Fallkniven A1X - Review (I don’t particularly like it)

cedric-ada-store.creator-spri...
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[@vector8310]

For fine slicing etc. have a companion folder or a Mora handy. I happen to love that Fallkniven BECAUSE IT'S A SHARPENED PRYBAR. I can dig a hole, crack open or disassemble anything. I fucking love cutting or stabbing into something and twisting and prying.

[@mickemerson1339]

I'm really loving all the videos Pete! You are by far my favorite knife channel on KZbin.

[@urbangunsurgeon]

Keep em coming fella. Loving all the recent content :) Great watch as always ;)

[@Xyrium]

Always enjoy your content, keep up the good work!

[@jclar3565]

One of the best knife vlogs on KZbin. Deserves more subscribers! Share!

[@delesdog]

It is a bit thick but I think it works as sort of an all around, one and only knife and use an axe for chopping. Don’t have to worry about rust and the thing will last forever!

[@saulysw]

I love the hours of effort in the knife lab sign. She's a beauty.

[@ghlibisk67]

The A1X is on 30% discount on the fallkniven site (slight manufacturing defect). USD $211. Totally worth it at this price.

[@stevenrobertson6656]

Outstanding output and content recently mate 👍

[@gsrossco]

I find in the Australian bush, it's a pretty rare situation where you need to split big blocks of wood. There's always so much branch litter on the ground that you can often get enough firewood without splitting anything. I'm into adventure motorcycle riding and find a Laplander folding saw combined with a rugged knife like a Cold Steel SRK for batoning is all need. I also carry an Ontario Rat 2 for food prep etc. In my mind, the Ax1 looks like it would be the perfect companion for processing wood on a trip. Horses for courses as they say. Anyway, another thoughtful and entertaining review.

[@klaymoon1]

After I got my A1x, I changed my view. It's definitely thicker than A1 and heavier. However, it feels more balanced in the hand than A1 which is top (blade) heavy. Also, proportion-wise, I think it has the right thickness. I still wish Fallkniven will release A1S - same as A1X but with the thickness of S1X. Also, A2X will be a nice addition.

[@j.p.4541]

I like this review, well articulated and very informative. Thanks for posting.

[@RealtreeGrizzlyBear]

Comparatively price wise I just bought a Bark River cub for $400AUD directly from DLT USA. I’ve got an S1 pro, A1 and F1 standard Fallkniven. For the cash I’d rather the Barky than the new X series A1. Sadly or happily ill still end up with one 🤫

[@samthai818]

I wish I saw this video before having just ordered one. My main use for it is outdoors where I don't want to have to carry a hatchet in addition to my knife. I do plan to chop and baton alot with it. And also for gutting and butchering a few deer carcasses a year. The thick blade i was hoping to make it an easier task for splitting the sternum and the ribs along the spine. We shall see how it works out. Thank you for your great opinions without the fanboy fawning over fallkniven.

[@dietsevolkspartijinternati1373]

Do you experience any type of heat/cold conducting with the X series through the open full tang while holding the blade?

[@zachwarren9063]

Great review Pete. I'm really on the fence about getting one. Have you experienced any chipping of the edge on the Lam. Cos steel over the years? I want a good stainless option to make kindling and maybe some light delimbing, but I'm worried this steel is going to chip on hardwoods

[@soulzzplaysgames]

I honestly can't bring myself to give this company a try. On literally every Fallkniven so far I got pretty much immediatly turned down the moment I saw the price tag...

[@soulzzplaysgames]

@@gladeshunter8796 Yeah. I'm into knives for only a couple years now, so sadly never had a chance to get them back then...

[@brawldawg8729]

Baes on my experience with Bark River, you can spend the same money and still end up with defects, followed by horrible customer service. Lose-lose.

[@hunterglaspell5580]

Rhythmic Soul I agree man. It’s a rip off. When the US has better prices On fixed blades you know something is up

[@FullyAdamatic]

@@brawldawg8729I do not want to try Bark River, but do want to try LT Wright, I just am overwhelmed by the steel, grind, shape choices.

