Knife review: Schrade SCHF28 - Powerful recurve blade

** Specifications **
Overall length: 35.5 cm (14 in)
Blade length: 20 cm (8 in)
Weight: 600 g (1.3 lbs)
Blade material: 8Cr13MoV stainless steel with titanium coating
Handle material: TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer)
Price: about $50
** Pros / Cons **
+ Hefty blade, excellent for chopping
+ Well designed, comfortable handle
+ Quality sheath
- Poor edge retention
- Quite heavy for its size
** Verdict **
This is a very well designed, effective knife that handles outdoor / camping tasks like batoning, chopping and carving wood with ease. I only wish it was made in carbon steel or mid-range or even high-end stainless steel, to be more wear resistant.
** Where to find it **
In the USA:
www.amazon.com/...
In Canada:
www.amazon.ca/g...
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[@DonPeyote420]

That's a knife that allows you to say "That's not a knoife - THAT'S a knoife!"

[@Kealmir]

I really love your average enthusiast approach you give in your reviews. it makes your videos very engaging and helpful for people who have little knowledge in materials and the fundamental strengths/weaknesses of each Blade design.

[@cbr600rrturbo]

I like it to Skall its a good chopper!

[@Gio_Medici]

i've always loved weapons, they sparked a lot of interest and intrigue in me, i used to search for so many images, information and demonstration videos.. the beauty of white weapons, the power of a multitude of machine guns, shotguns, handguns, rifles.. some simple, classy and effective, others made force and precision combined, a true piece of engineering. the only thing remaining dat i haven't seen on your channel dat i love are bombs and missiles, especially thermobaric ones. but those aren't really a thing we can buy on e-bay and test on our backyard. but you bring me a ton of satisfaction with your reviews, i've been looking for dat for quite some time, thanks for sharing this with us

[@Gio_Medici]

Infernal Tiger cupcakes, cakes and meat pies!

[@Spiritchuckpvp]

I really like this one, it looks very practical and also looks a little bit like a fantasy design, which I like.

[@informationwarfare]

I've been looking at this one for years now. I keep coming back to it. I think I might have to get it, but I need to watch more reviews.

[@smileingviking]

Hi Skall. One of my buddies bought an Ontario 12" camp machete with the D orange handle in 1095 steel and reprofiled the edge recently so it s more like a lean scandi grind for his large chopping knife. At less than thirty dollars Canadian with a sheath I m impressed by it, and it s made in the USA with good old North American steel. Pretty good for the price, and an awesome chopper/ bush knife. Just another option.

[@immortal_d2036]

I have used this knife for everything bush-craft. It is great. Love the feel in my hands.

[@andrewplck]

The look of it can kill. I love it! Brutal stuff. I think I will consider buying this one.

[@patrickdixon9897]

the edge retention is because of the size, it will have to be softer otherwise it would be to brittle and the edge would chip

[@maxmanning1879]

All the new 2015 model knifes from schrade look amazing.

[@unclestone8406]

I already have my KA-BAR, so I'll have to wait on picking up one of these Schrades, but that beefy recurve is undeniably badass.

[@rideswithscissors]

I loves me my K-BAR! It chops fairly well, in a survival situation you don't need to cut through anything really thick, and you can break it the rest of the way. It makes a good hammer, and is easy to sharpen. And batonning is no problem.

[@TheRainSnake]

You should do good weapon/bad weapon quizzes. In any category (sword, knife, gun, etc.) you show us a variety of weapons and ask us to guess if they are effective. And then after some time on each one, you go into detail on your opinion. I think that would be fun!

[@TheAussieGunBunny]

As has been mentioned before softer edge = easier field sharpening. As a retired soldier I know which one I prefer.

[@arnoudbossewinkel8761]

I think you did a good review on this knife and I totally agree on what you said about the knife. I don't have a Schrade myself but the one I own looks really like the Schrade and the specifications and all that are pretty similar. So with my personal experience with this kind of knife I would say again that you did a good job reviewing. Keep up the good work man :)

[@x-rayzulu5643]

The idea of a recurve edge is to give 3 edges in one , the point kept razor Sharp for field dressing (( skinning etc)), the swell , is the chopping part kept with a working edge , the choil end again kept very sharp for food prep (( peeling veg etc)) and finer work ,carving feather sticks .

