Fallkniven S1 with a chipped edge- help!

[The Lord Poncho]

After a weekend in the woods just gone (a Scout 'survival weekend'), one of my friends has managed to chip the edge of this Falkniven S1. It is chipped in several places.

He did it whilst cutting up rabbits (cutting through the legs by hand, onto a wooden block with no nails/stones etc in its surface, not using a baton) over the course of about 15 minutes.

He has had the knife for about a year, although in that time it has only had a few outings, and hasn't been substantially sharpened (i.e. the cutting edge hasn't been modified/worn down to the wrong profile).

It was cold (at most about minus 2 degrees c during the time he was cutting), but I really wouldn't expect that to happen with a knife that wasn't being abused.

What do people advise? Is it worth contacting the seller or Fallkniven direct, or is it likely that they will simply say the knife has been abused?

I must say I feel quite bad for him- i have had an S1 for years, and never had any problems- wholeheartedly recommending them to him when he was looking at buying.

[MSkiba]

Hello,

Im unfimiliar with S1, I have F1, are they both 4mm?

Your friend has NOTHING to loose by contacting the manufacturer. If they say it has been abused then no big deal.

I personally would not cut bone with it, but rather use it as a leaver to break the bone.

Note I have no experience in cutting up meat in the field.

[The Lord Poncho]

Thanks, I believe the S1 has a blade roughly the same thickness as the S1 (and both are a convex grind).

[mace242]

As Fallkniven say on the S1 page that it's suitable for hunting and fishing and light chopping (bunny legs by hand is light imo) then I'd contact them and explain and see what they say.

[sxmolloy]

I'd contact the seller first, the sale of goods act makes them your 1st port of call.

PS Both the S1 & F1 are 5mm thick :-)

[dave53]

hi cutting bone shouldnt damage the blade imho as a ex butcher iwould say the blade is at fault regards dave

[SouthernCross]

May I preface my following comments by saying that I truly don't wish to offend anyone by expressing my honest opinion.

Can I also honestly point out that during the 1980's (when Akubra was buying rabbit skins as the main source of felt for their hats) I was processing up to a couple of hundred rabbits a night during winter (obtained mainly with a .22 calibre and a spotlight).

Hey, I even kept a fair few 3/4 grown rabbits for the table (although none of them were milky does )

Again to be honest, it really doesn't matter to me if the above is not believed by the majority here. After all, I didn't have a digital camera in the '80's and really didn't think that the time would come when I would need to provide verification that what I am claiming is true.

So take what I'm about to say for what it's worth (i.e. you have paid exactly 0.00 for this opinion )



Kind regards
Mick

[SouthernCross]

G'day LP

.....

He did it whilst cutting up rabbits (cutting through the legs by hand, onto a wooden block with no nails/stones etc in its surface, not using a baton) over the course of about 15 minutes.

Was he draw cutting, or chopping, or battoning through the bone?

If the chips look like little 1/2 moons, then my guess would be chopping.

Bear in mind that most who chop through anything will have some lateral movement of the edge when the force is being applied.

IMO this is what causes the chips (and yes I have seen chips from chopping wood, even in tough high carbon steels like A2).

.....He has had the knife for about a year, although in that time it has only had a few outings, and hasn't been substantially sharpened (i.e. the cutting edge hasn't been modified/worn down to the wrong profile)......

IMO here in lies the answer.

Again in my experience, all knives, regardless of the steel or the manufacturer, benefit from removal of the edging steel that comes from the manufacturer to expose the virgin steel underneath. It may have something to do with the heat generated by the grinding having an effect on the temper of the steel.

The laminated VG10 found in the S1 is no different.

If your friend is prepared to sharpen out the chips, then I would suggest he will find the edge to be more robust (unless of course he thins the edge in the process).

To be honest, when you consider how easy the leg bones in a rabbit are to snap with your hands, I really can't understand why anyone would feel the need to use a knife to sever the bones (unless of course they are either inexperienced or trying to prove to themselves how tough their knife is ).

I must also point out that IMO "cutting/chopping through bone" isn't realy a job for a knife. Again to be honest, most butchers I know of like to keep their knives sharp for flesh & use either a cleaver or a bandsaw for this

I wish your friend good luck in making a warranty claim.




Kind regards
Mick

[ged]

Tools get damaged. No big deal. They can almost always be repaired. Then the tool will look like it's been used. It's all good experience.