[@FullyAdamatic]

I believe their line is made in Seki City, Japan. Seems unfaithful to their umlat spelt herritage.

[@lucasbucci1747]

A1X or bravo crusader? Any difference in durability between the two? Awesome vids, especially the testing ones?

[@Kwaark]

THX a lot for all the infos ! the S1x is the one I'll choose for sure

[@Steelologist]

Here's my 0.02 on this. You are comparing a wilderness knife to a survival knife. The A1x was designed to be as strong as it can be and handle whatever situation it finds itself in and still be somewhat portable in your bag or on a belt. That's why it's 7mm thick but kept shorter than knives of similar thickness. The A2 is a different kind of knife built for camping, cabin style living, snowmobiling, canoeing trips and similar activities. Both have a role and should not be compared to one another just like cars and trucks.

[@03Grunt-arrino]

“Double kill” & “single kill”got a lol. Nicely done

[@KuryakinIllya]

What's your method for sharpening covered ground blades?

[@laurentvandeweghe9978]

What do you prefer between the lionsteel M4 or M5 and the Fallkniven S1X? Why ?

[@gorillahd9247]

Good honest review. I already have the A1 and have been considering getting the A1X. Appreciate your opinion on the X.

[@smolkafilip]

Pretty much what I expected to hear. I got the base A1 way back when the alphanumerical models were the only ones out there and an A1 was the undisputed king of all mid-size survival knives. I love it, but at no point would I ever think "man, I wish this fairly narrow and only 6 inch long blade that is already 6mm thick was even thicker". I guess that too many other manufacturers came out with quarter inch thick blades since then so Fallkniven just wanted to one up them in order to once again have the thickest blade without thinking about whether or not they should. I mean, the base A1 is a quarter inch thick blade and a convex one which means that it has way more cross sectional area than a saber or hollow grind quarter inch thick blade of the same height would. It's already indectructible and plenty heavy to max out the chopping potential of it's blade shape and length. It's thickness gives it durability and heft, it's VG10 steel that would otherwise be too brittle makes it cut like a thinner blade, it's convex edge and laminated blade undo the brittleness. It was a perfect balance already, there was no reason to mess with it. They could have just lengthened the handle by 1cm to squash the "handle too small" complaints and give it a sharper edge on the top for using a firesteel, perhaps even a dedicated portion with a really hard edge grinded in. Put it in a kydex sheath, put a firesteel holder on it and they would have taken the US market by storm. Same thing probably happened with the slab scales being put on. They just wanted to change the on paper qualification of the A1 technically not being full tang, which is just stupid. It's not a rat tail screwed into a handle, it's a plenty wide handle of an integral knife with a rubber grip slipped on for comfort and traction. If that somehow makes it "not full tang" because the steel is technically encased, then I guess that if I were to buy the A1x, take of the scales and wrap it in paracord or slip on an even bigger rubber grip, that it would then also cease to be full tang and would suddenly be at risk of snapping in half? And on top of that they increase the price way above what the base models cost, when the base models being too expensive was already the main complaint against Fallkniven. The thing is that the base models were expensive, but they were still good value for the money because they were actually considerably better than their competition and brought things to the table that other blades didn't. But the X and Pro models are now so expensive that you can get a highly sought after custom knife like a Randall for basically the same price. Or you can get a high quality production or semi-custom blade like an ESEE 6 or Blackjack model 14 (or a base model Fallkniven) for way less.

[@briantlougan810]

Enjoyed this comparative review. First time in a couple years I've been tempted by an A2. I'm sure the price will slow me down. Still waiting for a review of the Bradford 6 with M390, my all time fave survival knife.

[@georgemoutafis4399]

Excellent presentation!

[@JackShen]

It's a lot heavier cause of the full tang. The molded A1, is "full tang" but the tang is not the exact size and shape of the handle. That's what I've noticed between the two, the A1x is much more handle heavy than the A1.

