Anyone who has read this blog knows just how big a fan I am of Fallkniven.
There’s so much to love about the company. The craftsmanship is nearly unparalleled, the designs eschew all the unnecessary bells and whistles of modern knives, and the company is still a family-owned business.
One of the major downsides of Fallkniven products is the price, but that hasn’t stopped countless people from taking the plunge. However, the company says the longevity of their knives are more cost effective and better for the environment than cheap knives you may have to buy a dozen times over a lifetime.
If you’ve never owned a Fallkniven, here’s a look at some of the top-selling models at Knife Depot over the past few years. As always, these can change over time.
7. Fallkniven F1
Number 7 on the list is the first and one of the most iconic knives from Fallkniven: the F1. I can’t describe it more succinctly than Fallkniven itself:
A new world standard was set with the F1 through attention to important details including technical design, ergonomics and economy. The Fallkniven F1 surpasses international standards for strength, personal security capabilities, and value for money.
Development started in 1987 when founder Peter Hjortberger received a request from the Swedish defense department to make a survival knife for the Swedish Air force. Since 1995, the Fallkniven F1 has been the official survival knife of Swedish Air Force pilots.
The knife wasn’t specifically designed for combat but more for survival or use in the wet climates of Scandinavia. It has a reasonable blade length of 3.81 inches made from laminated VG-10 steel, which has some of the edge qualities of carbon steel with excellent corrosion resistance. A reader over at The Truth About Knives gushed over the steel, if you’re interested.
The Thermorun handle is exceptionally durable and grippy in all types of weather conditions.
You can even pick this up in different coatings and blade materials if you choose. You can also get it with a leather or Zytel sheath.
6. Fallkniven A1
Thanks to the success of the Fallkniven F1, the company decided to make a line of the knives in different sizes. The A1 is on the larger end of a survival knife with a 6.3-inch blade and 11-inch overall design. The blade is made from VG-10 without the option for other steels.
The knife, like most Fallkniven models, has a minimalist design and a carefully considered handle. Unlike the F1, the A1 has a Kraton handle, which is known for being very durable.
The A1 is often thought to be too large, until you actually use it. This knife is easy to wield, durable, well-designed, and stunning.
5. Fallknive TK4
The Fallkniven TK4 is part of the Tre Konor series from the company. Meaning three crowns in Swedish, Tre Konor is billed as a technologically advanced series that combines modernity with timeless Swedish design. Tre Konor #4 (or more simply TK4) is described as a workhorse folder with clean lines.
The knives feature 3G steel, which is a revolutionary steel first offered by Fallkniven. It has a core of the SGPS (which I describe later) with sides of VG2. The result is a corrosive-resistant steel with unparalleled edge retention.
It has some of the same design elements as some of the company’s other folders at a higher price point, but it remains an all-time best-seller at Knife Depot.
4. Fallkniven PXL
The PXL is by far the most expensive knife on this list, yet somehow it still remains one of the best-selling at Knife Depot from the company. I’m combining all the available versions of the PXL into this one, but the PXL with Ivory Micarta is the top. Anywhere you look, you’ll notice the praises for this knife.
Fallkniven designed this folder to be used as an EDC, even though it’s a bit on the larger side. Like all the other premium knives, this one features a 3G blade with an interesting shape. It opens via thumb studs and uses a liner lock to stay engaged.
If you’re not a fan of the Ivory Micarta, you can pick it up with Green Micarta and Maroon Micarta. For those who want more of a workhorse version of the knife, there’s the less expensive PXL with Grilon handles.
3. Fallkniven S1
The Fallkniven S1 is a size right between the F1 and the A1. It has a 5.1-inch blade and a 9.7-inch overall length. This knife is more of a dedicated outdoors knife to be used for bushcrafting and fishing than the other two knives.
It has a modified clip point blade with a full tang that protrudes out that back and a Thermorun handle like the F1. The black-coated versions of both knives were tested and approved for use by air crews in the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy. There’s not much to be said about this knife that I haven’t said about the other two comparable models.
The sizes are a matter of preference and serve as a testament to Fallkniven that they’re all best-sellers at Knife Depot.
2. Fallkniven U2
Fallkniven is probably best known for its rugged fixed blades but fans of the brand know the beauty and functionality of its folders like the U2.
For about $100, this knife seems overpriced. It is a small gentleman’s folder with no thumb studs, no assisted opening mechanisms, no added features. Yet somehow this knife will perform better than the majority of the knives you own.
The magic is in the 2.5-inch drop point blade made from Super Gold Powder Steel (SGPS). This super steel uses a core of SG-2 and features everything you could want from a blade material.
The Zytel handle is simple but feels excellent in the hand. This is the kind of knife a lawyer would happily carry around the office or a farmer would carry in the field.
You can pick it up in a collectible version with the Gemini constellation, Cassiopeia constellation, or Orion constellation.
1. Fallkniven H1
The H1 is the company’s first dedicated hunting knife. It has a simple but effective handle shape that takes on the design elements of Scandinavia. There’s no finger guard due to the heritage of the area, which is why Fallkniven recommends only experienced hunters use this knife.
