Is Fallkniven S1 Forest Knife worth 3x more $$ than BM Rant?

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meliaant

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Sep 10, 2008
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OK, so title sums it up...I'm looking for a 4"-5" fixed blade for hunting/camping/skinning, etc....my folder is a BM Griptilian 551S...the BM Rant is everything I need, for around $50, but my heart sure does belong to the Fallkniven S1 Forest Knife, but it's about $125...is it really worth spending more than double the cost of the Rant for the S1? (someone say yes so I can justify it)
 
YES

I had a Rant drop-point. Sold it. Nice knife, super sharp, but that hollow ground blade that works so well for sliced makes it a weaker edge for all-around camp duties or field dressing larger game.

The S1 is on my wish list, and seems like a great multipurpose knife.
 
Don't get the BM the bilt system is not a good one, especially with any hard use. My D2 110 has thick rust in the handle because it isn't sealed and totally uncoated unless you do it yourself.
 
Consider a Bark River - all American made with tool-steel hollow-ground blade. Nice leather sheath. I like my Gameskeeper, Fox River, and North Star. I've considered knifesshipfree.com's custom Falkniven F1s - they are less than the Micarta Falkniven F1s, but include a nicer grip and sheath. Everything but the Japaneese-sourced VG-10 blade is made in MI's UP. With the Falkniven, you must understand that the base model is the rubber-like handled one - and is made in Japan. With the economy the way it is, I will endeavor to keep my moola closer to home.

You might consider something as simple as a Buck Vanguard - available in S30V and CPM154, as well as the utilitarian 420HC. Before I was 'enlightened', ie, bought a bunch of neat but more expensive knives, I was happy camping with just a Vanguard. Of course, I felt better with a pocket folder, too, be it a SAK or Buck 110.

Stainz
 
I consider the new USA-made full tang 10502 Rant to be up there with the Fallkniven. It really is a very good knife.

 
The F1 is the superior blade. Is it worth the difference? Depends on where you are when it fails. If you're at home when the cheap blade fails, no big deal. If it fails when you are 5 miles away from the trail head and it's snowing and getting dark, well, different deal. If you are looking for something to play with while you're watching TV, If you want a serious working knife, get the best thing you can afford.
 
Fails? There not much to fail on the Rant - and there's nothing cheap about Benchmade's 440C. It's good stuff, pretty much comparable to VG-10 in my experience.
 
I have four (4) Fallkniven F1s, 2 S1s, an A1, an NL4 and an NL5.
Do I like Fallknivens - YES!
Definitely get one or more!

I've had 4 of the Rants (notice the past tense - had).
Sold them all off.
Are they decent, basic light duty knives - yes, they are.
Are they a knife where you would keep it forever and know you can trust it to do the job no matter what comes your way - no.

Just get the Fallkniven...

Regards,
Mike
 
Personaly why dont you go with an RC4 from Rat Cutlery. Same price range nd great little knives right in your size range.
 
If you carry a Griptilian 551S why not get a fixedgrip? Model 151 I think.
 
how are the rants breaking, is it a problem with stress risers at the tang, or edge failures into the primary grind, or something else?
 
Depending on heat treat, 440C should be a little tougher than VG-10 (once again, it all depends on heat treat). On the other hand the S-1 is a little thicker, I'd take the extra thickness of the S-1 if toughness is a major concern.

VG-10 will hold a better edge, and the Fallkniven is probably ground thinner at the edge (making it a better cutter). You can always re-bevel the edge though, and depending on your uses the Rant would probably make just as good a camp knife for 90% of what you'd use a knife for. Personally I'd be less afraid to do stuff with the Rant as well, given that it is so easily replaced if something does go wrong.

Knife to pass down to your kids = Fallkniven S-1 (though a Barkie would serve this purpose even better)

Knife to use hard at the campground and not worry about damaging it = BM Rant.
 
Yeah, well the knife is going to be used primarily for field dressing and skinning anything from pheasant and duck, to whitetail and elk (if I ever convince my dad to take a MT trip with me)...they're about the same size, the S1 is a tiny bit longer & thicker (stay focused people), but it just seems as if $47 for the new BM 10502 Rant is an incredible deal...I've looked at the fixed Grip, but I like the blade shape of the Rant better for what I'm going to use it for...
 
Joshua J. said:
Depending on heat treat, 440C should be a little tougher than VG-10 (once again, it all depends on heat treat). On the other hand the S-1 is a little thicker, I'd take the extra thickness of the S-1 if toughness is a major concern.

VG-10 will hold a better edge, and the Fallkniven is probably ground thinner at the edge (making it a better cutter). You can always re-bevel the edge though, and depending on your uses the Rant would probably make just as good a camp knife for 90% of what you'd use a knife for. Personally I'd be less afraid to do stuff with the Rant as well, given that it is so easily replaced if something does go wrong.

Knife to pass down to your kids = Fallkniven S-1 (though a Barkie would serve this purpose even better)

Knife to use hard at the campground and not worry about damaging it = BM Rant.
Click to expand...

I thought all the Fallkniven fixed blades came with a convex grind, making the hollow grind on the Rant thinner than the Fallkniven
 
The new Rant is awesome but is more of a hunting knife than a hard use bushcraft knife.
Fantastic deal and a great gift.

I love the forest knife though. If you want something a bit more hard use and high end they are great but even better is the barkniven version. KSF had some Fallkniven blades with the bark River style convex edge and great micarta handles.
 
For me it was different - could not decide between the S1 and F1

Got both - love em!!


The S1 is probably the better natural compliment to a small folder - like a ritter grip or mini grip


hey thats what I have - may be I am biased
 
You have to remember than any blade style can be given a thick edge or thin one. It all depends on how thick the blade is left at the edge.
For example, my Spyderco Military is flat ground, so is the Chinook III. The tip on the Militray is incredibly thin, very good at slicing and well known for snapping off. The tip on the Chinook is the thickest part of the edge, the way the blade was shaped edge thickness increases going from the belly to the tip.

Fallkniven knives are known for having thinner than usual edge grinds, Benchmade is more of a standard manufacturer and will naturally leave their edges a little on the thick side, just because they have to assume that people aren't going to take it easy on their knives.
I guess Fallkniven just expects the people who buy thier knives to know what they're doing.
 
I'm a Fallkniven fan too. Love my F1. But I've got to tell you, I would be fine with the BM or any other similar fixed blade put out by an established company like Buck or Case or whatever. Until I lost it on Sandia Peak one day, the only hunting/camping/bushcraft fixed blade I used was a 4" Boy Scout sheath knife made, I think, by Western. I got that knife when I was 9 and lost it when I was 39. It did everything I wanted it to do and more. Spent hours looking for it. Alas.
Like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/Boy-Scout-Hunti...|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50#ebayphotohosting
 
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