Some advice please

[Justin Case]

Hi

I have only just come across this forum and it seems there is a wealth of experience here. So could any one tell me what they think of these two products: First I am after a heavy duty knife I have considered the SOG Seal Pup, the Fallkniven F1 but I am almost ready to purchase the Cold Steel Master Hunter see http://www.heinnie.com/product.asp?P_ID=2203 Has anyone got one seen one tried one?

Second is an alternative to the fire steel - I recently tried a friends real flint and carbon steel with char cloth. I was suprised at how easy it was to start a fire - almost as my "lite my fire" I have seen what seems to be a comprehensive kit on fleabay here Has any one purchased one of these? or a similar one. Would this be OK to carry as a primary source of fire?

Thank you in advance

 

[JonathanD]

The SOG is nice, but the F1 has it beaten hands down. The Cold Steel would be the third on my list as it is a copy of the F1 and doesn't have teh attention to detail you will find with Fallknivens products..

 

[JMHAZ]

I agree with the other herper Jonathan - buy the F1. You won't be sorry.

You probably wouldn't be sorry buying the CS either, and I own a very early Master Tanto that's a fine piece of work. But lately CS seems to do more and more, er, derivatives of other's designs, plus truly naff items like plastic knobkerries, etc. Then there's the amusing "Way of the 300-pound Warrior" video series, but I won't go into that here . . .

 

[JonathanD]

Us herpers have to stick together. We are a rare breed.

 

[ged]

I'm mindful that you said 'heavy duty'. If you're going to give the knife any abuse then the SOG might take it better than the others, although it won't stay as sharp for as long and I have to say that for most work I'd probably pick the F1 or the CS if all three were there for me to choose from. But it really isn't any good our trying to choose for you. Tools are very personal things, and what one gets on well with another will struggle to appreciate. You really need to try some out yourself and come to your own conclusions. Sometimes you'll be quite surprised at the strength of feeling you get when you use a new tool, or even make a change to an old one. If cost is an issue * then it might be better to look for the characteristics that you want (things like blade length, thickness, grind, profile, handle shape and material...) in cheaper products. Then you can test them even to destruction if you feel like it.

That said, any of those you've mentioned will be a handy companion out in the woods.

* Blooming well ought to be at these prices.

 

[ged]

... I have seen what seems to be a comprehensive kit on fleabay ... Has any one purchased one of these? or a similar one. Would this be OK to carry as a primary source of fire?

I have no knowledge of the particular product you mention but there are people here who use flint and steel as their primary fire starter. I'm not one of them. I usually carry several different ways to make fire, at least one of them on my belt. That's one they call a 'lighter'.

 

[shaggystu]

i used to own an F1, and it was a superb knife, i ended up giving it away to a friend in the end as i got something a bit more "me". my only criticism of the F1 is that the handle is a bit square. i don't know the SOG knife in question but i've used a few SOG products and they seem to be prety good to me. as for cold steel, well everything i've seen by them has been of a pretty low quality, attention to detail isn't great, personally i'd give them a miss.

as for the flint/steel/char cloth for firelighting, go for it. primary is the critical word in your statement, wrap a bic lighter in cling film or a little self sealing plastic bag, drop it in your tinder pouch and leave it there, then on the rare occasion that you fail with your flint and steel you'll have a more or less (as far as these things can be) guaranteed means of making fire

stuart

 

[Caboose]

I don't know where you'd get one, But i'm quite a fan of the ontario sp50 mkII or sp46 ( a shorter version of the 50) there are some youtube video's here by this guy here (try to get over the amercian accent because he knows his stuff ;D )

Sp 46: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7keIZ5W5BE

sp 50 Mk II:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9L-OlYNdL0

both in my honest opinion are amazing from the relentless hounding those blades take. I am no knife expert, but if it was me i'd get one of these. I have no idea as to how the F1 is in comparison as I'm only going by other peoples reviews, but if a few say its good here, its most likely a decent blade! But I bet nutn has a review video on his channel about it if you check it out?

 

[JMHAZ]

I say old bean, what's wrong with an American accent?

 

[mountainm]

For the fire kit go speak to John Fenna on these very forums he makes up a very good set. Bear in mind tho' a "light my fire" will give you much hotter sparks (plus you can shave off bits into the tinder to further increase your chances)

I personally carry:
IMCO petrol lighter, for when I'm in a hurry.
light my fire scout fire stick. Lights my spirit burner at the bottom of my volcanoes stove really well.
Fenna dragons breath kit - when I want a bit of fun and sense of achievement

 

[wizard]

Knife, given your choices an F1 for sure. I don't fancy them but they are well regarded blades. As for the flint and steel, that was used as the primary and in many cases only method of fire lighting before the advent of matches. I reckon before that it was friction firemaking only. I met a guy last year that carrys a mini bowdrill in a pouch around his neck and that is his only firemaking kit carried. I believe though that he is such an expert at friction fire making that if his mini drill let him down he'd be able to use some local materials.
Myself, I have a Light-my-fire stick, a lighter and some bombproof Uco waterproof matches and I use cotton balls with Vaseline to light my kindling. No messing about for me.