Ultimate Survival Knife For The Money The KA-BAR Marines Knife VS The Fallkniven A1?

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ShinyLoveMachine

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So I've been looking at survival knives spending hours doing research and for the money I've come down to these two knives. If you have another suggestion of a knife please let me know, however I would like an opinion of which you think is the best of these two highly rated knives and tell me why?

Note: Being that I live in Montana I will be using these knives for long periods of time for camping in seclusion in some of the largest Wilderness Areas in the Lower 48 States like the Bitterroot Selway Wilderness, The Frank Church River Of No Return, And The Bob Marshall Wilderness Areas. Please just bear that in mind in terms of what I will be using them for.

Here they are and you can see the reviews/knife on Amazon. So we have the famous KA-BAR full size marines knife with excellent reviews MADE FROM 1095 STEEL:


And here is the other more expensive but looks to be amazing knife I was considering: MADE FROM VG-10 STEEL


That Fallkniven knifes looks/seems amazing made with VG-10 steel but is it worth the extra money when you can get the KA-BAR 1095 STEEL knife for under 100 bucks? Can anyone speak from experience? What's your opinion? Thanks in advance guys!
 
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I never had a A1 but they have a great reputation. I have had a Kabar at one time. If I had to choose between the two, honestly, I'd choose the Kabar. I personally can't justify the $100+ difference between the two. That $100 can be used to buy another toy :D. I should also mention I am *ahem* frugal.

I would also point out that I would buy a Becker bk22/bk10/bk7 before a Kabar. I like the blade shape of the 22 best and I'm not a fan of leather handles (although other Kabars have kraton handles) or the fuller (blood groove) that the Kabar has. The Kabar handle is a tad on the short side too at under 5 inches and since I have a big hand, that's a big factor for me. The Becker would run about $10 more then the Kabar and still well below the A1. I would argue the Becker might be the best bang for buck survival/hunting/camping knife out there.

I would also expect to see the ESEE 6 mentioned in this post as well. I have never owned one but they have a great rep as well. Is the ESEE 6 worth another $50 over the Becker..? I don't know.
 
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Welcome.

While you have given us a pretty good answer as to what you mean by "survival," its still pretty tough to answer your question.

Is the knife going to be your only cutting tool?

Are you bringing a chopper/wood processor like a hatchet or folding saw?
Are you bringing a slicer/skinner/food prep knife?
What are you going to sharpen with? Are you good at it?
Do you worry about rust?
 
I own neither knife. That said, I would buy a kabar over a Fallkniven all day long. Check the warranties on both. If I need a knife to bet my life on I want it to be warranted for more than 2 years. I'm sure I'll get some hate for this but the facts are what they are. The A1 is only guaranteed to last you 2 years. Period.
 
Have had a Ka-Bar fighting utility ( as well as a Camillus Mk2, If you want a history lesson on the Ka-bar USMC knife, use google) , have a Fallkniven F1.

For what you need the knife for I would go with the A1.

Will the Fighting/utility work? Of course. However I prefer the full grind of the Fallkniven, ergos of the handle, and love convex edges.

The steel type doesn't matter much to me.
 
It was many moons ago (like in the early 90's), but I have personally broken that Ka-Bar model right at the guard, when chopping down a 3" sapling. I know, I know, knives aren't meant to chop, that's what axes are for. But, if you're looking for the "Ultimate Survival Knife", full tang is a must have. Out of those two, only the Fallkniven has it. Just more information for your consideration
 
The ESSEE though that gazz98 recommended does also look like an amazing knife. It has 5 stars on Amazon period 17 5 star reviews no less. It is hard to argue with that I must say lol. It looks like the ESSEE is also full tang. Hmm so many choices so little time hahaha
 
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ShinyLoveMachine said:
The ESSEE though that gazz98 recommended does also look like an amazing knife. It has 5 stars on Amazon period 17 5 star reviews no less. It is hard to argue with that I must say lol. Does anyone know if that ESSEE is A FULL TANG one piece knife?
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Amazon reviews should be taken with a very big grain of salt.

For the last couple years the Esee 6 has been my go to camp knife. Size, shape, & materials are great for a survival knife. Also, the company is great. Made in the USA. Forever no questions asked transferable warranty. Truly a company that stands behind its product.
 
I have both and have used both extensively, up here in Alaska and also back down in Montana and other parts of the Lower 48.

Between the two you mention, I'd go for the Fallkniven. I find it keeps an edge longer, and yet is easier to resharpen. I much prefer the Fallkniven ergonomics as well, with the handle being much easier for me to use over the long haul, and the balance working for me better. Also, I've done some destructive testing of Fallkniven knives, and I trust that steel.

For me, and what I do in the wilderness, it would be worth the extra money.
 
The USMC Fighting Utility model is OK, especially if you cut off the top guard (which just gets in the way) and get the plastic sheath (Ka-Bar leather sheaths are paper thin). There have been a few broken ones reported through the years, which considering how many of them are out there, is not that bad. The problem, unless I'm mistaken, was not the hidden tang (which is actually rather substantial), but the 90° angles where the tang meets the blade which should have been rounded.

I like Fallknivens, and if given a choice between an F1 or A1 and a Ka-Bar USMC, I'd take the former. I think they're worth the price. My F1 has been great, my only complaint being that the handle is a little thin for my large hands.

