I mentioned on another thread that before making my recent purchase of a new knife that I had come up with a set of criteria of what I was looking for in a knife. I was asked to share this criteria, so that's where this post comes in .

First off I should say, this criteria was developed over time and changed as I considered the options out there. I had started playing with the idea of replacing my current knife after last summer so this is the culmination of my thinking on the subject.

The roles I were looking for this knife to fill were those of general camp knife and primary wilderness knife. It's the sheath knife I will be carrying while hiking, camping & backpacking. I wanted a knife that was strong and capable enough that I could rely on alone if forced to (like an emergency situation when hiking) but with the understanding that it would be complimented by the appropriate tools, like a saw and hatchet, in planned situations (like camping).

Frankly, I think most of my important criteria came directly from Doug Ritter's information here.

The following may not describe the ideal knife, but it describes MY ideal knife given what I know today . That said, this is what I was looking for:

A 4" (or so) blade. This is one of those criteria I change my mind about a few times. My original inclination was to look for something in the 4.5" to 6" range but after seeing so many good designs around the 4" mark I started reconsidering and ultimately came to the conclusion that I really hadn't found a situation where a 4" blade was insufficient.

Single plain edge, with no saw back and preferably no false edges.

Drop or spearpoint blade for strength. For grind I was really considering flat, sabre or scandi grind. I definitely thought convex would fit my needs, but was a bit wary about my ability to sharpen & maintain one.

Full tang construction, preferably with an extended tang or possibly a solid pommel.

Blade thickness greater than 1/8" for both general durability in an emergency as well as for added confidence for batoning during regular use.

Stainless steel blade, but preferably a steel that still holds a good edge. One of the reasons I was uncomfortable with carbon steel was that I also planned on using the knife for food prep while camping; another was I simply didn't want to have to think about blade care to the degree I feel a good carbon blade deserves.

A half guard for safety (more for emergency situations than normal use).

Reasonable weight. I didn't really have a fixed weight in mind, but I figured knives like the Becker Companion (one knife that gets great reviews) were heavier than I wanted to go.

For grip material, I was leaning towards man-made materials. While I really appreciate the look & feel of wood and bone handles, I felt the various man-made materials could be beneficial both for their gripiness and low-maintenance aspects (similar to the SS v. carbon decision).

I also wanted a good sheath. I was again leaning towards man made materials, preferring the low-maintenance and improved all-weather performance aspects. I was also interested in multiple mounting options (like the ESEE sheaths for example).

Finally, for cost, I really didn't want to break the $200 mark and was trying to stay under $150 if possible.

Based on all of this, I ended up with a Fallkniven F1 with the Zytel sheath:



I used this knife for the first time during a camping trip last week and it performed extremely well; I am very satisfied.

Obviously I ended up not getting exactly what I thought I was looking for, and there are some features of the knife that I decided would be beneficial but weren't a part of my original criteria (like the hidden tang), but working through the criteria I came up with certainly helped me narrow down the multitude of options out there and helped me select a knife that I believe will do everything I need and want it to do.

I copied you (but not blindly) and got an F1 a couple days ago. Your mentioning it in various posts got me to seriously check them out. Nice knife. Very "plain" and functional, solid, balanced. Suits my hand size, etc. etc., you know the rest of the good stuff.

I have been too embarassed to ask how to tie it around my leg properly, it seemed like such an obvious thing. Google didn't help, I guess because I called the thong thing a thong, you can imagine lol. I've never had a sheath with a tie point before. But I'll ask here since you seem to do it. The problem I have is when I sit or crouch down, then the thong is too tight. If I loosen it up, then it doesn't do its job when I'm walking. Maybe I'm just not doing it at all right, or misunderstand its purpose (to keep the sheath from swinging/moving?).

The F1 is a very nice knife! I have one myself.

Denis-handsome knife and sheath, full featured, but simple: well done.
Cfraser: Charitably, tie-downs provide a means for securing the sheath to a backpack, packbasket, land rover cockpit, whatever. Less charitably, leg-ties provide an element of tactical coolness, a gunslinger look. IMHO, belts are awkward places to carry belt knives, canteens, handgun holsters and flashlights, a bother justified only by necessity in combat and law enforcement/security scenarios. YMMV.

...and if I wear my knife on my belt, how will I carry my sword?

I think the way you selected a knife, based on its practicality, to meet your specific needs, was very intelligent.

I often see other folks (hikers & campers) carrying knives that are..... let's call them sub-optimal. Most any knife will do in a pinch, but there are some areas of use, that a purpose-designed blade will excell in.

I coundn't say, off-hand, just how many outdoorsmen/women I've seen carrying knives with deep, concave grinds, sharpened cutting edges on the blade's spine, or beautiful figured maple handles. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with any of those things. When simply cutting cord or carving wood one probably wouldn't notice anything, but there is a blatantly noticable difference in the amount of effort required to baton wood with an overly-thick, concave-ground or saber ground blade, as compared with a high or fully-flat ground blade of appropriate thickness, just as an example.

