Fallkniven questions

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rc3mil

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Hey guys. Couple questions about the Fallkniven range of knives.
On this site http://www.knivesshipfree.com/F1-Survival-Knife Fallkniven offers the F1 in either 3G or VG10 steel. Which is the better steel and why? Also the finger guard doesn't look that big. Has anyone found this to be an issue when using the knife in wet conditions? How does the VG10 or 3G steel measure up in performance to 1095 or other good steels? Would you choose the Fallkniven F1 as your survival knife?
 
Dunno which is the better steel, but I found VG-10 to be very close to a high carbon steel in edge-holding performance -- the test being field dressing a moose. It is a bit more time consuming to sharpen than high carbon steel, however. As for the grip, no problem when wet/bloody -- not quite as good as Kraton (as in Cold Steel Master Hunter) but very close. It may be a bit small though. I would not hesitate to take my F1 as my only survival knife -- that's what it was made for. I pack mine in a Concealex sheath made by Normark.
 
Alberta Ed said:
Dunno which is the better steel, but I found VG-10 to be very close to a high carbon steel in edge-holding performance -- the test being field dressing a moose. It is a bit more time consuming to sharpen than high carbon steel, however. As for the grip, no problem when wet/bloody -- not quite as good as Kraton (as in Cold Steel Master Hunter) but very close. It may be a bit small though. I would not hesitate to take my F1 as my only survival knife -- that's what it was made for. I pack mine in a Concealex sheath made by Normark.
Click to expand...

How is the sheath that comes the F1? Also there are two sheath options. "What is Zytel" and which sheath do you prefer?
 
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I agree with AlbertaEd, VG10, 3G, and other "super" stainless steels have raised the bar and made stainless very comparable with high quality carbon steel in terms opf edge retention.

VG10 is great, 3G holds an edge even better. 3G is actually a Super Gold Powdered Steel (SGPS) core laminated with VG2.

The Zytel sheath is synthetic and allows the knife to "dangle" inside which can be an advantage if used a lot in wet conditions.

Personally I like the leather better, but both sheaths will do their job.

I posted this photo just a couple days ago, but here is the difference.

F1-sidebyside2.jpg

Kevin
 
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I have the leather flap sheath for my F1,I like it. With the sheath tucked into my back pocket at first glance it would appear to be just a Buck 110 sheath.(less scary on public trails).

The VG10 is a pretty good steel and I am a carbon guy. In fact it has pushed my favorite custom O1 belt knife into the drawer.

I would have no problem with only my F1 in a "survival" situation.
 
I would not hesitate to pick the F1 if I could pick just one knife. It is a survival knife made to make you survive in the big outdoors. It is not a "combat survival" knife meant to fight with, for that you should get a Fairbairn Sykes.

I have no doubt whatsoever that the F1 will keep me alive, if it was just up to the equipment.

Regarding the lam. VG10 (420J2-VG10-420J2) and the 3G (VG2-SGPS-VG2) they are both really great and does the job. The 3G keeps the edge longer though.

Regarding the sheaths. I have all the sheaths that has been available for the F1. The open leather, the closed leather, kydex and zytel. I use a costumized open leather as neck sheath when I mostly CARRY the knife and it is nice weather. I use the zytel in winther or when I plan to get the knife messy.

The guard is no problem whatsoever. Traditionally scandinavian knives has no guards at all and that works. Maybe it is that the "self defence" component is nonexistent in scandinavian knife culture and therefore you do not have the need to stab with a knife.

If you read the history of the F1 you will discover that every part of the knife has been tested and redesigned for many years before it reached what you get today. From the first knives the steel is changed, the tang comes out the back and the blade profile is changed.

I have only heard about a few F1 knives that has broken. Most were destroyed on purpose by swedish homeguard/ROTC/reserve people just to see how strong they were.
 
I just purchased a F1 and should be arriving tomorrow! It's going to be paired with a larger blade (recon scout) so size isn't a problem but what I wanted as a very good quality bushcraft knife for firesticks, whittling, carving and the like.
 
Dag-nabit said:
I agree with AlbertaEd, VG10, 3G, and other "super" stainless steels have raised the bar and made stainless very comparable with high quality carbon steel in terms opf edge retention.

VG10 is great, 3G holds an edge even better. 3G is actually a Super Gold Powdered Steel (SGPS) core laminated with VG2.

The Zytel sheath is synthetic and allows the knife to "dangle" inside which can be an advantage if used a lot in wet conditions.

Personally I like the leather better, but both sheaths will do their job.

I posted this photo just a couple days ago, but here is the difference.

F1-sidebyside2.jpg

Kevin
Click to expand...