[@Airik1111bibles]

"Single kill them not double kill them" 😂 That's Pete's gamer brain explanation LOL

[@WillEDC]

I feel it’s was made for the USA market. Someone who likes a tops operator 7. Someone like me who is really dumb in the field Hahaha. I bet it can fix ED. I have to say it looks so beautiful. You should try a camp10 for chopping. Heard that is phenomenal and inexpensive.

[@shadowdance4666]

My fourth next knife

[@napalmhardcore]

I get the sense that they were taking a step towards extreme use/survival with this knife and away from bush-crafting/everyday use (should you require a large knife for your day to day tasks).

[@randallkelley3599]

For that kind of money I would buy a Randall Made #14-15-16! About 2x the cost, but great knives. I have owned 62 total in my collection days. I was just smart enough to keep one.

[@czarekp3552]

bike tube band around locking mechanism of the sheath fixed the problem for me

[@iruwild]

Yeah, that is why I got A2 instead..better length for all around. Cos steel is good and all, but geometry trumps the steel.

[@krazmokramer]

With all of those cut up limes, I hope there's a big bottle of gin and some tonic close by!

[@ogenmatic]

Good point on width to length ratio (That’s what she said...)

[@techguy12426]

S1x is my fav, but still can't decide between that and cold steel srk 3V. They are the same price where I live.

[@MikeUman]

I'd take the SRK in 3V all day long. To me, I feel it's the better knife, all things considered.

[@random_eskimo_in_the_rockies]

Get the 3V SRK. It's a tremendous value. The blade shape is exceedingly utilitarian, and CS really has their heat treat down to superb. 3V is the most perfect blade steel I've ever seen other than H1 for salt water use. It's edge holding is phenomenal, the toughness is so high that it's off the chart, and the concerns about sharpening (admittedly justified for those too lazy to learn sharpening) are eliminated with the Work Sharp pocket or field sharpener with a diamond hone on one side and ceramic on the other.

[@alexanderbertallo1995]

The S1x would be my choice... I dont like outdoor blades with permanent handles... the S1x is better to maintain in the long run... Did you know that lots of the cold steel kraton handles are not perfectly seemed around the blade, especially on the blade front of the handle... I saw versions like the Pendleton Hunter (one of my favourite cold steel knives) with a half milimeter gab on the blade side... this bit of the knive is very hard to clean and prevent from rust over time...

[@garethbaus5471]

I haven't tried this knife, but I have a knife of a simmilar size and it isn't big enough to be a good chopper, but is a bit too large for fine carving.

[@random_eskimo_in_the_rockies]

Seems like a decent 'one knife option' for a bug out bag, where one knife has to be able to do everything, but it's still pretty expensive for that.

[@Surago]

I just beat Chrono trigger for like the tenth time. Pete, do you have a favorite ending? I still can’t bring myself to kill magus and reverse Glenn to his normal self.

[@LarsRibe]

I wish I would like Fallkniven, but for that kind of money, I would buy a Bark River.

[@brawldawg8729]

That's what I thought, until i did. My Bark River has been back to the shop before i even had a chance to use it. When it returned, there were new issues. I am not spending money to ship it back, yet again. I would recommend a full custom.

[@LarsRibe]

@@brawldawg8729 Thanks for the tip. There is a lokal knife maker I would like to support.

[@brawldawg8729]

@@LarsRibe I have been into custom 1911s for 20 years, so I guess I should have known that I wasn't spending my money wisely when dropping $322 on a "semi-production" knife, as BRK calls them. But with all of their rave reviews I made the foolish decision to assume that there was no real risk in making that purchase. I will say, however, that the most advertised BRK dealer has been fair to me, which is a welcome change in today's society. I will continue to do business with DLT, because of it. I may even choose to give BRK one last shot. Maybe I'm more foolish than I give myself credit for, but that is MY problem. I will not, however, have others that may depend on public reviews and opinion make the same mistakes without knowing that it isn't all rainbows and unicorns.