However, if you're looking for a good wilderness blade and don't want too spend too much, take a look at Becker knives. Made by Ka-Bar, excellent designs with good materials and great prices. A BK7, similar in size to the USMC Ka-Bar can be had for under $100. The handle can be easily customized to better suit your hands, the sheaths are OK and hold up well.

ESEE makes a quality product, too. To answer your question, they are full tang. A nice solid slab of 1095. A bit more expensive than Beckers but with nicer finish, better sheaths and micarta handles. I like both brands.
 
Craytab I agree they should be taken with a grain of salt but I find myself more and more looking at Google Reviews, Amazon Reviews, and constant online reviews of businesses and products in general. While this could drive a person to insanity I find that the reviews are usually approximately accurate. For example that ESSE 6 is 5 stars on Amazon; it sounds to me like you'd give it 5 stars am I right? Sure I'm fully aware for example on Google business reviews some businesses post false positive reviews of themselves and vice versa,

but in total I'll look at reviews that seem fishy to me and I can usually tell by the profile if it was just a dud profile set up by the business etc. In total I think it's a great system, money isn't easy for me to come by so I want to reward businesses and products that deserve my money. I feel reviews online are like Free Speech 10.0 and have definitely saved me from a lot of headaches
 
Excellent answer guns_and_labs and Franciscomv. I'm starting to really like everyone on this forum and I'm glad I joined. Excellent information here on the interwebnets!
 
ShinyLoveMachine said:
Craytab I agree they should be taken with a grain of salt but I find myself more and more looking at Google Reviews, Amazon Reviews, and constant online reviews of businesses and products in general. While this could drive a person to insanity I find that the reviews are usually approximately accurate. For example that ESSE 6 is 5 stars on Amazon; it sounds to me like you'd give it 5 stars am I right? Sure I'm fully aware for example on Google business reviews some businesses post false positive reviews of themselves and vice versa,

but in total I'll look at reviews that seem fishy to me and I can usually tell by the profile if it was just a dud profile set up by the business etc. In total I think it's a great system, money isn't easy for me to come by so I want to reward businesses and products that deserve my money. I feel reviews online are like Free Speech 10.0 and have definitely saved me from a lot of headaches
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Dud profiles are not what I would worry about on Amazon reviews. It would be idiots who don't know anything about what they are reviewing. Looking at reviews and recommendations here is different. Everyone here has a history, a past. You can look it up. See what they have said, what their experience is. If they have no experience or if they suck, you can verify that. Amazon not so much.

In all, I am sure any of the knives discussed thus far would work fine. Money isn't easy to come by for me either. That is why I try to support companies who fully stand behind their products no matter what. Esee is one of these companies and they are right here in the USA. I would give the ESEE 6 5 stars!

Glad you came here to get some opinions on knives. Not all of us agree on stuff but despite this, I think we are better than amazon reviews!
 
I would pay the extra money and buy the Fallkniven A-1 over the Ka-bar, it is a better quality knife with excellent steel, and designed for cold weather use while wearing gloves.
Nothing wrong with the Ka-bar but you get what you pay for.
 
I would go with the A1 if I had to pick between the two just because it was actually designed as a woods knife while a Ka-Bar's are mainly fighting knives and general utility. There are so many good knives out there in the same price range as the Ka-Bar that would probably get the job done just as well as the Fallkniven that I can't really suggest you pick from just those two.
 
It worries me deeply that 1) you are checking out Amazon reviews to find such a critical tool in this long term outdoor living, and 2) you have never told us what other sharops you are bringing.

You are not just bringing a "do it all survival knife" are you? You are an experienced outdoorsman and really know what you are doing, right?

It seems like that experience and knowledge of yours would have led you to find a good knife by now.

Little concerned that you might be placing a survival knife before a survival skill set. Hopefully I'm wrong.
 
I have owned a knife similar to the KaBar Marine (another model of KaBar actually). It performed pretty well, but the handle (which is similar to the Marine) was never completely comfortable for me. I also have an A1 and I love this knife. For a single knife to do it all, it is on the big/heavy side. That said, it will chop very well, has great ergonomics and isn't so clumsy as to limit it's use to heavier duty tasks. It also has a convex grind (which I happen to love).

I do always carry a smaller knife (like the F1 or a pocket knife), so I haven't been limited to using only this knife in the field. I have had my KaBar as my only knife and it was perfectly wrong for me. Too big for smaller tasks and not heavy enough for larger tasks. The feel/quality of the two knives also differs enough that I would recommend the Fallkniven.

As for warranties, I have never put much stock in them. I believe they speak more to marketing savvy and less to a product's actual performance/reliability. I have had very few issues with any of my knives and have been well taken care of with any I have had issues with (whether under warranty or not). It's more worth while to do the research to support a reputable company than to figure they must have good stuff if they will back it up for a lifetime. Ginsu knives are guaranteed for a lifetime.
 
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For survival knives I believe a full tang is important. That said, the KA-BAR no doubt has a long history of success. However my choice of the two would be the Fallkniven. Gorgeous knife. You've clearly done a lot of research, but I would encourage looking again at ESEEs. I have have five of them; love and trust each (I have a Izula, 3-mil, 4, 5 and 6). Hope this helps!
 
I've got the Fallkniven F1 survival knife and H1 hunter. Great knives, no complaints, but you would want something larger.

In that class, I like the Becker 7 which was designed to replace the Ka-Bar Fighting/Utility, and the ESEE 6. The Becker and ESEE are large and strong enough to rely on and I like the ergonomics for a big hand.

The Izula is an excellent addition for finer work.
 
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