In my opinion, a polished wood or bone handle is far more aesthetically pleasing, than one made of man-made material, but a knife handle made of canvas micarta, or G-10 will last much longer under frequent use.

Beyond a certain point, details become a matter of preference (blade length, scandi-grind, etc.) but generally speaking, design has an appreciable effect. There are variables to consider when choosing a knife that best fits your needs, and that's really all I'm saying.

I have an F1 and couldn't be happier with the knife. They put a lot of time and thought into the design. No frills, all function.
I was so happy I ended up getting the H1 (same knife, slightly different blade) and a couple of WM 1 knives as well. Sometimes the F1is just a little large. I can't recommend the WM1 highly enough either.

Sharpening a convex grind knife takes a little getting used to however. I would recommend the DC 4 sharpener if you are in the market. It's designed specifically for fallkniven blades. Cheap stones don't work so well on high end steel.

I don't know the designer's intent of the holes, but as nursemike said, I think they are just there to provide some additional mounting options. I've read some who have suggested using those holes so the F1 can be carried as a neck knife, though it seems a bit large for that to me.

For myself, I haven't used them to secure the sheath around my thigh, I simply carry it hanging from my belt like any other sheath knife. What you see in the picture is a simple paracord wrap with the 2 ends of the cord threaded through the holes & tied off (I have about 6 1/2 feet of cord there). I like the idea of leveraging the sheath to carry some extra "survival" items, and this was my first attempt at that.

Thanks for the tip. I haven't tried sharpening it yet; after 3 days use camping it's still pretty darn sharp.

The other method I was considering trying out is the mouse pad & sandpaper method I've read about elsewhere or even just using an old leather belt as a strop to touch it up (I still have some research to do about this!).

Informative thread, guys! Thanks! I really appreciate the tip on the DC4.

Denis,

You may find the initial factory edge chips out a little ( very fine) but after sharpening a few times it reduces. Not sure why that is but a lot of others have noticed the same thing.

The mouse pad method takes a bit of skill to master. If you push too hard you can easily fold your edge over or even make the edge round ( thus duller) without noticing. I thought my F1 was a POS that wouldn't take an edge until if figured it was my fault and not the knifes. After a lot of cursing and swearing I got it right and now prefer a convex edge above all others.

Look up a "hoodoo hone" online and it will detail a very good method to sharpen a convex edge as well. Easy to make, works like a charm but best suited to at home bench sharpening depending on how light you like to travel.

If you go to bushcraftcanada.com I believe Paul( the owner) has some videos on using the DC4 and the smaller DC3.

Wow. Thanks much!

That's actually a very common observation of VG-10 knives in general. In pro kitchens it's considered a given that a VG-10 knife like a Shun or Hattori will chip a bit until you sharpen it a couple times.

Thanks Denis (& Nursemike too). I thought I was *supposed* to tie it down, and as you figured that's what I thought your paracord wrap was for. Now that you mention it, I recall the holes were in fact described for use as a neck knife, probably by Paul. D'oh!

Previously I only brought an Endura folder (my EDC, shortly to be changed) and a hatchet with me. No sheath knife. You probably know that the Endura is around the same size, and I find it comfortable to manipulate...that's the first thing that told me I'd like the F1, and having more handle meat + metal in there for balance made it an obvious good choice for me. I also like VG10, not too fancy for my sharpening "skills", and a decent hard-working steel IME. (That's what I meant by not copying you blindly.)

I have carried a Gerber BMF since 1985 and have been very satisfied with it. It is not small, and some places do not like the larger knives, but is is very durable and has withstood a tremendous amount of abuse. I recently bought a Winkler II belt knife and I love it. Expensive (a present to myself for a major accomplishment) but impressive in the woods. I am tough on knives and use (or abuse) them by doing things with them that most knives should never do. I used to break issue K-Bars like they were made of plastic.

The DC-4 or DC-3 Sharpener is essential, especially for the harder powdered ZDP-189, Lam.SGPS and 3G steels.

The capability to resharpening in the field is often overlooked with these expensive stainless super steels.

It's funny actually. I noticed this with all my field knives from fallkniven but not the kitchen knife. I purchased a fallkniven K1( lam VG10) and it hasn't shown a single chip in months of use. Real thin blade as well.

OTOH I dont baton with my K1 either.

I put a fairly low emphasis on sharpening in the field. For the most part I don't feel it's necessary, nor do I feel it's possible to do a good job sharpening that way. My method involved water stones in a progression up to pretty high grits. Or a belt sander for some types of knives. For the most part high end supersteels will hold an edge sufficiently long that resharpening in the field is unnecessary (at least for my purposes). If you badly chipped the edge it would be a real b!tch to fix that out in the sticks, anyways. Having a second knife is perhaps a better use of the weight and space than a full sharpening rig would be. All I generally carry is a ceramic hone or small strop.