To the untrained eye, all these fixed blades probably look identical, but they each have subtle features that set them apart. Read what the company writes about the blade design:
The Fallkniven H1 is what an optimal hunting knife looks like. We believe that the perfect hunting blade length is around four to five inches, not the small two-inch blades that are often sold to hunters. The H1 hunting knife is close in design to a professional butcher’s knife. Proper blade length must be combined with a blade shape that provides a long, effective skinning edge, and most importantly a tip that is shaped properly for penetration performance because a hunting knife must function well along the edge and at the tip. The tip of the H1 hunting knife is designed aid in skinning by penetrating the hide without cutting into the meat.
Amateurs probably wouldn’t get much out of the knife, but if you’re serious about hunting, this is a standard.
The H1 comes with a standard VG-10 blade, but it’s also available in 3G steel for the true pros.
July 25, 2017 at 3:07 am
i like Fallkniven U2
July 25, 2017 at 9:57 am
Would Fallkniven have to double their prices, if they hadn’t stolen their knife designs from Cold Steel. Actually the only difference is they mounted the handle a little lower on the knife blade, so the back end of the knife blade would stick out of the back of the handle. WOW!!! This great I can go around breaking car windows out in the wilderness where there are no cars, or I can sit around camp cracking open walnuts, or just banging on rocks a simpleton kid. Maybe I could use it break into someone’s cabin by smashing a window, and committing a crime. Maybe it benefits the German gang members to help them break into cars and businesses.
I have carried a Cold Steel SRK for a good three decades, and carry the SRK with the Japanese steel blade, as my every day carry knife, now. I’m sure it is every bit as good, and is less than half the price. Those customers who broke down and bought the Fallkniven despite the outrageous price where fools. But it does have a fancy foreign name to brag about around the campfire, but how will it perform on the mighty GRIZZLY? My SRK’s have proven themselves time and time again in the Idaho Wilderness. The name Fallkniven sounds like it was designed to clean fish in Sweden. Maybe it is a German name and was designed to murder people for the next generation Nazi’s. Maybe Fallkniven in German means “Rabbit skinner” or “Rat Skinner” or “Jew Gutter”. Just joking around. Maybe we should promote American designed and made products. I know some of Cold Steel’s knives are made in Japan, but to American standards. Why should anyone pay a premium to buy a name, like Spyderco, Remington, Case, Browning, instead of a good functional product. Many of those are being made in China, Taiwan, and Pakistan of cheap materials, but selling at higher prices for their name recognition. It is time to make them come back to good American manufacturers or go out of business. I have Case knives made decades ago, in American, which are wonderful. I, also, have some Case knives I recently bought, and they are junk. I have some Rough Rider knives made in Korea, which are much better knives, than the new version Case knives.
I don’t know who you are marketing to. With you “Bad Ass Knife of the Week”, it makes me think you are marketing to the Macho Rambo want-to-be’s, and the inner city gang members, to entice them to a fancy killing knife to roam the streets with and gut innocent citizens for their wallets.
If this is your sales to promote the sale of knives to the criminals in our country, then you are not a company I want to do business with.
If not, I would like to receive an email explaining you “Bad Ass Knife of the Week” strategy, and who you hope to attract as customers.
Most of you are selling knives, like you are selling shoes to women. It’s all about what looks good to the gangs out there, but will they hold up or will the blades break when needed, because they were made in China or Germany. Germany has a good reputation for knife steel, but only for cooking knives. German steel is too brittle for a good fighting knife, when going up against the mighty GRIZZLY. Japanese and American steel is strong enough, so why not promote those knives. Maybe they sell themselves, and over priced knives, like these Fallkniven knives need help to get them to attract the foolish. I wouldn’t even invest that much money to give a Fallkniven knife a try.
It’s like selling these little orange knives, with the Bear Gryllis name on them. Who is Bear Gryllis and who cares. This Indian (Native American) made a tomahawk out of a plow part, and I’ll bet it is every bit as good as Bear Gryllis’ little orange compact hatchets.
This old Indian would never buy a Fallkniven knife at those prices, but if you would like an honest field test, from an outdoorsman, I would accept a Fallkniven A1 and S1 knives from you to compare to my SRK’s.
July 25, 2017 at 12:56 pm
Ha! I bet you’d accept a knife for “testing.” This comment is truly hilarious. “Badass knife of the week” is marketed to gang members. Wow. Look, no one buying knives from Knife Depot are gang members. Those guys buy their shit from the corner store. Knife Depot markets to serious knife colloctors and entusiasts. Thier “Badass” marketing speaks not to the macho but is a tounge in cheek poke at all of us knife nerds out there who actually spend the cash required to purchase exclusive products. As to the quality, I own a handful of cold steel products—and I own Fallkniven. Cold Steel is well made for thier price point and fill and rightfully deserved place in the market, but they don’t compare to Fallkniven. The design, materials, construction, quality standards, fit and finish… All are far superior. Fallkniven are still family owned and operated in Sweden. Their products are expertly designed and made by skilled craftsmen in Japan. My chef’s knife was made by Konosuke in Japan and it’s the finest knife I own. Japan has been known the world over for centuries for having a tradition of fine bladesmithing. The Swedes have a wonderfull tradition in designing survival gear. I fine match is you asked me.
July 26, 2017 at 12:50 am
Don’t know, but trying to read mails like this makes me feel good buying European quality…
August 30, 2022 at 7:32 am
This person shouldnt be allowed to handle or carry any knive at all and should be treated immediately for his obvious mental illness. Hope you get well.
September 21, 2017 at 3:10 am
Looking for it a long time. I think it’s that I need.
November 3, 2017 at 3:20 am
i like Fallkniven U2. I think it’s that I need.