chip this steel. I've batoned frozen, Norwegian pine etc. with this, and it didn't chip out then, so you have probably hit the ground or something. Just be careful when you baton with this, it doesn't like the ground. It is a great knife and I've used in both the military and in the woods!
 
NorwayKnifer said:
I've owned this knife before and I have quite a lot of experience with it. The steel they use is a laminated VG-10. 420J2 outer layers with a VG-10 core which is hardened to 59 HRC. The thing is that this really holds an edge, but will in my experience also chip very easily. If you hit a rock or tough soil with small rocks, you will chip this steel. I've batoned frozen, Norwegian pine etc. with this, and it didn't chip out then, so you have probably hit the ground or something. Just be careful when you baton with this, it doesn't like the ground. It is a great knife and I've used in both the military and in the woods!
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Ok thanks for that but all batoning has been done on a tree stump and it was not chipped after that. and i have been very careful not the let the blade touch any stone.
 
Give it a good stropping and see if the chips come out. I've heard that after the initial use and stropping or sharpening edges become tougher. Perhaps this is what is needed here.

You can always contact Fallkniven if you have issues with your knife. I hear they are extremely helpful and stand by their products.
 
HandofCod said:
Give it a good stropping and see if the chips come out. I've heard that after the initial use and stropping or sharpening edges become tougher. Perhaps this is what is needed here.

You can always contact Fallkniven if you have issues with your knife. I hear they are extremely helpful and stand by their products.
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Thanks i'll give that a try. Will I need compound for the stropping?
 
Yep. Once you sharpen it a bit & get to some virgin steel the problem should go away.

I had the same problem on my F1 when it was new. It was no biggy because i had read about this minor problem. After a couple of sharpens it now battons through Australian hard wood with out any drama.

Great knife choice though. You should love it. One of the best knife designs ever IMO.:thumbup:
 
skjaldbakan said:
Thanks i'll give that a try. Will I need compound for the stropping?
Click to expand...

No you dont. I use a mouse pad with wet & dry automotive sand paper.
If its real blunt start with P320 then p400 to p600-p800-p1200-p1500 & last i use P2000. I work in the auto repair trade so i have unlimeted supply.

I then just use my leather belt with Autosol mag wheel polish . comes up super sharp.

Search the forums about sharpening convex knives.
 
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The Fallkniven forum has a LLOOONNGG thread about sharpening convex ! I find it vey easy with wet/dry paper and mousepad.
The problem of initial brittleness is typically a result of damage in grinding from the factory .It's not uncommon for any brand. Once you've sharpened off the damage you're good to go !
 
I have found that micro chipping and edge rolling on the factory edge are common on most knives I have purchased.

I own and use many Fallkniven knives and have experienced micro chipping on the edge of all of them until after I have sharpened them a few times, enough to get past the factory edge and into some "virgin" steel.

Edge geometry also will play a roll, don't put too fine an edge on it if you are planning to baton with it.

As already mentioned, steels hardened to a high HRC are more likely to chip than bend or roll if they strike a hard object.

Have faith, once you sharpen your F1 a few times, and get a good edge established, your F1 will take anything you throw at it.

There are several Fallkniven owners over on the Fallkniven Forum, and here as well, that describe the same experience with respect to the factory edges on both VG10 and 3G.

Kevin

EDIT: I see Jman HandofCod and Mete have said pretty much the same as myself with respect to factory edges. As for stropping compound, it isn't needed necessarily, but can help to put a good polished edge on your blade.
 
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j man said:
No you dont. I use a mouse pad with wet & dry automotive sand paper.
If its real blunt start with P320 then p400 to p600-p800-p1200-p1500 & last i use P2000. I work in the auto repair trade so i have unlimeted supply.

I then just use my leather belt with Autosol mag wheel polish . comes up super sharp.

Search the forums about sharpening convex knives.
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But isn't sharpening the f1 only a matter of sharpening the micro v edge or am I mistaken?
 
Maybe you hit a knot during a strike. That could cause a small roll or chip....maybe.

I didn;t know the F1 had a micro-bevel. I was going to recommend stropping on 1000 first, then up to 2000 (followed by stropping on leather and green compound). Even if it has a micro-bevel, that should work. If it's a roll, it will sharpen out into what appears to be a "chip" and eventually get sharpened away. If it's a chip...well, it will eventually wear away through sharpening.
 
StretchNM said:
Maybe you hit a knot during a strike. That could cause a small roll or chip....maybe.

