- Joined
- Dec 27, 2004
- Messages
- 1,500
OK, let's try this again, and hopefully not lose it to the ether...
Funny how after a while here on BladeForums, when someone says "survival knife" you start thinking of a Busse SHBM, or CS Trailmaster, or SWKW Ratweiler... yet somehow, so many people have managed to survive all these millennia with much smaller, more handy, knives.
The Foster Fears Survival Knife definitely falls into the latter category.
Like Tom, I sorta expected a big ol' hunk o' steel in the USPS box; the Fears ain't all that big, but as soon as I drew it from the sheath, it was clear it was a tough, no-nonsense knife. The thick, saber-ground blade may be only 4-1/2" long, but damn solid; likewise, the textured international orange G-10 scales are both functional and solid as a rock. Rather than decorative pins, the scales are held on with oversize hex-head Chicago-style screws, in case you need to remove the scales for cleaning. The tang is full profile, un-tapered and has no lightening holes; compared to the D. Winston passaround folder I just handled, this thing feels like a crowbar!
However, in its belt sheath, it's really not very heavy at all. Just sturdy. And functional: I know Daniel Dorn took it to N'awlins for work, and I have no idea what horrors TOB put it through, but by the time I got it, this knife was well-used! A little scrubbing in the kitchen sink, a little touch-up on the Sharpmaker, and the Fears Survival Knife was ready to roll.
I cut up some cardboard with it, whittled some fallen branches, and used it a bit in the kitchen, but sadly, that's all the testing I could manage last week. Even in that limited use, though, the Fears showed a lot of promise.
On cardboard, it cut fairly well for a thick, saber-ground blade; although the blade is "only" 440C, it held an edge quite well, better than a lot of stainless knives I've used. Ditto on wood; it cut well, and was easy to control. In the kitchen, it didn't slice as well as my wafer-thin Forschner santoku, but proved a sturdy yet nimble cutter on materials from carrots to a whole chicken.
The handle looks small at first glance, but is thick, well-rounded, and surprisingly comfortable in extended use. The highly-arched spine of the handle may not win any awards for aesthetics, but is supremely functional — it drops the blade down to create a substantial lower guard, yet keeps the knuckles up high off the edge, which is a godsend for food prep. The rear of the spine is aggressively serrated for traction, and the sides of the G-10 scales are well-textured for a secure grip.
The blade is well ground, but has a bead-blast finish; this isn't a mall-ninja tactical blade, and in such a corrosion-resistant steel as 440C, I would prefer a satin finish. In a survival situation, wouldn't a shiny surface be a "good thing"?
The only other thing I can complain about is the sheath. It's nylon with a thick ABS insert, but the nylon isn't very heavy, has a too-big and chintzy plastic D-ring at the bottom, and is badly glued at the throat of the insert; also, the insert itself is a bit loose, so the blade rattles in it. As mentioned in the passaround thread, newer Fears knives will have a better Kydex sheath, which sounds like a great improvement!
I would've looooved to try batonning some wood with the Fears, but since it was a passaround, I didn't. I have no doubt, though, that it'd take quite a beating, and come back for more. This is a knife that is designed, more than anything, to be used.
If you're looking for a no-nonsense outdoor knife that's highly visible, tough as nails, and comfortable to use, you could do a damn sight worse than the Foster Fears Survival knife. It might not be as elegant as a Loveless custom or as impressive as a Busse, but you also won't cry when it gets it's first scratch, either... in fact, I'm betting you'll want to get a lot more on it. It's that kinda knife.
Funny how after a while here on BladeForums, when someone says "survival knife" you start thinking of a Busse SHBM, or CS Trailmaster, or SWKW Ratweiler... yet somehow, so many people have managed to survive all these millennia with much smaller, more handy, knives.
The Foster Fears Survival Knife definitely falls into the latter category.
Like Tom, I sorta expected a big ol' hunk o' steel in the USPS box; the Fears ain't all that big, but as soon as I drew it from the sheath, it was clear it was a tough, no-nonsense knife. The thick, saber-ground blade may be only 4-1/2" long, but damn solid; likewise, the textured international orange G-10 scales are both functional and solid as a rock. Rather than decorative pins, the scales are held on with oversize hex-head Chicago-style screws, in case you need to remove the scales for cleaning. The tang is full profile, un-tapered and has no lightening holes; compared to the D. Winston passaround folder I just handled, this thing feels like a crowbar!
However, in its belt sheath, it's really not very heavy at all. Just sturdy. And functional: I know Daniel Dorn took it to N'awlins for work, and I have no idea what horrors TOB put it through, but by the time I got it, this knife was well-used! A little scrubbing in the kitchen sink, a little touch-up on the Sharpmaker, and the Fears Survival Knife was ready to roll.
I cut up some cardboard with it, whittled some fallen branches, and used it a bit in the kitchen, but sadly, that's all the testing I could manage last week. Even in that limited use, though, the Fears showed a lot of promise.
On cardboard, it cut fairly well for a thick, saber-ground blade; although the blade is "only" 440C, it held an edge quite well, better than a lot of stainless knives I've used. Ditto on wood; it cut well, and was easy to control. In the kitchen, it didn't slice as well as my wafer-thin Forschner santoku, but proved a sturdy yet nimble cutter on materials from carrots to a whole chicken.
The handle looks small at first glance, but is thick, well-rounded, and surprisingly comfortable in extended use. The highly-arched spine of the handle may not win any awards for aesthetics, but is supremely functional — it drops the blade down to create a substantial lower guard, yet keeps the knuckles up high off the edge, which is a godsend for food prep. The rear of the spine is aggressively serrated for traction, and the sides of the G-10 scales are well-textured for a secure grip.
The blade is well ground, but has a bead-blast finish; this isn't a mall-ninja tactical blade, and in such a corrosion-resistant steel as 440C, I would prefer a satin finish. In a survival situation, wouldn't a shiny surface be a "good thing"?
The only other thing I can complain about is the sheath. It's nylon with a thick ABS insert, but the nylon isn't very heavy, has a too-big and chintzy plastic D-ring at the bottom, and is badly glued at the throat of the insert; also, the insert itself is a bit loose, so the blade rattles in it. As mentioned in the passaround thread, newer Fears knives will have a better Kydex sheath, which sounds like a great improvement!
I would've looooved to try batonning some wood with the Fears, but since it was a passaround, I didn't. I have no doubt, though, that it'd take quite a beating, and come back for more. This is a knife that is designed, more than anything, to be used.
If you're looking for a no-nonsense outdoor knife that's highly visible, tough as nails, and comfortable to use, you could do a damn sight worse than the Foster Fears Survival knife. It might not be as elegant as a Loveless custom or as impressive as a Busse, but you also won't cry when it gets it's first scratch, either... in fact, I'm betting you'll want to get a lot more on it. It's that kinda knife.
