Cold Steel SRK vs Fallkniven A1
While I'm a huge fan of the Great Easterns and actually use them, I do head out in the woods on occasion and feel a need for a little sturdier 'camp' knife. Earlier this summer I posted my impression of the SRK Carbon V and came away with the impression that it was a great knife and did everything demanded in fine form.
But, always in search of a 'better mouse trap' (or in this case, 'sharper knife') I've been selling the Fallkniven's for quite some time and watched a destruction video on youtube that was pretty amazing. So, it was kind of a natural to take one out on a trip see if the Fallkniven was as great as it appeared. And just as important, how does it compare with the SRK?
So to lay some ground work, the Fallkniven A1 is on the left next to it's leather sheath from the guys at JRE with a sleeve for the Firesteel, and on the right is a Cold Steel SRK with Carbon V blade. While I'm not a huge fan of the 'tactical' style sheaths, the aftermarket JRE leather sheath is terrific. When the Fallkniven is bottomed in the sheath, it's not gonna fall out. Tip it upside down, shake it, try to 'throw' it out of the sheath.....oh yeah, that baby stays put. The other great feature is the sleeve (barely visible behind the knife) for a Swedish Army size FireSteel. Are you listening Dan???... the only add on that would finish the sheath would be a pocket to carry a DMT pocket stone. Otherwise, very nice!
Here's a list of the critical specs on the two knives.
Both knives have a black coating on them of questionable effectiveness. On the Cold Steel it does a fair job of protecting the carbon blade, but the finish on both blades wears off and on the Cold Steel it chips.
I had used the Cold Steel before and had touched up the edge prior to heading out. The Fallkniven was new out of the box and was literally razor sharp.
Since I gave the Cold Steel a thorough workout previously, I really spent most of my efforts on evaluating the Falkniven. First task at hand was building a fire and splitting a little wood. Take note of the where the blade's heading.
Yup, right into the gravel. Now, while it wasn't a destruction test and I wouldn't normally recommend doing this, I had my camp mate put both knives through a few extreme conditions. We shaved some kindling, did some splitting basically using the knife as a wedge and trimmed a few limbs around the tent, cut a little rope and started on supper.
No....those aren't my hands. At this point the Fallkniven held an edge over the Cold Steel. While both were still in shaving shape, the Fallkniven had the edge.
While both knives held an edge in fantastic fashion, both blades are pretty thick for any delicate work around the kitchen. And of course, that's where the Great Easterns can come in!! You can also see in this picture where the finish has started to wear off after a little wood splitting.
One of the 'specs' I listed above is the ricasso on the blades. That's the unsharpened portion between the hand and the blade. The Cold Steel has a distinct advantage if you're like me and like to move your hand up as close to the 'working' area as possible on small trimming jobs.
On the Fallkniven, ....keep your grip on the handle...period. That blade is sharp!!
Another minor detail I particularly liked about the Cold Steel is the top swedge or false edge. It's bit sharper then the A1's and worked fantastic for fire starting with the Fire steel. If you've ever used a Swedish FireSteel and have struck the starter with a sharpened knife blade, you know you can throw some serious sparks. The problem is, those sparks are extremely hot and can be tough on the finest knife blade. The top of the blade however is another thing. You don't depend on it for a cutting edge and if it gets an incidental knick or ding, no big deal. I think I'll remedy that situation on the Fallkniven with a little judicious file work.
The handles on both knives are pretty equal in my estimation. The Cold steel has some shallow grooves on the top and bottom of the grip that offer minimal additional gripping surface. Not a big deal. One point for the Fallkniven is the full tang that's exposed at the butt. Nice minor detail if you need a lightweight hammer or you're in a situation where you need to open a car window in a hurry.
Both knives have substantial blades that should handle some serious prying and poking with a slight edge for the A1. A spec that I listed above is one of my own creation that I call "point taper". (I know there's a fancy term but bear with me anyway.) What I'm referring to is how far back from the tip the full thickness of the blade starts to taper to a point (length of the swedge). Logically, the closer to the tip the blade retains a full thickness, the stronger the tip should be. Add the fact the A1 has a little deeper belly, I gotta give this one to the Fallkniven. They have a reputation for having a very strong blade and it's easy to see why.
