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.

Personally I need the blade, of any fixed blade knife, to be at least a 1/4" thick for me to trust it. Several of the other knives that I have bought, that cost much more than this one, have blades that flex quite a bit. Yes, I understand metallurgy, so I am aware that we can argue the longevity and usefulness of a high carbon thin blade, versus a thick one and then throw in the alloy blades and case hardening versus through hardening as well, just to make things more confusing, but I'll stick to my OPINION of this knife.As stated, I love the 1/4" thick blade. It it high carbon and holds an edge very well. If this were the only knife I had ever owned, I'd call it fantastic, however, if I am going to go over a 5" blade length, it would be because I expect to do more chopping, and for that, this knife is a little light. Now do not confuse the weight with it's strength, because I cannot bend it, and I tried. I want things to break at home, not in the field. This knife will out live cockroaches and suck up anything that you throw at it. The sheath is not too tight and not too loose, so you don't have to use the button strap to keep it secure, even upside down, nor do you pull off your pack or belt trying to pull it out. Being that it is 7" long, it requires more dexterity to use for delicate tasks, and to offset that, I believe it was made a little lighter, but that limits it on heavier, chopping type activities. I do have a few 5 incher's that weigh a fair amount more, but all in all, this is a great knife, looks great, firm yet soft no slip grip, unbreakable, holds an edge very well, and a very functional sheath. Despite any hint of criticism, this a recommended and bullet proof knife, that will last you forever.

*** Edited and upgraded as of March 23, 2016: I have upgraded my review 5 STARS despite the sheath, because after returning my A1, nothing else which I tried even came close despite the A1 lousy Zytel sheath! FYI, I tried several models from ESEE. one OKC, a couple of TOPS plus DPx Gear and even contemplated on a super blade by LionSteel. I love the German super steel Sleipner but sadly like ALL carbon steels (even the superior ones such as Sleipner) they are invariably prone to rusting and corrosion and they do require quite a bit of maintenance even if they are parked in their sheathes in a humid climate. None of such none sense "babysitting" with the mighty A1. I reordered the A1 from another Amazon Prime seller and will gladly purchase a custom made sheath at a later date! ***This was the sharpest knife right out of the box which I had received from Amazon. The SHARPEST bar none! I have ordered quite a few camping / survival knives through Amazon and none of them, I mean none so far, had looked or had felt as impressive as this beast of a knife but ultimately I (sadly) returned the first order because:The Zytel sheath which it comes with is simply HORRID! Mine was rattling inside right out of the box so I was not sure if I had a defective factory sheath. I could have secured it more with some simple adjustments (at the expense of making it a slower draw) but I did not see as to why I should rig something of this higher price point, right out of the box. If you truly want this A1 as a keeper, be prepared to spend easily another $60-$100 for a custom made sheath. Further, the one which I received (Amazon fulfillment) looked like a "factory second" as it has some noticeable blemish on the handle although it was sold as a new item. I left that remark to the seller as I returned the A1.