[@leonreaper90]

I feel for you Skallagrim, you get lots of uneducated youngsters on here that think they know everything about knives and swords. Must get tiresome having to explain everything in the comment sections of your videos

[@Skallagrim]

Leon Reaper Fortunately I get quite a few competent people who genuinely know a lot more than I do as well. :)

[@leonreaper90]

thank goodness there's a balance on KZbin ^_^

[@Knight_Astolfo]

What were you carving? Druid staff?

[@Demigodish4o3]

Please watch the entire video before asking these redundant questions, guys.

[@Skallagrim]

Demigodish4o3 That would indeed be nice.

[@dreadnoughtprime6301]

Can't have that; it would make sense. XD

[@toryunaminosaki1022]

You mean use common sense?

[@wingsofflame5084]

I have a friend who's been looking for a good blade to use for his wood carving projects; I think I'll point him to this.

[@Boinkstyle]

I mostly agree with Skall on this blade, it looks nice and it seems to do its job, the only problem i have with it is the extra finger spot near the blade. Just accentuate the one on the handle, it would open up for more cutting space and no risk of just smashing the sharp end near the handle straight into the material. I couldn't help but think that a slightly more kukri shaped blade would make it look even nicer, but that's just me. Again personal preference but a thicker spine would be nice to see especially if your going to chop wood and baton and so forth.

[@Rockunstank]

without a doubt---I am a knife builder---that chip was METAL on metal....

[@Rockunstank]

Rockunstank take more care sir...

[@jjdogbutte]

Thanks! A nice, frank review. I like hearing the good and the bad on these products.

[@Jesses001]

I am not surprised that it dulled out. I always found 8CR13MOV to be a very soft steel. That is not a problem per say. Soft means it will not break on you, and it is easy to sharpen, but the edge retention has never been good for me. My main carry knife has a 8CR13MOV, so I have a lot of experience with the steel now.

[@DesignatedKitty03-052]

i see a little dent on the edge

[@donavan1021]

Probably damage from the extensive abusive testing he does

[@nothingbutsmith7243]

From that screw or nail he mentioned

[@donavan1021]

I commented and I assume he did before the video was done

[@ButoPulseGames]

nice pic m7+1 i r8 8/8 m8 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)‎ oh and also Δ

[@nothingbutsmith7243]

alidoge Who are you talking to?

[@PJDAltamirus0425]

I think that it would do well for the quasi false edge to taken off. I think they did this in order to give the tip more support , but honestly, the thickness and the blade shape yells to a user that it is chopper knife. I think the problem with the edge dulling so quickly is because they put such fine edge on very short secondary bevel, the sudden white drop amoung, the grey, in a arena already made sudden but the flat section in the middle. with a spine as least as thick as that flat section all the way along isn't length, the cross section can be made more is a sheep wedge, which could made it a better chopper and easier to sharpen up really fine upon dulling

[@UnknownWarrior1985]

Good job on the review. Resharpening it will be a task with that belly. full flat grind is so much better for a woods working tool. Try adding a lanyard

[@brendandor]

Without the finger choil you don't need to have your finger on the blade to choke up because at the blade is right next to the comfortable handle...Its kind of a false economy by removing the edge next to the handle so that you can get closer to the blade. It depends on handle design (fighting knives have large "guards") and thus how close you can get to the blade.

[@ShowDown5]

Ok so first off I think I'm in love with the handle of this knife. I know the general rubberized scaled handle has been done before but the etching and design of this on just really catches my eye. Personally I'd like to see a different blade design. Something smaller maybe straighter like a tanto or just a traditionally straight blade shape. That's simply personal preference and I do see how the design of this blade could be better use and have better practicality for certain uses and I respect that. hopefully the edge retention is sorted out in later production.

[@grimmreapo655]

its on sale on Amazon right now. reg $95 for $45. amazing deal. thinking about ordering one

[@Ithdidragons]

Just saw his wring for the first time in this video and its killer

[@suckamehoff7371]

Recurve blades tend to make excellent throwing knives. This one is likely too big to throw comfortably, but the blade shape lends very well to deep penetration and accuracy. For throwing you would want a wooden handle though. The rubber would make accuracy difficult.