What a beautiful knife on the left man. Does the knife snap in tight into the zytel sheath?
 
mine stays a bit loose on the zytel sheath.
If I could go back I would get the leather one, since I bought a kydex one and the zytel is stored in my drawer.
 
rc3mil said:
Hey guys. Couple questions about the Fallkniven range of knives.
On this site http://www.knivesshipfree.com/F1-Survival-Knife Fallkniven offers the F1 in either 3G or VG10 steel. Which is the better steel and why? Also the finger guard doesn't look that big. Has anyone found this to be an issue when using the knife in wet conditions? How does the VG10 or 3G steel measure up in performance to 1095 or other good steels? Would you choose the Fallkniven F1 as your survival knife?
Click to expand...

To suggest that one steel is better than another is fairly meaningless without defining all the required parameters. The SGPS steel is harder and will provide better edge retention. If that is what is important then, you have your answer. My own F1 is VG-10 which happens to be my favorite cutlery steel for most applications. I think I might choose SGPS for a small folder, but it wouldn't be my choice for a fixed blade. Preferences are personal, however, get what you prefer, not what someone else prefers.
 
I have a VG10 F1 in the zytel sheath. The knife is a good knife. The handle is both comfortable and easy to retain even when wet etc.

If I were to buy one new I would get the leather sheath for the zytel allows the blade to slop around and dulls the edge of the knife..
 
Mine came with the leather dangler sheath, which was very secure but required two hands to draw the knife. So I had Normark make one of his versatile Concealex sheaths, and have been happy with that ever since -- going on 10 years now. You can adjust the belt loop to carry IWB or out, and canted at various angles. It's very secure, yet you can tug the blade out easily. In short, a classic sheath for a classic knife.
 
rc3mil said:
What a beautiful knife on the left man. Does the knife snap in tight into the zytel sheath?
Click to expand...

The Zytel sheath has a little "springy" tab on it that holds the knife when the strap is un-snapped.

The Black Micarta / Leather combo is my user F1, and I only have experience sheathing my collectors in the zytel sheath. So take this for FWIW.

My impression is that the tab holds the knife OK, i.e. would keep the knife from falling out while you are using it, but not to be trusted while hiking, etc.

I have heard reports that the tab loses some of its tension after extended use. One user said he wrapped a sturdy elastic band around the sheath and tab to increase the hold.

Kevin
 
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The F1 is a great knife, no qualifiers. Either VG10 or 3G. 3G does hold it's edge longer, both are easy to sharpen. My experience has been that VG10 holds an edge longer than 1095 (at high 50's HRC), but not quite as long as 50100B, but pretty close. So VG10 is quite acceptable for me, and 3G also, I haven't noticed any brittleness thus far cutting wood and other outdoor tasks.

The handle is on the small side, I have medium hands and it's fine, but if you have large hands, then maybe not. I usually like more of a guard on my knives, but the F1 works well as is.

As a side note, my preference for guards is for safety, especially when your fine motor skills are compromised by hypothermia. BTDT. An extra safety margin is always a good thing. I never consider self defense when evaluating knives, despite the stereotypes that are constantly given...
 
Is there any place offering the F1 in 3G steel with a micarta handle? So far I've only been able to find the micarta handled F1s in VG10.
 
The F1 3G was a limited edition run of 1000 knives, available only with Thermorun handle.

Kevin
 
Do you guys think it is worth spending the extra $80 and getting the 3G version or should i just get the regular VG10? How good is the VG10? Same knife meant for the same applications therefore the 3G steel should be superior right?
 
3G is "better" for edge retention over VG10.

VG10 is hardened to 59RC and 3G hardened to 62RC. Linear thinking would be that harder steel = better edge retention, but would loose some toughness and be more brittle.

Steel composition is way beyond my expertise to discuss in detail, but suffice it to say when they develop new tool steels they alloy various elements to try and retain toughness while allowing the steel to be hardened to greater degree. Always looking to strike the correct balance.

I have many VG10 knives, from Fallkniven and other manufactures, and it is a great steel. period.

I also have and use many Fallkniven knives made with 3G and my experience is that the 3G does have better edge retention. For the way I use my knives I have seen no evidence that 3G is "less tough" than VG10 due to it's additional hardness.

It depends a lot on how you intend to use your knife. If you are looking primarily for a slicer / skinner then 3G would definately be an advantage and worth the additional cost (IMO).

If you are looking for a beat on, hack with, take a shit kicking knife, then the line becomes less clear. Both will drink it up and come looking for more, but I think it's fair to ask yourself, is the additional cost necessary for this type of use?

Kevin
 
rc3mil said:
Do you guys think it is worth spending the extra $80 and getting the 3G version or should i just get the regular VG10? How good is the VG10? Same knife meant for the same applications therefore the 3G steel should be superior right?
Click to expand...

You could also consider the Fallkniven TK2 if you're willing to spend more for 3G steel. I have a TK2 and a VG-10 F1, and I like the TK2 better. The handle is more comfortable for me, and I like having a metal guard, rather than thermorun. The TK2 only comes with a leather sheath, but I use a kydex sheath I made. The tip looks sturdier on the F1, if that makes a difference. Both knives are outstanding.
 
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