[@stevenlachance8576]

Brawl Dawg what issues pray tell

[@brawldawg8729]

@@stevenlachance8576 1/16 inch gap between blade and handle material, significant burr from tip to rear of belly, gouging and chatter marks from dull ball end mill in fullers. The knife returned with gouges from where the handle material was replaced, partially ground off jimping, rounded heel of blade and noticeable secondary convex bevel.

[@getsmart3701]

I absolutely love my A1 (original one in satin finish), but it is plenty thick for a "mid" size military/survival knife and can do most jobs very well because of that cutting geometry Fallkniven are famous for. It's a good "de-limber" but a really crap chopper in my opinion. The A1x does not interest me at all, I find the thickness beyond ridiculous (I have a Mora chopper from the 50's that is 7mm thick and about 157mm long with a convex grind and it is pretty much useless for everything but to baton with). If I want to chop, the Terava Skrama absolutely whips anything and everything I have ever tried...and does it by a long way to. I find it to be an amazing large knife.

[@Howardsheppard]

Agreed 100%. The Skrama has dethroned every other large fixed blade I own for chopping. It is amazing (and affordable!).

[@spider5001]

I liked the smaller black one

[@knoxknifemods]

You ever handle a Fallkniven folder? I’ve been mildly curious about them. Also the FF7 Remake is a month away, time to get hyped

[@MattP-BandB]

I have a Fallkniven GP. It's a gorgeous folder

[@knoxknifemods]

@@MattP-BandB Oh yeah that is a beautiful knife. Been on a traditional kick lately and it would be really cool to have one in cobalt steel

[@a_tired_dad]

*DBK has entered the chat*

[@songokuo5131]

I have that black coated, it's almost the same

[@stevenlachance8576]

I m looking forward to your bushcrafting camp out with kids dogs and knives, like in the old days. If you want to survive bring uncle Andy, then you can properly test these big knives.

[@CSGraves]

Pete: (whittles Australian hardwood with Lil' Nilakka) Also Pete: (slices lime with A1X)

[@jamesortiz5388]

I limbed mesquite branches with a knife and a baton.

[@charlescollier7217]

As soon as you gave the specs, I thought, "that's WAY too thick for a blade that length.."

[@igo4097]

Well, if you dont like, can I have it? :) Just joking! It is interesting, as it looks pretty darn fine knife, useful and heavy.. but until you really try to use.. you cant know it for sure. I see it more like a survival knife, that you can pry, chop, baton, dig, make holes in stuff but master of none. A tool that cant break maybe? :) BTW great review and I love watching your videos!

[@thesocialdistance2894]

Bark river Bravo Crusader is an 8.3 inch answer to your problems with the A1x...Blade is the perfect balance of beauty and the beast 😂😂🤓👌👍

[@daryooshfatemi]

Trust me once, and only once. Make a competition between A1x and BRKT Wilderness Explorer (Cruwear) They have a lot in common to be best competitors.

[@Stormcloakvictory]

I think the Cruwear (or I have the steel mixed up) should out perform the CoS. (Arguably CPM-3V should out perform CoS) And I Love Fallkniven.

[@daryooshfatemi]

NaCl Ωmega same here. I have them all. 1- CPM Cruwear 2- CPM 3V then it comes CoS with a fair distance. And just like you I love Fallkniven as well (way after Bark River)

[@davezito888]

In my experience, I would guess fallkniven had in mind with this knife the “one tool option”. Or it may be a good pair with an F1 for bushcrafting. I love Fallkniven and bark river. Price isn’t all that different

[@eachday9538]

Slicer's paradox (a varient of archer's paradox)

[@MrEMann]

Looked like it was breaking the branches instead of cutting them

[@stuartb9194]

Hatchet on aisle 5!