[@lyricalmajesty2821]

Oh man... that is a beautiful blade. Shame it lost it's edge that quickly.

[@codymckelvie]

***** This is a prime example of why I (and many other's)love your reviews even if you love the product you are more than willing to point out and show its flaws just as much as its perks in an educated manner but still from the "average joes" point of view for everyday use

[@MilesLee-Rogers]

I have a knife that I've used for 3 years and have never sharpened it. In total I've probably used it for more that 150 hours. It still cuts better than that knife when that knife has only been used for 3 hours. No I have no idea what he knife I have is made of. But I know it's an older gerber knife.

[@futuresonex]

It's a cool looking knife, but the one that I'm really looking forward to is the SCHF-37 in the new 'Bushcrafter' line!

[@joekurtz6587]

not gonna lie , the coolest part of this video was the sheath, that thing is fucking awesome

[@nilodrallub7812]

Oops , my bad. I didn't wait until 7:32 for your explanation. A steel bolt would certainly cause that ding. I agree that 1095 high carbon steel would be a better material for the blade but I think they wanted a stainless alloy to avoid rust. I would just make sure to keep the blade oiled after use and I like the ease of sharpening as well as the ability to use it as a fire-steel. I own the SCH27 and really like it. Now if they had just made it out of 01 tool steel or D2,,,,,,,,

[@Ghostginthree]

Excellent video, info and testing. Love that knife.

[@williammorales9826]

Well done excellent discription of knives and shows performance. Excellent

[@AKlover]

Sort of a recurve Bowie. The end of the blade at the finger insert needs rounding/blunting and it seems too broad at the tip for a plunging stroke. A little more guard at the top of the grip would be appreciated too. Seems an 80% knife, a few minor tweaks and I'd buy it immediately.

[@kitaryakysubae3156]

Handle scales look like they came of a sportscar tire. Makes me wonder if I could root around a junkyard for a mostly bald discarded sports tire and use the treads as handle material. Might see if I can salvage a truck leafspring while I'm at it. Leafsprings are good salvage for making really strong blades from, especially choppers like a bolo or kukri

[@MrNoirocla]

oh Skall.... it makes me glad to think you're the only youtuber I subscribe to that will never, ever, sell out to disney... if you do....... I shudder to think of it lol

[@evansims8557]

I love that knife and that design I will be looking for it come 2015 thanks for the review.

[@albinopolarbear8229]

as a more objective edge test maybe dropping someting like a slap of balistic gel with consistent weight and density from a consisten height and measurind the depth of the cut would be a good alternative

[@grimmreapo655]

5:00 you can just grind the spine down, and make it nice and flat.that would make it better for baton.

[@labbcn69]

i really do like your reviews i have watched most of them and i respect your reviews

[@Fogyt121]

Probably on the softer side, due to the fact it's made of stainless steel which doesn't really have a sping to it? I would assume that is the case with this knife. Differential heat treating is an option here and I would go for it.

[@TestMeatDollSteak]

That thing is quite beastly.

[@MrLeonidas0001]

Excellent review man! I really like the design. I agree about the spine - I think they should have made it thicker and left out that extra grind. And I also want to mention in my big bush blades I require a high carbon steel. Good stuff though!

[@luisytacc]

Look up the Towards 0.1 Micron forum, the owner Cliff Stamp has been able to quantify edge retention on hemp rope scientifically.

[@jamesleitch2777]

***** It would be cool if you perhaps did a monthly video (or weekly depending on your schedule) where you just put out a brief list of new knives/swords and what not that are being released and you initial impressions on their design. Just so as to keep people updated. I say this because I really enjoyed this video, and being able to get a heads up on when this knife comes out, as well as other stuff I might not have heard about, would be pretty cool. Maybe I'm just lazy, but just a thought. Keep up the good work!

[@98JamesP]

First ( from what I could tell) also that looks to be a very nice knife even with the poor edge retention.

[@grimmreapo655]

Use the eyelets on the sheath, to wrap the whole sheath in paracord. i do that with all my sheaths. you can never have to much paracord when practicing bush craft!

