Being a restless survivalist, I find the endless pursuit of the best single knife to be both a noble
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Fallkniven A1 Pro Review
Is the Fällkniven A1 Pro the Ultimate Survival Knife?
The Fällkniven knife company has decades of experience at the unique and effective intersection
- Crafted from the highest quality materials
- Built for performance and durability
Last update on 2023-06-03 at 05:12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Department of Redundancy Department
What makes the A1 Pro survival knife so amazing is that Fällkniven took an already amazing knife
Taking a step back, let’s look at how the Fällkniven A1 Pro came to be, and why the A1 Pro will not have be a serious contender for the World’s Best Survival Knife for a long time. Fällkniven began building on the Swedish blade traditions back in the early 1980’s. It’s F1 knife was chosen as the singular survival blade for the Swedish Air Force. And the F1 also gained respect and notoriety as an excellent solution when a smallish survival knife is needed. What makes the F1, and later the A1 and now the A1 Pro such definitive blades is their steel technology. And a few other things.
Now this is a Knife
Jumping ahead, the Fällkniven A1 quickly became a survival success story by providing the
Also Read: Fällkniven F1 Survival Knife Review
But what happens when a purveyor of extremely high end blades takes a step back and assesses the performance of its own best edges, then turns up the volume on one of its best sellers and highest achievers. Well, I guess you get the A1 Pro. So it’s official. Fällkniven goes to 11!
The Fällkniven A1, the original one, was a test bed for all things survival. It pushed the limits of laminated steel giving the serious knife user a glimpse of what’s possible when performance outweighs tradition. From that point on, the world got a taste of things to come. Now imagine Fällkniven taking everything good about the A1 and pumping it full of steroids. The passing similarities between the A1 and the A1 Pro are only apparent from a distance.
While the grip size is the same, the material is different and the sometimes-debated finger guard
Brass Tacks
The A1 Pro contains a core of cobalt steel rather than the VG10 of its father. Cobalt steel (CoS)
Related: ESEE 6 Knife Review
Cobalt steel is not a recent phenomenon for Fällkniven. It was experimented with in prior Fällkniven knives including the KK and the PC. As the results came in, it was clear that cobalt steel was the next go-to steel when the best was desired. Add to that an “Improved Convex Edge” and you are on the literal and figurative bleeding edge of cutlery technology. Cobalt steel blades truly are playing with sharpness at the molecular level of steel, not just the crystalian level. In other words, sharp is a cousin, and cobalt steel is your filthy rich uncle.
Thick as a Brick
Seven is the new norm. At seven millimeters thick the blade has added strength beyond the already ridiculous strength of the regular A1. And that strength has extended into the grip with a thicker and wider tang that, like the A1, extends the all the way through and out the other end.
Consider the Bar Raised
Fällkniven admits that to claim something “professional” requires a corresponding and honest
What’s in the Box?
The Fällkniven A1 Pro arrives inside a black watertight plastic box complete with foam liner and
The stone is an excellent choice. In addition to high end survival knives, Fällkniven also makes top notch kitchen cutlery and the tools to keep them razor sharp. The DC4, or Diamond/Ceramic 4-inch stone has a gold diamond surface of 25 micron grit on one side and a synthetic sapphire ceramic stone on the other. In addition to being able to sharpen the hard laminate supersteels, no lubrication is needed for smooth sailing.
Also Read: Smith’s Pocket Pal Knife Sharpener Review
The zytel sheath is an upgrade over the standard A1 model. The Pro sheath is beefier with more
And the Knife
Even a cursory glance at the A1 Pro says this knife is all business. From the grip to the guard to
Unlike the regular A1 knife that used a Kraton plastic for a grip material, the A1 Pro takes a cue from the Fällkniven F1 and runs Thermorun plastic on the handle of the A1 Pro. To quote myself in my review of the F1, Thermorun, “As an olefin thermoplastic material it is extremely durable, and has great properties for a survival knife grip. Thermorun is an electrical insulator, resistant to weathering, impervious to most chemicals that a knife would encounter, and pretty much ignores temperature changes. It feels great in the hand with just enough rubbery texture to keep the blade from sliding around, but still firm enough to avoid that tacky feeling of softer plastic grips.”
- Crafted from the highest quality materials
- Built for performance and durability
Last update on 2023-06-03 at 05:12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Also Read: Parry Blade Knife Review
Like the regular A1, the tang of the A1 Pro extends throughout the grip and out the top. However, Fällkniven did upgrade the tang by making it larger, thicker and tapered. But the real change is in the finger guard. On the regular A1 the guard was covered in the same Kraton plastic as the grip, and leans just slightly back towards the hand. The finger crossguard on the A1 Pro is polished, stainless steel, thicker welded to the frame, and opens out towards the blade. Why this is important is due to some index finger strain when using the regular A1 for repetitive long-duration woodworking tasks.
Sorry About That
Fällkniven is apologetic about the price of the A1 Pro. They defend the higher cost of the A1 Pro
Riding Into The Sunset
Like many preparing for SHTF events and the likely WROL that will follow, I’m always looking
- Crafted from the highest quality materials
- Built for performance and durability
Last update on 2023-06-03 at 05:12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
All Photos By Doc Montana