[@MrRPM110]

I hated my becker bk2 for this reason. I cant imagine this thing

[@christianflores7583]

I disagree, chopping with a multipurpose blade is dumb, get a propper axe , only scenario where a true chopper is necesary is in areas dense in brush but also hard wood, its why goloks and kukris exist. Out of the x series the a1x is the only one i would buy, i actually appreciate the thiccer stock, its wider profile splits better which is all the a1x would be used for, my needs are 1 day hikes, so the a1x and the a pocket saw does the job for everthing, my terrain is dry dense woods less brush so a longer thinner blade is not what i need. Should i be in terrain with less hard wood and more brush id say a jarosz choppa type blade would fit the blade, more akin to a versatile large survival knife than a true chopper

[@xXParalyzeXx]

I prefer my knifes to be able to double kill, the single kill is a little too weak for my likning

[@tirimpipipimpi7712]

there are tones of interesting knives for that amount of coins in Russia for example. and for sure not some production/standard absolutely classic knife that everybody has already. for that amount I got myself for example a unique HRC70(!!!) handmade wooden handle with silver guard fantastic knife + lether shieth. and it will outrun any production knife in any batoning/cutting/edge retention, except sharpening of course 8) and yes it has the grandmaster signature on it and pain in the ass to make or sharpen (if ever I will have to get this done in this century). Please don't get me wrong I can afford, but it just costs differently here. I admire custom knives in the US, forged at home, passing amazing tests etc. I do buy some from knifeworks.com at least once a year. but guys seriously, look at other regions and enthusiasts markets.

[@CedricAda]

A fee videos back I did a Biryukov 15v hunter, was a nice knife.

[@tirimpipipimpi7712]

​@@CedricAda He can make a great knife, but he went into mass volumes (at local level of course, he is a managing director rather then a hammer-wielder nowdays). seems he does not make some unique things any more. but I assume that you can order some "special edition Cedric" by Biryukov and that would be a fantastic knife, built for your hand size and knife characteristics, materials. Personally I dont have any of his knives. But there was a test of one knife of his that showed champion cutting results a few years ago. others were more or less good, but not outstanding, moderate level. so it depends....

[@shadowdance4666]

It’s a mid size knife An Australia should know that HAHAHAHAHAHA

[@slyfox4564]

I want one with a good sheath handle scales and cos but not the extra thickness

[@memento1469]

Same

[@jthepickle7]

First I was a Cub Scout and then a Boy Scout and then I rode a bicycle across Africa and I never, in all that time, battoned anything! Now everybody's batoning; clubbing their main knife, like to chip the crap out of it! Has the gathering of small dry twigs gone out of style? - or do people voyage and camp from their couch, nowadays, only?

[@shamitoson]

I went with the S1X and don’t like it. The scales are far to thin and hard. Honestly seems like a downgrade over the standard S1 in comfort. Think I’ll sell it.

[@galancerbacksu5732]

Cannot understand why FK brought this model. A1's encapsulate handle do a much better job. Why so many companies get addicted to full tang? A well designed partial tang would be strong enough, and they cause less shock in long time chopping.

[@shaneclark4532]

Still not first

[@23Scadu]

It was too big to be called a knife. Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough. Indeed, it was a heap of raw iron.

[@SlamSector]

I don't get you... You say it's fun.... what more do you want in a knife 😄

[@Steve_G88]

Compare it to the Kabar Becker BK2

[@Steve_G88]

@@adventureswiththecrazyvet i dont recall anyone asking for your opinion.

[@Steve_G88]

@@adventureswiththecrazyvet everyone is a military vet on the internet

[@adventureswiththecrazyvet]

@@Steve_G88 tell your wife I said to stop smoking

[@Pizzaxbandit]

I hate when I get double killed

[@thechugdude]

Thicc

[@seanthomasdowd]

Batten and baton are separate words with different meanings old chap, I would never pay that for a hard use knife, buy a decent quality kukri modify it yourself and make your own sheath way cheaper and fits your own hand and needs, cost you between £100 to £200 tops

[@solmyr2]

looks more like a tool that can't break , a knife that you want if you know the world is going into chaos tomorrow and you need a knife to last you a lifetime in the wilderness. its not big enought to make smalls tasks impossible and not small to make big tasks impossible its a jack of all trades but master of none. otherwise just get an axe and a smaller knife .