A spec I'm not qualified to comment on with any great authority is the blade steel. The composition of the Carbon V steel has always been a bit vague to me in that I think there was more then one recipe for Carbon V. The VG10 Laminated blade has an excellent reputation and it appears that rep' is upheld through my experience.
Another critical point is the difference in weight. Both of these are terrific knives and I wouldn't blink an eye grabbing either one and heading off into unknown territory for a week of survival exercises requiring a reliable blade. IF I had the time to pick one over the other.... I'd grab the Fallkniven and the weight would be a big factor. While 2.3 ounces doesn't sound like much, once you start doing some chopping or wood splitting, that extra 2+ ounces makes a huge difference. You have to feel it to believe it.
But the strongest reason influencing me to grab the A1 is the edge retention. Both knives got a thorough workout including running the blades through the gravel splitting wood. By the way, I don't think that's an unrealistic aspect to the test as most knives that are in the field for any extended length of time without proper attention often see some unexpectedly rough use. Both did a great job on edge retention, but the A1 definitely wins. While you could see minor dings in both blades after the workout, the A1 would slice through a sheet of birch bark as smooth as butter. The SRK did a good job, but you could feel blade drag on the burrs. AND, it only took about 10-12 strokes on a piece of cardboard for an improvised strop to bring the A1 back to good as new condition. Unbelievable. Not only did it hold an edge, it was a piece of cake cleaning up the rough spots. I'm not sure I've ever seen a blade this tough be so easy to bring the edge back. I have a 80's vintage Buck 110 that can take an edge, hold it fairly well, but is an absolute bear to sharpen if you let it get too far past 'touch up time'.
While I was testing these two knives out, I thought about how many years I "saved" money by buying less then the best when it came to hunting clothing, boots and knives. (Guns were a different thing!) What a mistake. While $150+ might be a lot of cash for a knife, I'd fully expect either the Cold Steel or the Fallkniven to 'outlive' most of us. Fortunately, I figured out the quality thing some years back, but boy do I wish I'd found out about the A1 sooner!!!
greg
But, always in search of a 'better mouse trap' (or in this case, 'sharper knife') I've been selling the Fallkniven's for quite some time and watched a destruction video on youtube that was pretty amazing. So, it was kind of a natural to take one out on a trip see if the Fallkniven was as great as it appeared. And just as important, how does it compare with the SRK?
So to lay some ground work, the Fallkniven A1 is on the left next to it's leather sheath from the guys at JRE with a sleeve for the Firesteel, and on the right is a Cold Steel SRK with Carbon V blade. While I'm not a huge fan of the 'tactical' style sheaths, the aftermarket JRE leather sheath is terrific. When the Fallkniven is bottomed in the sheath, it's not gonna fall out. Tip it upside down, shake it, try to 'throw' it out of the sheath.....oh yeah, that baby stays put. The other great feature is the sleeve (barely visible behind the knife) for a Swedish Army size FireSteel. Are you listening Dan???... the only add on that would finish the sheath would be a pocket to carry a DMT pocket stone. Otherwise, very nice!
Here's a list of the critical specs on the two knives.
| Fallkniven A1 | Cold Steel SRK | ||
| Steel | Laminated VG10 | Carbon V | |
| Handle | Hard Rubber | Hard Rubber | |
| Tang | Full | Full | |
| Weight | 11.1 oz | 8.8 oz | |
| OAL | 11.0625" | 10.75" | |
| Blade Thickness | 0.225" | .0218 | |
| Point Tapers | 1" | 1.25" | |
| Ricasso | .3" | .870" | |
| Belly Depth | 1.3" | 1.185" |
Both knives have a black coating on them of questionable effectiveness. On the Cold Steel it does a fair job of protecting the carbon blade, but the finish on both blades wears off and on the Cold Steel it chips.
I had used the Cold Steel before and had touched up the edge prior to heading out. The Fallkniven was new out of the box and was literally razor sharp.
Since I gave the Cold Steel a thorough workout previously, I really spent most of my efforts on evaluating the Falkniven. First task at hand was building a fire and splitting a little wood. Take note of the where the blade's heading.
Yup, right into the gravel. Now, while it wasn't a destruction test and I wouldn't normally recommend doing this, I had my camp mate put both knives through a few extreme conditions. We shaved some kindling, did some splitting basically using the knife as a wedge and trimmed a few limbs around the tent, cut a little rope and started on supper.