[@grimmreapo655]

+Grimm Reapo I would love to see a how to on that from you. not only is the cord useful, you can get different colors and make it look bad ass. i always go with orange, because if i drop it in the woods at dusk, i want to be able to see it.

[@zakinnamis5577]

Wow that is a really good looking knife skall.

[@TheVanguardFighter]

You should make another video, on actually using knifes for fighting/ martial arts, the last one left a lot of important details out.. I could join you in the video, to explain some things.

[@ethanerzinger9854]

Thanks for the review! Putting it on my shopping list

[@BladeWarrior99]

THAT LOOKS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@SanjiKunTheLoveCook]

skal i have a question about sharpening. say you make a dent on the edge, like the one on the video, if you were to grind it down to get it sharp again, wouldn't that modify the curve of the edge? i mean that part would be a little "shorter" than the intact part, would you then need to grind a bit that as well?

[@deepsouthredneck1]

Completely unrelated, but do you plan on buying anymore bolt guns? I know you sold a Mosin because you weren't that big a fan of it, but I imagine you would like a mauser 98 or 1903A3 considering they are less clunky than a mosin( although idk how available 8mm or 30-06 is in Canada).

[@Rundvelt]

Skallagrim, have an idea for you. I like your channel and actually love knives and swords. Often I'll come here looking for a knife that strikes my fancy and then purchase it. What would be really cool, is if you had some sort of video with links to your "Top 5 Knives" or "Top 5 Swords". It'd be really easy to update and keep recent and allow people to access some of your later videos without having to dig through your channel. Sort of like a "table of contents" for your best vids / reviews. EDIT: I know you have the sort option on your main page, which is great, but with the volume of videos, you can't quickly assess what you like or didn't like. You have to go through and watch all the videos. Which isn't bad for your channel, I understand, but it's less engaging for the viewer. :) EDIT 2: Wow, need to collect my thoughts better, apologies. Maybe even some sort of Top 5 Full Tang Knives, Top 5 Foldable Knives, etc. Another reason is because while I like your reviews, I can't quickly assess if I find the knife attractive (because the video thumbnails are small, which is a major concern, but something you consider when you're buying a blade. You have to like it. So, a Top 5 would be "hey, this is rated well, and I like the way it looks, win."

[@danielelias473]

in your opinion, how would you say this knife would handle delicate task? I'm looking for a new hiking knife and I'm skeptical of trusting this knife. I've heard kukri styled knifes are hard to sharpen in the feild. Would you say this knife has any other potential rather then being a cool chopper?

[@edi9892]

Whats the point of having such a blunt false edge? I have seen it alot on recurve blades (also on smaller folding knives of that type).

[@fuzzuck]

Budget steels, as you said, are usually most disappointing in terms of edge retention. A key to finding a knife that holds an edge is 01) getting one with a proven blade steel, and 02) making sure the blade has been treated to reach it's optimal Rockwell hardness; 03) edge geometry plays an important role as well. Bladeforums has some excellent tests, like this one, updated regularly for five years: www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/793481-Ranking-of-Steels-in-Categories-based-on-Edge-Retention-cutting-5-8-quot-rope CPM 10V and CPM S110V pretty much lay waste to the competition, particularly the former, both the high-tech CPM 10V version and its proprietary equivalent Z-A11. Other top performers are K390, CPM 4V, CPM S90V, M390 and CTS-204P (prop. equiv.), CTS-20CP, Vanax 75 and CPM M4. Elmax was vindicated -- heated properly, it's right below M390, where Bohler said it was. CTS-XHP and CPM-Cru-Wear, on the other hand, aren't the beasts people thought they were. ZDP-189 at 65 Rh is no better than Elmax at 60 Rh -- not good for ZDP. More brittle, no greater endurance, harder to sharpen, AND more likely to rust... damn. I thought ZDP-189 would do much better. I like my ZDP knives, but never put them to the test. The differences are pretty extreme, between the top steels and the bottom; AUS-8 and VG-10 have some good properties too, and are better at holding an edge than good old-fashioned carbon steel (sorry). But carbon steel is far easier to sharpen, and takes a very, very sharp edge. AUS-8 and VG-10 dulled after 160 rope-cuts on average, while the 3 knives with CPM 10V dulled after 1550 cuts on average -- almost 10X longer. But edge retention isn't everything.

