Fallkniven S1 vs. EKA W 11

themailman · Jul 23, 2013

Hello all. New here and looking for help choosing my next knife. I have some knives, but nothing really fancy, so I'm looking to get a few nice knives and get rid of the rest. My first is going to be a fixed blade, general purpose knife. I am a bit of an outdoorsman, so the knife would accompany me on fishing, hunting, and camping trips. I'm a scoutmaster and have 2 sons in the boy scouts, so I camp more than hunt or fish at this point. So give me the opinions on the Fallkniven S1 and the EKA W11.

themailman · Jul 24, 2013

No one has an opinion on which of these knives are better? I'll settle for someone who owns the EKA W11 and has am opinion on it.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Concat · Jul 24, 2013

Both nice knives, but I like Fallkniven S1 more.

The EKA W11 is sabre grind w/secondary bevel, the S1 is convex grind.
EKA W11 is Sandvik 12c27 steel, Fallkniven is Laminated VG-10 with 420J.
Fallkniven S1 has extended tang making it more suitable for hammering.
The EKA's handle is nicer.

Having said that, the EKA is cheaper and no slouch. That's my summary for you... but I don't actually own either one

Also, I should point out that the S1 is a bit thick so it might not be the best choice for filleting a fish or gutting in general. The EKA blade is 1 mm thinner...

Mikael W · Jul 24, 2013

Both models are respected here in Sweden and it has to be up to You wich one You like.
Both will serve You well.

Personally I went with the BS1, the blank and made my own handlescales.
The S1 has performed very well in anything Outdoors I have used it for.

Regards
Mikael

themailman · Jul 24, 2013

I guess part of the problem is that I don't know enough about the steel or edge type to know which one would be better. They appear to have the same hardness roughly. I will admit that I like the look and feel of wood, but I don't know if that's a point for making a selection. I also like that EKA is actually made in Sweden, although again I'm not sure I'd base a decision on that. I'm wanting to stay under about $150. If there's another option I should be looking at, feel free to share it.

Mikael W · Jul 25, 2013

I don't use EKA 12c27, but have used Mora and Bark River 12c27.
Both make good use of this steel and I like it!

Fällkniven laminated VG-10 is in another league and hold the edge longer.
The blade and edgegeometry are thicker and the S1 works very well, when batoning firewood.

Not within Your intended budget but the NL4 Frey is similiar to the S1, with a thinner edge and more upscaled handle.

In this size and within Your budget, there's also the Bark River Sperati Point in 12c27.
If You search the web there's a place in Dakota that has a few, still stocked from an old batch.

View attachment 366307 View attachment 366308

Regards
Mikael

Concat · Jul 25, 2013

themailman said:
I guess part of the problem is that I don't know enough about the steel or edge type to know which one would be better. They appear to have the same hardness roughly. I will admit that I like the look and feel of wood, but I don't know if that's a point for making a selection. I also like that EKA is actually made in Sweden, although again I'm not sure I'd base a decision on that. I'm wanting to stay under about $150. If there's another option I should be looking at, feel free to share it.

The convex edge on the Fallkniven is generally more coveted, and more rare. Try finding a convex folding knife, for example. There is essentially more steel behind the edge, so edge retention is high. The EKA has a much more standard edge. Nothing to get excited about really, other than their craftsmanship. The EKA would be easier to sharpen in the field. Sharpening a convex edge requires a bit more ingenuity than a travel stone.

I believe Fallkniven is made in Japan by Hattori. Definitely nothing to worry about in regards to manufacturing.

You really can't go wrong with either choice.

Mikael W · Jul 25, 2013

Concat said:
The EKA would be easier to sharpen in the field. Sharpening a convex edge requires a bit more ingenuity than a travel stone.

You really can't go wrong with either choice.

Well, I use small pocket stones like the Fällkniven DC3 or 4 and a piece of leather with chromepollish.
There's no problems maintaining a convex edge or any other edge, except serrated edges with these two.
A small Lansky ceramic rod fixes the serrated edge on a multi-tool.

Regards
Mikael

themailman · Jul 27, 2013

Well, that's making the decision harder. lol I was really leaning Eka, but it sounds like the consensus opinion is Fallkniven is a bit better. The only thing I like better about the S1 is the blade shape. Hmmm

ozgooner · Jul 28, 2013

I think you may find the EKA is less well known outside Sweden. However, I'd still say go with the S1. It's a fantastic all round knife for the kind of work you want. Grab an Opinel if you want something thin and slicey to go along with it.

I'm not a huge fan of the factory S1 handle, but was just able to pick up this one from a friend, which is the blade blank clad in customised G10 handles by a knife maker here in Australia.