I accumulated the standard outdoor fixed blades a quite a few years ago.
My general slacking means no reviews for most of these (yet), but when it comes to a dependable fixed blade, I tend to be a lot stricter when reviewing as opposed to folders, where toughness is secondary insofar as performance is concerned.
I have yet to use the ESEE 4 or the Tops Trekker, while my old faithful VG-10 Fallkniven F1 looks a lot worse for wear.
I default to it despite having newer knives, but ultimately, I trust the F1.
It doesn’t have the best steel, doesn’t have the best ergonomics, and the cutting geometry – whilst pretty good – is not optimal for my outdoor use case. A scandi would be better for me.
But when all is said and done, my Fallkniven inspires a degree of trust and reliability that no other knife I own has yet to match.
So here we are, many, many years later and I still have the same “old faithful” outdoor carry, which I still haven’t reviewed. Go figure.
Knives Featured
- Sog Northwest Ranger 2
- ESEE 4
- Condor Bushlore
> Read our review of the Condor Bushlore - Tops Lite Trekker
- Fallkniven F1
Very well said BDC! Survival [and tactical] are more mindsets than expensive gear. Skill and attitude are the real keys to survival.
Everyone likes a cool and rugged fixed-blade knife, and I have near a dozen of them. But typically, all you need is a decent folder for under $25 in your pocket, or even just a SAK for most outdoor trips.
Nevertheless, keep putting out the knife reviews Thomas. They’re fun to read.
There is something strange going on with the F1.I also own the A1,a mora buschraft,a boker, a bark river squadleader and some others..the strange thing is that every where I go my No 1 knife is the small beast,the F1!
I was a knife dealer. The skill is in the person and not the tool. Everyone of the choices is very acceptable. If you understand and perform maintenance and use a sheath that is suitable for your carry preference, your choice would not make a difference in the end result.
The reason that skills matter is illustrated by the following. Northern Scandinavia can be unforgiving to a person in the cold woods facing a shtf scenario. An adventurous boy or girl living on a farm is given a Mora knife costing under $20 US. If he or she has to survive a sudden problem that may require a knife, that $20 knife will suffice. The F1, designed as a jet fighter pilot knife for the same survival area costs 6 times as much. I have both . . . because I gift Mora knives to young relatives.