[@Throwaguey]

What is H1 steel? I've heard it's amazing

[@jqc0990]

Skall, I'm a little curious as to how well that steel can hold an edge. As you said it yourself, it lost pretty much all of its edge after one use. Is there any steel that you would recommend in a similar knife?

[@UndeadFangtooth]

Can you do the 2 types of drills from bioshock? (The bouncer's and the bouncer elite's)? I know it's not medieval or practical, but can you include a simple bash from it and if you hit SOMTHING while it spins? If you decide to do it it would be so cool!!!

[@deathangellink]

i could see that knife using 1095, it would be still affordable, maybe a little bit more expensive but then you would have a better shock reduction and better edge retention with the 1095

[@Staghound]

The SCHF28, what a catchy name!

[@drawntosweet]

the edge retention is sad and the blade geometry isn't great but it seems great at chopping , could it outpace an essee

[@DavidClunie]

any chance it just needs to be re-honed (like with chefs knives and the "sharping steel") rather than resharpened?

[@kaizers2171]

Question: How come there are still "bad knives" being made? Knives have been around for a while now, and you'd think everyone would have figured out what design works, and what design not so much. But so many producers keep cranking out just crap designs that are not artistic (If it is meant to be artistic, then i understand). Like the shape of the handle, there are many shapes of hands to please, but so many handles are allround uncomfortable. So whats the deal?

[@fireandsteel9790]

Hi Skall, my ex-Norwegian brother ;) ( got you on steam aswell brother ) Great review, we are thinking about this blade on our channel aswell. Recon the blade has to be built like that because of the 8cr13mov...a wrong grind and thikness makes it brittle and can brake...also that swedge spine is not a favourite on my part. How did the jimping feel in your palm when you go up on it to do finer work? Snake

[@AnGryMuFFinZXD]

What's the project! What's the project! What's the project!!

[@SAsgarters]

Speaking of personal experience... False edges not only chew up the baton, they waste energy sinking into it on every strike. If you're going to use a knife for batoning or splitting in general, the spine needs to be flat and wide. Unless you're going to kill something big with a knife, it's pointless to put a false edge on it. Curves do the same job as recurves, with far less ass-pain. A knife where the edge goes in a straight line from the grip to the belly bites just as well as a recurved blade and it's much more practical. Finger choils are a solution to problems finger choils cause. You don't need to "choke up", when you can use the actual grip. It serves a legitimate purpose on small folding knives, though, if the handle is deliberately designed smaller than you can comfortably grip. Finger grooves mean hotspots, blisters, less options for wrapping your fingers around the grip and it's extremely unlikely that one solution fits all (adult) hand sizes. Jimping shouldn't be used on knives that are expected to be used with a significant amount of force. It's a completely unnecessary source of pain and suffering, and when it's not chewing up your hand, it's chewing up your glove. It serves a purpose on small folding knives, though. In short, if they lose the false edge, the jimping, the recurve, the finger choil and the finger grooves, it could be interesting.

[@XCerykX]

Honestly, I doubt a lot the knives on the market are designed to be actually practical. Most of them are probably designed to look cool, but not be totally useless like an art knife.

[@SAsgarters]

Ceryk I agree. They are designed to sell.

[@stcredzero]

How big a difference does a false edge like the one pictured make? How much energy is that going to waste? 10%? 30%? Is it noticeable immediately, or only noticeable if you're doing a lot of batonning?

[@SAsgarters]

stcredzero Good question. It definitely depends on the blade, and I wouldn't put any percentage on it, but we're talking about something like an extra whack or two with the baton per piece of wood. When you process a few dozen in a row, it adds up. That it's less efficient, is immediately noticeable, in my opinion. It might not matter if you're doing it in your back yard, for fun or exercise, but out in the woods you'll probably want to conserve your energy if it's at all possible.

[@stupidburp]

According to some sources I have seen recurves have the potential to cut a little more efficiently than a curve in some situations. I saw a scientific analysis of blade cuts that showed how they allowed for a better cut for a longer portion of a blade during a swing, especially if the cutting piece is soft such as meat. If just pulling or pushing a short ways while holding the cut piece in your other hand it probably wouldn't make much difference but when swinging an arm it apparently does make a difference. They also seem to help with catching and biting into brush when used like a machete and this minor difference seems to result in a noticeable reduction in fatigue over time.

