The Fallkniven F1 might just be the most legendary and highly acclaimed knife that I’ve reviewed on my site to date. The F1 boasts the mighty credential of being the official knife of the Swedish Air Force since 1995 and it continues to hold that title. The F1 by Fallkniven is also a fan favorite among bushcrafters and survivalists. So, let’s see how it stood up to a year of extensive testing in my full Fallkniven F1 Review.
Fallkniven F1 Initial Thoughts
At first glance, the Fallkniven F1 screamed “winter outdoors knife” to me. That was before I knew the F1 was indeed a survival knife for Swedish Air Force pilots who may end up stranded in frigid conditions. So, when I dug into the F1’s legendary history, I was convinced that I needed to own one and test it throughout the winter months.
The size of the Fallkniven F1 is perfect for every day carry, the Laminated VG10 Steel is very resistant to the elements and the grip is ideal for cold weather.
Fallkniven F1 Dangler Sheath
Having made up my mind based on everything I saw about the F1, I decided on the Silver VG10 Version with the Dangler Sheath. In addition to the leather dangler sheath, I also own the Zytel Sheath and you can see my extensive Fallkniven F1 Sheath Mod article here.
If I had to choose between the two sheaths I would choose the leather dangler sheath. I do like the Zytel sheath’s ability to be modified. But, the leather sheath drops the knife at an ideal height for use with hip belts on backpacks, sitting around camp, getting in and out of a hammock, etc. It also retains the knife a bit more securely for my peace of mind.
Fallkniven F1 Comfort
A comfortable knife is everything when it’s a primary piece of your kit. And I have to say, the Fallkniven F1 is very comfortable to use, with or without gloves, for long jaunts or short ones, in the Cold of Winter or in the Heat of Summer.
A lot of times, with military knives, you get an overly technical handle, far too aggressive gimping, and a half-dozen other features that over-complicate things. But the Fallkniven F1 stays true to what you’d expect from Swedish Designs. They have focused on functionality over trendy looks.
I personally used the Fallkniven F1 as my primary tool in the dead of 2017’s Winter Season for all of the monotonous camp chores: Fire making, batoning kindling, dinner prep, etc. You really learn a knifes characteristics when it’s your primary tool in the woods, especially in harsh weather. And to take it one step further, the F1 will remain my Winter Blade for 2018.
Fallkniven F1 Performance
The Fallkniven F1 was my introductory to convex grinds. In fact, the F1 is still the only convex knife that I own. As with anything new, there is a learning curve to convex grinds versus scandi grinds (which I’m most familiar and experienced with). In my opinion, convex grinds are not as easy to make feather sticks with or do finer carving tasks. They are however much stronger than most scandi grinds. So, there’s a trade-off that you need to consider when deciding which tool to reach for.
For me, once I found my rhythm with the Fallkniven F1 I was able to bust out very suitable feather sticks for fire-making. I even carved a spoon one cold winter day, just to see if it was capable of such tasks. And it really surprised me with its ability to do such fine tasks. I was able to maneuver the blade very well, in a variety of grips to achieve the cuts I needed.
Fallkniven F1 VG10
As with convex grinds, I had never used VG10 Steel before the Fallkniven F1. But again, my experience was a great one with this steel. In the past year, it has proven to hold a great edge during long stints of work and I’ve never seen the blade’s edge chip or roll, even under intense use. And the VG10 steel has always sharpened back to a razor’s edge with minimal effort.
Fallkniven F1 Firesteel?
A lot of bushcrafters, including myself want to know if a knife has a sharp 90° spine that can be used with a firesteel. And the Fallkniven F1 does indeed have a sharp spine. However, you are not supposed to use a firesteel with it because of the laminated steel. This is a common theme among laminated steels, not just the F1.
As for scraping and preparing tender though, it’s game on. The spine of the F1 does a fantastic job when scraping bark into fluffy tender and similar types of tasks.
Who would love the Fallkniven F1?
To me, the Fallkniven F1 balances perfectly in a space between bushcraft, tactical/survival and every day carry. I cannot say that about a lot of knives.
With that said, I would recommend this knife to someone who is searching for a compact, tough and bombproof fixed blade knife that will primarily be used outdoors.
Fallkniven F1 Final Thoughts
I have been using this knife for a year off and on for a lot of different outdoor adventures. And I cannot find a bad thing to say about it, based on my experiences. It is everything I imagined it would be and it’s become a favorite in my collection. As I mentioned earlier, the Fallkniven F1 will be a companion again this winter for daily carry and outdoor trips.
For roughly $130-150 on SMKW.com or Amazon (price subject to change), I think the Fallkniven F1 is a good value for what you receive. The F1 knife brings something different to the table in this genre of knives and I would recommend it without hesitation.
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* Ethics Statement: Upon my request, Fallkniven sent me the Fallkniven F1 Knife with the Zytel and Dangler Sheath for the purpose of this review. Fallkniven has not previously proofread or influenced this review in any way. All opinions, statements, and content are my own.