No....those aren't my hands. At this point the Fallkniven held an edge over the Cold Steel. While both were still in shaving shape, the Fallkniven had the edge.
While both knives held an edge in fantastic fashion, both blades are pretty thick for any delicate work around the kitchen. And of course, that's where the Great Easterns can come in!! You can also see in this picture where the finish has started to wear off after a little wood splitting.
One of the 'specs' I listed above is the ricasso on the blades. That's the unsharpened portion between the hand and the blade. The Cold Steel has a distinct advantage if you're like me and like to move your hand up as close to the 'working' area as possible on small trimming jobs.
On the Fallkniven, ....keep your grip on the handle...period. That blade is sharp!!
Another minor detail I particularly liked about the Cold Steel is the top swedge or false edge. It's bit sharper then the A1's and worked fantastic for fire starting with the Fire steel. If you've ever used a Swedish FireSteel and have struck the starter with a sharpened knife blade, you know you can throw some serious sparks. The problem is, those sparks are extremely hot and can be tough on the finest knife blade. The top of the blade however is another thing. You don't depend on it for a cutting edge and if it gets an incidental knick or ding, no big deal. I think I'll remedy that situation on the Fallkniven with a little judicious file work.
The handles on both knives are pretty equal in my estimation. The Cold steel has some shallow grooves on the top and bottom of the grip that offer minimal additional gripping surface. Not a big deal. One point for the Fallkniven is the full tang that's exposed at the butt. Nice minor detail if you need a lightweight hammer or you're in a situation where you need to open a car window in a hurry.
Both knives have substantial blades that should handle some serious prying and poking with a slight edge for the A1. A spec that I listed above is one of my own creation that I call "point taper". (I know there's a fancy term but bear with me anyway.) What I'm referring to is how far back from the tip the full thickness of the blade starts to taper to a point (length of the swedge). Logically, the closer to the tip the blade retains a full thickness, the stronger the tip should be. Add the fact the A1 has a little deeper belly, I gotta give this one to the Fallkniven. They have a reputation for having a very strong blade and it's easy to see why.
A spec I'm not qualified to comment on with any great authority is the blade steel. The composition of the Carbon V steel has always been a bit vague to me in that I think there was more then one recipe for Carbon V. The VG10 Laminated blade has an excellent reputation and it appears that rep' is upheld through my experience.
Another critical point is the difference in weight. Both of these are terrific knives and I wouldn't blink an eye grabbing either one and heading off into unknown territory for a week of survival exercises requiring a reliable blade. IF I had the time to pick one over the other.... I'd grab the Fallkniven and the weight would be a big factor. While 2.3 ounces doesn't sound like much, once you start doing some chopping or wood splitting, that extra 2+ ounces makes a huge difference. You have to feel it to believe it.
But the strongest reason influencing me to grab the A1 is the edge retention. Both knives got a thorough workout including running the blades through the gravel splitting wood. By the way, I don't think that's an unrealistic aspect to the test as most knives that are in the field for any extended length of time without proper attention often see some unexpectedly rough use. Both did a great job on edge retention, but the A1 definitely wins. While you could see minor dings in both blades after the workout, the A1 would slice through a sheet of birch bark as smooth as butter. The SRK did a good job, but you could feel blade drag on the burrs. AND, it only took about 10-12 strokes on a piece of cardboard for an improvised strop to bring the A1 back to good as new condition. Unbelievable. Not only did it hold an edge, it was a piece of cake cleaning up the rough spots. I'm not sure I've ever seen a blade this tough be so easy to bring the edge back. I have a 80's vintage Buck 110 that can take an edge, hold it fairly well, but is an absolute bear to sharpen if you let it get too far past 'touch up time'.
While I was testing these two knives out, I thought about how many years I "saved" money by buying less then the best when it came to hunting clothing, boots and knives. (Guns were a different thing!) What a mistake. While $150+ might be a lot of cash for a knife, I'd fully expect either the Cold Steel or the Fallkniven to 'outlive' most of us. Fortunately, I figured out the quality thing some years back, but boy do I wish I'd found out about the A1 sooner!!!
greg
Greg,That was a very good workout for both knives and a very well written article. It was refreshing to see a test start without opening up office mail and packages. Nice Job, Mike
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You know Mike, about the only thing that stopped me from starting out telling you what a great letter opener the A1 was, is the fact that it ain't!! I'll even admit....man this is painful,..... I tried it. That blade is so thick that your best bet is to lay the letter on a board and just chop the end off the envelope. Messy but effective!! Appreciate the feedback.
greg
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Sharpening Stone?!?!