[@dilutedrep2864]

5160 or 1095 would be a better choice in something so big but if you want to spend some money they should go with d2 a2 or maybe something like aus8a or cpm154

[@lewis-does-dev]

Hey skalla, Just a quick question, what is your opinion on karambit knives. I know there are alot of types of karambit but as a whole what do you think of the general design?

[@allichite1309]

You should also play a video game called Castle Crashers. I would love to see you react to the over the top sword fighting.

[@sjcal629]

Could you please make a video detailing the pros and cons and which is better between forehand knife grip vs backhand knife grip

[@TheKurraak]

Might a knife like this benefit more from having a convex edge ground into it seeing as it seems more like a chopper than anything else? Also where might you see knives like this being carried around? Thoughts?

[@amazonfreak11]

I just ordered one cant wait

[@alphagrendel]

I would buy one with a few changes. Lose the false to edge, put a Scandinavian grind on it, and make it 2 inches shorter.

[@alphagrendel]

Make that 3 inches shorter...

[@johnnymish5588]

something that you may be interested in that isn't actually related to this video at all, I would like to see you make a wool blanket cloak or buy one or something and test and review it

[@hansknickerbocker9202]

Skall, would you consider doing a review of the SOG Trident Tanto folding knife?

[@davidsmi1010]

Ok I wish they had something like this out when I was building cabins. Only one question though. I have 2 knives that are titanium coated. has anyone else found that they are a pain in the ass to re sharpen once the coating is needed to be removed for sharpening? I use diamond sharpeners and mostly use the one that is 500 grit on one side and 1200 grit on the other.

[@vladphan9228]

Hi Skall. After using the search function, I noticed you haven't reviewed any mora knives yet. Do you not like them?

[@Skallagrim]

Vlad Phan Not really my thing, aesthetically.

[@spikehunter207]

Skall,I think with the edge retention aspect,you got a lemon...(hope I used that figure of speech correctly) because that happens for example:that one lemon you got with the weird knife series where the knife you ordered was dull and they sent you another it was called the Falcon talon or something stupid like that

[@myleswu9957]

with the presence of molybdenum on the steel, is it safe to say its more durable that other knives?

[@travv88]

It looks so good.

[@toegoth]

The edge retention issue is probably lack of a good heat treatment nothing they can't fix

[@faenrir11]

Unless this is relatively cheap knife, I wouldn't put a lot of money in 8Cr13MoV. Theoretically it is supposed to be comparable with aus-8, still - carbon steel in the same price range is going to be much better.

[@Rkeogh81]

Hey Skall, nice review =D. Given the size of this knife, and that skinny spine, would you rather use one of these knives or the schrade bolo or CRKT machetes?

[@DragoTC]

I am interested. How do you resharpen that 'inward'-curve? I have a nice knife myself with a similar blade-shape and its really hard to resharpen it with chinese wetstones that i normally use. could anyone give me tips on how to do that? (i know how to sharpen a blade normally) or skal, could you do a video on sharpening (especially with 'fancy' knife-shapes)?

[@marcin3340]

It would be good idea to atach lineyard to handle (if it would loos grip from any reason i wouldn't want to chop off my leg or something that would be usefull for me later) and from not only my expiriance sharpening to shaving level is not good idea - that kind of blade is mostly used for choping, batoning and that sort of things and on shaveing level blade loose sharpness in no time - sharpened to working level is best option for this kind of blade.

[@ninjatt1]

would this be a good blade to combo with the schrade bolo. as a little brother maby. for smaller tasks?

[@CatastrophicMarauder]

Hey Skall has anything changed with the blade after its release or is it still the same metal and everything?

[@stormageddomvashtenarada374]

You should check out the fraiser arms museum's website. It's in Louisville Kentucky. There is a place near pigen forge Tennessee called knife works it's pretty cool

[@Kenicavus]

I like the handle and the shape of the blade :D

[@tomasveverka6630]

Hello Skall, nice video as always. I definitely like this knife and I wonder how much will it cost. What price seems reasonable for you? Considering its qualities.

[@1crimm]

It is a beast.