[@malthus101]

1:29 - BK... ? 9?

[@bradjohnson4787]

Ha ha ha . . . double kill.

[@saiiiiiii1]

The thickness is just ridiculous.

[@davidr9876]

$400?? It's just a damn knife.

[@adamkadir3803]

"100?? It's just a damn whisky." "100k?? It's just a damn car." "1mil?? It's just a damn house." Sometimes it's inflation and marketing. Sometimes things actually have price representative of their value and quality. Sometimes it's a mix of both. I have an $800 knife. It does the same as a Fallkniven or a really sharp Esee (but with better corrosion resistance), but its a helluva lot cooler than either.

[@brianf9619]

I'll take the BK-9 and save over $300.00

[@MattP-BandB]

You're comparing apples to oranges

[@brianf9619]

@@MattP-BandB -- o.k. , how about I'll take a 3V SRK and save about $300.00

[@MattP-BandB]

@@brianf9619 I have both the SRK in 3V and the A1X. Both are amazing knives. Both have pros and cons. I regret neither purchase

[@rainbowhiker]

I've seen a number of failed Fallknivens, on videos, that have disappointed their owners. And other's who think they are way over promoted. Never owned one. But now don't even consider Fallknivens when thinking knives.

[@torpilo]

The grind starts too low. It's not a full convex.

[@richardhansen1628]

Stop that ridiculous fan-boy battle. Both Fallkniven and Bark River makes damned good knives. If you worry about spending to much money - nobody needs more than a Mora Garberg.

[@KZizFISHIN]

I just don't see how anyone could think ANY knife could be worth anywhere near 400 dollars

[@Totemparadox]

I still don't understand why people are so into these Fallknivens.

[@Totemparadox]

@PennsyltuckyReb "They are nearly indestructible knives with basically zero maintenance required other than a few passes on a strop every once in awhile. That's why." Sounds like unsubstantiated marketing speech. Every knife gets dull. Let it get dull enough and a strop won't do jack. Every knife can be kept sharp with stropping. Also looking at tests the steel they use doesn't seem the toughest. Chipped edges and broken tips. Indestructible? Far from it. There are much tougher tool steel/super steel knives out there for less or the same money.

[@Totemparadox]

@PennsyltuckyReb Ah fair enough. Sounds mediocre at best.

[@Totemparadox]

@PennsyltuckyReb Agreed.

[@hunterglaspell5580]

PennsyltuckyBoojahideen you know there are many companies that make knives like fallkniven for a fraction of the price? Even better for the price. It’s a competitive market and people are starting to see fallknivens bs prices

[@hunterglaspell5580]

KlanStar lol my Gerber strongarm for less than a fourth of the price is Just as indestructible, or hell even the cold steel srk, better knives for the price than this shizzle

[@Greenmachine305]

Silly knife.

[@praetor47]

HAHAHA. this thing is 400 euros?! hahaha. fairly priced my ass. for the same price you can get a TRC Apocalypse which is 10 orders of magnitude better in every measurable way (and looks nicer), just to name an obvious example. hell, there's plenty of Bark Rivers that are better for less despite the burnt edges they so love to put on em. i really see no reason why any sane person would buy this other than fanboying

[@CedricAda]

hence the less than glowing review

[@praetor47]

@@CedricAda i was honestly surprised at your "not outrageously priced, expensive but fair" [or whatever] remark. i wasn't sure how much it cost, checked it out, and just burst out laughing. in a way, you're right. this isn't outrageous, no... it's a straight up robbery. this might be the most overpriced fixed blade on the market today, lol

[@astrazenica7783]

The guard is horrible