Real WoodsMonkeys do not sharpen their knives in the field do they?!?
LOL!
We have indeed made many sheaths with a pouch for a sharpening stone! We have made sheaths with the pouches on the front and some had the pouches on the back.
HOWEVER!
When we make Fallkniven Sheaths Peter Hjortberger insists that the pouch is sized for the DC4 only! I wonder why?!?!
http://fallkniven.com/bilder/stora/dc4blue.jpg
Thats My Favoritest pocket stone these days!
And by the way sir: If you want a sheath with a stone pouch; Just Ask! We are more than happy to oblige!
GREAT REVIEW GREG!!
AND GREAT BLOG!
Keep up the excellent work!
Thanks Again!
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Thanks Dan. You're right, a lot of folks don't sharpen their knives while they're in the field cause they just don't have to!! I'm kinda figurin' an overnighter at the local KOA doesn't count as a serious field test. In fact, a key element that I left out of the article was that I was out for just over a week putting those two knives to multiple uses on a daily basis. If we could find any sort of need to use a knife,....they were utilized. In fact, I actually created a few project just to cut something!!! There are numerous tree limbs that are now finely curled wood shavings laying about in the northwoods of Minnesota.
For those of you that don't know and aren't familiar with the guys at JRE Industries, they're the fellas that made what I feel was the only quality sheath for Bark River Knife & Tool. In fact, they make an excellent sheath for the GEC's (as well as many other high end knives) and watch here for a hands on review later this fall!
Check 'em out at http://www.jreindustries.com/leather.htm
greg
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I own both the Fallkniven [S1] and the SRK [actually 2 of them]. For the price, the SRK is great, but I have to say, I'd grab the fallkniven in a heartbeat when I really knew I needed a knife that would be less likely to break or fail. The CS has a bigger grip, which for me is a big plus since I have large hands. If you have medium to small hands, the Fallkniven will be GREAT, but in hand it feels small and insecure compared to the falkniven. If the fallkniven had a bigger grip, it'd be no contest. BUT the CS has a bigger grip, which is more secure, and less likely to cost me some skin or blood. Summary is, if you can afford a fallkniven, get it. If you're on a budget, you will NOT be unhappy with an SRK. I've beat the heck out of an SRK and been amazed at it's abilities. I bought a second one just because I like them so much. Truth is, if I'm going to beat my knife up, I choose the SRK. banging on my fallkniven makes me nervous, even though I have done it. Love both of these knives. If you can, buy one of each and make up your OWN mind.
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I think the fact that I've got a medium size hand may have something to do with it. The A1 fits me really well and I do like the little extra weight. You're right, the SRK does have a more pronounce palm swell which is noticeable. I think I pointed it out in the post I originally made, I found the long ricasso on the SRK to be a great advantage for me when working on smaller projects. I've always had a tendency to get my hand as close to the item I'm working on (trimming, peeling, etc) as possible and that's not a good idea with the A1.
Right now I've got an A2 sitting on the shelf that I'm anxious to take out and put to the test. I've been wanting to do a little comparison with the Bark River Bravo II. And I've got an A1 blade without a grip on it and I'm looking for someone to grip it for me with micarta or something similar. It would be nice to get it sized exactly to my hand.
The Fallknivens took a heck of a price increase. I haven't paid any attention of late, but I know you used to see an ocassional good deal on the SRK's on Ebay. And if you were willing to take a used one, the price can really be right. Try to find a used A1 at a bargain price!!
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Just came across this post while trying to decide whether to purchase a Helle or Fallkniven (I prefer Scandinavian knives) and I must say-"good job".
One question: where did you get the sheath for the A1?
Thanks!!
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The sheath is from JRE Industries. They used to make the sheaths for Bark River. I also have a fantastic leather smith in Arizona that makes a lot of custom sheaths and you can see some of his work in our store under Knife Leather Traditions.
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