John Fenna thinks the eight years it took to develop the Fallkniven F1 Knife “were not wasted”.
It took Fallkniven eight years to develop the “F1” knife, and as well as it being used by the Swedish Air Force as their aircrews’ issue survival knife, it has proved very popular as a civilian hunting/utility knife.
Available in several variants, the basic “satin” finished “F1” has a 97mm blade of laminated VG10 steel that has a full convex profile across its 27mm width. The blade is of a drop-point design 4.5mm thick at the spine and the tough VG10 steel core that is hard (HRC 62) but not brittle, holds its edge superbly, while the sides of the blade are of 420J2 steel which is very rust resistant.
The combination of shape, profile, length and steels, give a blade that is tough and performs well across a broad range of tasks. Some folk do not like the convex grind, but I have found it performs well for most tasks, including fine carving and even “feather sticking” a matchstick!
The handle is of heavily chequered and contoured thermorun over a broad, almost full width full length tang, which extends beyond the hand for “hammering” tasks. There is a lined lanyard hole towards the flared butt of the grips. I find the handle comfortable and almost totally non-slip.
The F1 comes with either a leather sheath, or for those who want a fully washable sheath (i.e. commercial game suppliers), there is a moulded Zytel sheath that is very tough, has leg tie holes, a large drain hole in the base, a synthetic webbing belt loop and a press stud closed “security loop” that goes around the narrowest part of the handle.
There is a “friction grip” built into the Zytel sheath, but I found this weak and not up to holding the knife in place if the sheath is inverted (definitely not needing the moulded thumb push platform to help you draw the knife) though I suppose enough for most use.
Unless you must have the Zytel sheath, then I would recommend the leather option.
As a lover of carbon blade and wood handles on knives, I was not sure I would like this – but I do! Although it is very “modern” and minimalist to look at, it is strangely appealing, and as a tool it performs extraordinarily well and is an excellent all-rounder that is very strong indeed!
Those eight years were not wasted….
The Fallkniven F1 is a top quality knife that costs around £96.95 with the Zytel sheath, £102.95 with the leather option, and comes with a 2-year guarantee.