I didn;t know the F1 had a micro-bevel. I was going to recommend stropping on 1000 first, then up to 2000 (followed by stropping on leather and green compound). Even if it has a micro-bevel, that should work. If it's a roll, it will sharpen out into what appears to be a "chip" and eventually get sharpened away. If it's a chip...well, it will eventually wear away through sharpening.
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Do you think the dc-4 sharpening stone will bee good for sharpening the f1 or will I be better off with something else?
 
skjaldbakan said:
Do you think the dc-4 sharpening stone will bee good for sharpening the f1 or will I be better off with something else?
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You can sharpen your F1 with whatever method you are already comfortable/proficient at doing.

Fallknivens own site recommends the DC3, DC4 or Diamond and Ceramic rods for sharpening.

Many convex blade owners use the sandpaper on top of a mouse pad or strop method.

Still others use Sharpmaker, Lansky, Apex, or other angle jig type sharpeners.

Personally, I use a belt sander most of the time, or one of the sandpaper methods if in the field.

If you are new to sharpening, my recommendation, based solely on my own personal experience, is that the sandpaper on top of a mouse pad or leather strop is the easiest to master. It is also inexpensive to set yourself up. The experience of others may differ.

If you are already good at a certain sharpening method, I would suggest staying with it.

Kevin
 
skjaldbakan said:
Do you think the dc-4 sharpening stone will bee good for sharpening the f1 or will I be better off with something else?
Click to expand...

I use a DC4 stone with very positive results. My F1 and A1 have both had micro chips due to batoning or accidentally hitting concrete while performing a task. I just took the DC4 stone and sharpened the blade for a few minutes and then stropped it for another few minutes. The micro chips disappeared and the blades just keep kickin' butt. I have 100% confidence in my Fallkniven blades and carry them with no worries knowing they will perform any task I demand from them.
 
This here is what I use for convex-ground knives. The first picture shows one side of the strops. The scond shows the same strops flipped over. They are wood or MDF, about 3" x 11" x 3/4", with 7-8oz leather glued on to them. Then the sandpaper is taped on the top and bottom edges.

convex-01.jpg

convex-02.jpg


I don;t use stones at all for convex edges, but I've read that some guys do. You will find what's right for you and your F-1's edge.
 
skjaldbakan said:
But isn't sharpening the f1 only a matter of sharpening the micro v edge or am I mistaken?
Click to expand...

You can continue to sharpen and retain the micro V if that is what you choose to do.

This would probably be best achieved with a jig style sharpener that will maintain the correct angle throughout the stroke.

If you freehand with a stone (Dc3 or other) you will eventually form a convex micro bevel of sorts because it is impossible to maintain a perfect angle when freehand sharpening.

Using the mouse pad/sandpaper method will also create a convex micro bevel.

The example below is my Fallkniven PXL shown with the factory micro V bevel, then with a convex micro bevel after sharpening with a mouse pad and sandpaper. (this is the last knife I re-profiled by hand, now I use the belt sander to re-profile)

NOTE: to fully remove the V bevel, and create the convex micro bevel by hand takes a lot of time, patience, and a tremendous number of strokes on the sandpaper.

Factory Bevel
PXLBevel.jpg


Convex Bevel
PXLConvex.jpg


Kevin
 
StretchNM said:
This here is what I use for convex-ground knives. The first picture shows one side of the strops. The scond shows the same strops flipped over. They are wood or MDF, about 3" x 11" x 3/4", with 7-8oz leather glued on to them. Then the sandpaper is taped on the top and bottom edges.

convex-01.jpg

convex-02.jpg


I don;t use stones at all for convex edges, but I've read that some guys do. You will find what's right for you and your F-1's edge.
Click to expand...

I have always liked that set up of yours StrechNM :thumbup:

Kevin
 
Dag-nabit said:
You can continue to sharpen and retain the micro V if that is what you choose to do.

This would probably be best achieved with a jig style sharpener that will maintain the correct angle throughout the stroke.

If you freehand with a stone (Dc3 or other) you will eventually form a convex micro bevel of sorts because it is impossible to maintain a perfect angle when freehand sharpening.

Using the mouse pad/sandpaper method will also create a convex micro bevel.

The example below is my Fallkniven PXL shown with the factory micro V bevel, then with a convex micro bevel after sharpening with a mouse pad and sandpaper. (this is the last knife I re-profiled by hand, now I use the belt sander to re-profile)

NOTE: to fully remove the V bevel, and create the convex micro bevel by hand takes a lot of time, patience, and a tremendous number of strokes on the sandpaper.

Factory Bevel
PXLBevel.jpg


Convex Bevel
PXLConvex.jpg


Kevin
Click to expand...

Looks like good info I reckon I will get the dc-4 because this knife will mainly be used for camping/bushcraft and the dc-4 will allow me to field sharpen easily. I probably wont be re-profiling the edge, at least until i have more experience with knife, but if I do your comment will be helpful.

Is there any disadvantage to the convex micro bevel that will form if I freehand sharpen?
 
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