W
I better say upfront that I don't own either, I have borrowed F1s and other Falkniven, have handled the Master Hunter and own the SRK which has the same handle as the MH.
The F1 is WAYYYYY better for bushcraft! Almost no comparison. The edge geometry, blade steel, blade profile and handle arrangement are all better than on the CS. Its not that the Mast Hunter is bad, just that the F1 is better for general camping chores. I suspect that the CS will be cheaper, but I wouldn't let that sway me one bit.
The F1 is WAYYYYY better for bushcraft! Almost no comparison. The edge geometry, blade steel, blade profile and handle arrangement are all better than on the CS. Its not that the Mast Hunter is bad, just that the F1 is better for general camping chores. I suspect that the CS will be cheaper, but I wouldn't let that sway me one bit.
W
wibbler
Guest
Thats a great help, thanks. I was only considering the CS becase I can get them at a silly price due to a friend living there and the current exchange rate.
wibbler said:
If it's that silly a price get one.
Practice particularly your sharpening (making a hash of it won't worry you that much) and everything else you would imagine would trash your blade (it usually does... :shock: ) and learn from it (re-profiling etc).
Then buy the F1. You won't be dissapointed.
p.s. For not too much more than a standard F1 keep an eye on the "Makers Sales" section at www.britishblades.com you could pick up a custom for very little.
the last SRK i bought had a monster thick edge. :shock: 
if you can get the master hunter in carbonV for a silly price, get one and convex the edge. sharpening the edge with wet'n'dry on a mousemat. more to the point, get me one! :roll:
): just joking.
i'm not a fan of the AUS 8? 6? steels, but i've not tried one by cold steel.
cheers, and.
if you can get the master hunter in carbonV for a silly price, get one and convex the edge. sharpening the edge with wet'n'dry on a mousemat. more to the point, get me one! :roll:
): just joking.i'm not a fan of the AUS 8? 6? steels, but i've not tried one by cold steel.
cheers, and.
ChrisKavanaugh
Need to contact Admin...
I've mentioned before living very close to Cold Steel's offices and meeting owner Lynn Thompson. The knives are decent quality. They should be, most are made by Camillus of New York or several makers in Japan and Taiwan. The touted Carbon V is a rather plain vanilla steel with good tempering and excessive hype. Cold Steel geometry tends to run with thicker ( read strength via mass) blades with simple geometries for production ease. Some of CS products are excellent buys for the budget conscious, some less so. The stated retail prices are rediculous and a little shopping will find much better deals. Be aware that CS regularly sells quantities of rejected units. These will have a 2 stamped into the handle. Usually the defects are almost invisible cosmetic flaws or off angle blade geometry. There have been a few reports of 2nds suffering structural failure in field use. My first dedicated 'survival' knife was a CS SRK. I replaced it with the very similar Fallkniven S1. That in turn was upgraded to the handier F1. I agree, the Fallknivens are vastly superior. In fairness my old SRK is still in use by the current owner. The knife industry today is rich in new wunder steels, finishes and production methods unknown a few decades ago. What we look upon as average would make those older blades seem mediocre. If your on a budget and the price is good by all means buy one.
If you can get them for silly money then they might be worth another look 
I was thinking of what they normally go for in this country. Silly money.
My SRK was a 2nd and had nothing obviously wrong with it, just a thick edge. Certainly it was a tough using knife. I like knives to have a bit more point than the Master Hunter.
I was thinking of what they normally go for in this country. Silly money.
My SRK was a 2nd and had nothing obviously wrong with it, just a thick edge. Certainly it was a tough using knife. I like knives to have a bit more point than the Master Hunter.
ChrisKavanaugh said:
Ignoring the hype aspect, I think Chris has hit the (tempered medium carbon) nail firmly on the head. The type of steel is, to an extent, irrelevant. HT is all important.
But we all tend to be guilty of buzzword bingo - no pointing, I am too - and the latest S30V steel blade is "kinda nice" to have, as its theoretical performance limits outdo this other steel's limits that we've never hit...
The SRK used to be available at a reasonable price in the UK; the price abruptly jumped before I got around to buying one.
ChrisKavanaugh
Need to contact Admin...
My Benchmade RSK is S30V. My Fallkniven FG10 laminate. My Moras Sandvik, which I believe is swedish for something or other. I have my eye on a kukhri made of fine german steel ( Mercedes?) I buy knives because of design and general reputation. I know stainless is more forgiving of my periodic benign neglect and carbon SEEMS to produce a finer edge under my attempts at sharpening: said effort measured by drawing blood from my own body when tired from seeking that fine wire edge guideline. I have my Wetterling all snug in my rucksack. Advanced metallurgy? p Now people are knapping flint daggers and replicating Oetsi's copper axe. GROAN. If I may paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill from History of the English Speaking People " be it roundhead or long, for smashing skulls iron is superior to bronze." :?:
:shock: :super:
): granted, carbonV is no super miracle steel, but good none the less.
cheers, and.