This is always going to be a problem with hard materials. I'd just sharpen it out. My wife quite often takes big chunks out of her machete on rocks and bits of steel she finds with it in the garden. It might be hard work using hand tools but it's feasible. I'd probably use power tools for more than tiny chips but you need to be very careful not to overheat the edge with power tools. Best get a professional to do it if you've any concerns. I wouldn't be surprised if the manufacturer would do it for you for free, but you might not want another one of their edges.

When it's sharpened back how you want it, try using a steel to toughen it up a bit. And as Mick says, don't use an edge like that for cutting bone. You need something a lot tougher with something approaching a 90 degree included angle at the very edge. That would be my camping knife or the part of a parang sharpened for toughness, for chopping.

[John Fenna]

Tools get damaged. No big deal. They can almost always be repaired. Then the tool will look like it's been used. It's all good experience.

This is always going to be a problem with hard materials. I'd just sharpen it out. My wife quite often takes big chunks out of her machete on rocks and bits of steel she finds with it in the garden. It might be hard work using hand tools but it's feasible. I'd probably use power tools for more than tiny chips but you need to be very careful not to overheat the edge with power tools. Best get a professional to do it if you've any concerns. I wouldn't be surprised if the manufacturer would do it for you for free, but you might not want another one of their edges.

When it's sharpened back how you want it, try using a steel to toughen it up a bit. And as Mick says, don't use an edge like that for cutting bone. You need something a lot tougher with something approaching a 90 degree included angle at the very edge. That would be my camping knife or the part of a parang sharpened for toughness, for chopping.

That sounds like good advice to me!

[Mojoracinguk]

I'm interested from the butchery point of veiw....

I can't comment on the knife but when jointing meat I usally (rabbit/chicken legs) cut to the bone with a kinfe just around the joint then pop it out using my hands....Is this wrong?

the conective tissue around the joint is though but softer than bone on the knife edge and without this the joint is easy to seperate.

just offering an alternative to hacking though a thigh bone.

[FGYT]

I'm interested from the butchery point of veiw....

I can't comment on the knife but when jointing meat I usally (rabbit/chicken legs) cut to the bone with a kinfe just around the joint then pop it out using my hands....Is this wrong?

the conective tissue around the joint is though but softer than bone on the knife edge and without this the joint is easy to seperate.

just offering an alternative to hacking though a thigh bone.

yep ive never cut a bone when doing rabbit its not nessicery and you dont end up with bits of bone n splinters in your food I even used to demo rabbit prep with a tiny 1" opinal folder

but to the chips it shouldnt have had a problem but could be jsut one of those things i would just sharpen it an use

ATB

Duncan

[SouthernCross]

G'day Mojoracinguk

..... but when jointing meat I usally (rabbit/chicken legs) cut to the bone with a kinfe just around the joint then pop it out using my hands....Is this wrong?

The conective tissue around the joint is though but softer than bone on the knife edge and without this the joint is easy to seperate.

Just offering an alternative to hacking though a thigh bone.

IMO you are not wrong. This is definetly the way to go for medium to larger game

By medium to larger game, I'm refering to about goat / lamb size & up.

BTW, I haven't included fox in this because whilst I acknowledge that they are edible, I don't now of anyone who would use a fox for more than their skin (including me )

However when you consider how thin the bones of Chickens & Rabbits are, even this is not necessary except at the end to finally seperate the joints (i.e. to sever the ligaments that are holding the joint together )



Kind regards
Mick

[The Lord Poncho]

Thanks all for your comments! Some interesting thoughts there- which i shall pass onto my friend. As was said, there is nothing lost in him aproaching the seller (Heinnie Haynes) first, then following it up with Fallkniven if he has no luck.

Failing that, he will have to put a new edge on the knife. The chips are quite deep (maybe around 2mm from memory), so he has a reasonable amount of steel to remove.

Would you suggest a fairly coarse sheet of wet and dry on a mouse mat to remove this but retain the convex profile?

I'm going to certainly be more careful of my knife after his experience!

[robin wood]

As with others I would not cut bones in prepping a rabbit, puts nasty sharp bits in your meat, wiggle leg about to see where movement is and slice flesh around top of hip.

On the knife I am surprised at 2mm chips from cutting rabbit bone. If it was me I would grind it out. If it is genuinely 2mm then I would advise getting it to someone with a linisher grinder wet and dry would take for ever. I would suggest getting a good photo and sending this to the dealer first and if no joy post it here and I am sure someone will offer to grind it for you.