Fallkniven A1 Fine Edge Fixed Blade Knife, Black

If I could, I'd give this knife 6 stars. I researched this knife extensively before purchasing, and watched all the youtube videos. The A1 Destruction Test video cinched it for me. Now that I've got one, and had a chance to test it, all I can say is that every positive review was right on the money. I've been into blades for a long time and I've never held a finer knife in my hand. The laminated VG-10 steel is awesome. Shaving sharp out of the box and easy to maintain. Sharpening might take a little practice if you've never had a knife with a convex grind, but once you get the hang of it its easy. I can't say enough about the blade. This knife will cut, slice, slash and stab anything you could throw at it and ask for more. The knife itself is approximately the same size as a full size Kabar, with the blade slightly shorter but MUCH thicker and the knife heavier.One of the only complaints I've ever heard about this knife is that some people with large hands find the handle a little on the short side. I can see that, however, the handle fits my US-medium/large sized hand perfectly. The kraton handle isn't pretty but it is functional and handles well with wet or gloved hands. The zytel sheath is functional but unexceptional. I will be having a custom leather sheath made for it.This knife is already legendary in European military circles, and I predict it will be in the US Military eventually too. (I first heard of this knife from a US Marine who had used one in Iraq & Afghanistan and said it was bulletproof through extremely hard use in all weather & conditions). Marine grunts know knives.As an avid hunter and outdoorsman I spend a lot of time in the woods, everywhere from the swamps of the South Carolina low country to 10,000+ feet up in the Rockies. I own knives from Kabar, ESEE, Swamp Rat, Buck, Bark River, SOG, Cold Steel, Kershaw, Gerber, Blackhawk, Spyderco etc. I know it's a cliche, but in the case of the Fallkniven A1 it's true, if I could only have one knife it would be this one. Get one, you won't regret spending the money, its a superb knife that'll last a lifetime. I just need to figure out which one of my sons to leave it to when I'm gone.UPDATE: I just put this knife through a brutal work weekend on my hunting property. It performed beautifully. After cutting and chopping for 2 days there was no noticeable decrease in performance. After a few swipes through a Smith's sharpener I was shaving hair off my arm. I really can't say enough about this blade. There is no better mid-size survival knife than the A1. It's expensive, but if you spend a lot of time in the woods, and have to depend on your knife, it'll be money VERY well spent.

This has been my favorite knife until I recently replaced it with the A1 Pro. I gave the A1 to my second son, but I wish I had hung on to it a little longer. The A1 gets extremely sharp and it is clear that it is also extremely durable, both due to its thickness and its laminated design. It is great for processing wood, particularly in the area of batoning.Because it is an ideal survival knife, it spent much of its life in a bug out bag. What makes it ideal for survival is its 1) indestructible construction 2) ease of maintenance due to its stainless steel makeup 3) versatile size for both carving and chopping wood, and 4) its ease of sharpening.It is in roughly the same class (or role) as my Bark River Bravo 1.5 in CPM 3V steel, which I also prize. But if I had to choose between the two, I would take the A1 or A1 Pro over the Bravo. The Fallkniven knives top my list of favorites, though my Bark Rivers are not far behind.I have only two complaints with fallkniven. First, the Zytel sheaths, while very functional, are quite ugly and offer very few ways to upgrade their functionality. In other words, there are no rivets on which to lash additional kit items. Secondly, they seem irrationally loyal to VG10 steel. I wish they would branch out into other steel families, such as CPM products. Oh, and I guess lastly, I wish they had more variety in knife scale choices. It's either Thermorun or else you're looking at one of their premium blades, which are beautiful, but crazy expensive.

The Fallkniven A1 is the best mid-size to large survival knife(6"-8") pound for pound in my opinion. Living in the northwest, it's very wet a lot of the time. So even though I love my carbon steel knives, they just don't work for me with all the rain, salt, and humidity here.I've tried all sorts of coated knives, but I still get rust on the exposed cutting edge. And the coatings eventually wear off. The Fallkniven A1 has a laminated stainless steel blade, its truly truly razor sharp, and I don't have to worry about constant maintenance.It has nearly a 1/4" thick blade which gives it awesome chopping and wood splitting abilities.You should feel very comfortable using this camping, fishing, in the back country, jungle, wherever. Go over to Youtube and be amazed with all of the reviews, and crazy tests shown.The Kraton handle wraps around a full tang, and it's excellent for handling in gloves or mitts. Also retains a good grip when wet from rain or blood for you hunters out there.The biggest decision to make in my opinion is not to buy the knife. It's should you get the Zytel sheath, or the leather sheath version? I like the Zytel version due to the aforementioned environmental issues I have. It drains fast, very light weight, low profile and tough as nails.With that said, I will probably buy a leather sheath for it eventually. There are a lot of sheath makers making excellent leather and kydex sheaths specifically for this knife, so it made sense for me to get the Zytel first and order a leather sheath later. So google sheaths if that's part of your decision.I'm sold on Fallkniven knives quality and performance. I started with the F1, and have gone on to purchase the S1, WM1 and of course the A1.