That is a fine knife. If you lose it or you want a cheaper very similar version, check this out: http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Steel-Master-Stainless-Concealex/dp/B0011MYRN2.

Seems to fit most of your criteria - except for the exposed pommel.

I looked up the Gerber BMF and it has a solid reputation for toughness. They might do well to re-issue that.

I do recall the Cold Steel Master Hunter coming up during my research and it does seem to be a fine knife.

My only reason for not really considering it is, in retrospect, a bit on the superficial side. Simply put, Cold Steel's marketing and the image it projects of itself turns me off as a consumer. They seem to market their products mostly as weapons, or at least that's the image that has stuck with me. Whenever I hear Cold Steel, the image that comes to mind is that of a guy slashing a pig apart with some large, tacticool blade.

If I was in the market for an outright weapon, maybe they'd be on my radar as a company to consider. But if I'm looking for a tool for use in the outdoors, I'm not likely to give them the consideration that they might otherwise deserve based strictly on their product's merits.

As I understand it, the DC3 & DC4 are fine diamond on one side and fine ceramic on the other.

Based on this, I'm thinking that any good diamond whetstone, or even a compact field-sized diamond sharpener, would be sufficient. I could then use one of my existing ceramic sharpeners for the finer edge as desired (according to my understanding of Fallkniven's sharpening instructions at least).

For example, I am thinking of picking up something like the DMT Fine Whetstone or even just the DMT Fine Mini-Sharpener for now (the latter being more likely to make it into my bag when I head out the door).

Any thoughts on whether this plan is good, bad, or otherwise?

Another field sharpening option worth mentioning here is Fallkniven's D3t stone. This is the diamond side of the DC3 with a tape backing that allows it to be fixed to the F1's sheath like this:



Image Source (from britishblades.com)

One disadvantage I see to this is that the stone will cover up the 2 holes at the bottom of the sheath. I don't think this is the route I'm going to go down, but it might be of some interest to others here.

I can't see a problem with using any type of medium/fine diamond sharpener. It will raise a basic edge in any steel. As to maintaining the convex grind, the mfg. instructions suggest this is a long-term consideration.

Having owned both the DMTs and DC4, I would stick with the DC4. The DMTs just don't seem to be as effective at getting a good edge on the harder Stainless Steels. The DMTs are perfectly OK for the softer steels though i.e. Victorinox, Leatherman 420 and 440Cs etc but seem to struggle with the harder stuff like ZDP-189 and Lam.SGPS etc

The DC4 is not to expensive either compared to 2 or 3 grades of DMTs

Hmmm ... that wasn't the answer I was hoping for. It wasn't as much the cost as the fact that I could pick up one of the DMT products easily when I stop by MEC to get a few supplies before my next trip instead of ordering a DC4 online (I hate paying for shipping, but then usually end up buying more than I intend to get the "free" shipping!).

Thanks for letting me know though, I guess I should start shopping around for a DC4.

If you want a diamond sharpener nothing I'm aware of can even approach the quality of Japanese Atoma plates. They're very expensive but you can get a small slice made for Edge Pro use for a lot less. These 1" x 6" strips are mounted to EP blanks but are also perfect for portable use freehand.

I acknowledge your expertise in sharp-making, and the resources expended to obtain the best sharpening equipment. I ask this based upon ignorance only, and ask your indulgence: Other than expense,cachet, and user skill, is there any difference between a 1000 grit japanese water stone and a 1000 grit sheet of emery paper contact-cemented to a sheet of glass? It would seem to me that the issues are the relative hardness of steel and abrasive, and the flatness of the abrasive surface. Thank you-Mike

Another factor is the ease of which the abrasive breaks out of the matrix or adhesive.

I defer to those with greater expertise, but I have been happy with my DMT sharpener that I have used for years to sharpen knives used commercially for butchery and restaurant work, on my s30V, S35V, X15 T.N, ZDP 189, and CPM-M4 pocket knives as well as on my plane blades and chisels made of O1, A2, CMP-10V, CMP-3V and traditional Japanese blue and white steel paring chisels tempered to c66, etc. and have no complaints.

I am going to buy one of those Atoma plates to try it out, though.

A water stone is friable, meaning that new surface is constantly being exposed. A Japanese waterstone will work faster than a sandpaper and last much longer. The flatness can be an issue but if you lay the sandpaper on a tile or a piece of glass you're going to be at least as flat as the water stone. And of course, the water stone isn't gonna stay flat; you'll need to flatten it periodically, either on a stone fixer, a bit of sandpaper of another stone/plate. A DMT or Atoma works great. I use a DMT XXC for flattening.

Yeah, the Atoma is better but due to the lower price I still have eight different DMT plates and I still use them, but mostly for flattening my water stones. I don't really dig diamonds all that much for actual knife sharpening except at the really low end. They really excel at cutting the initial bevel. Above the 140 Atoma I generally switch to stones.