The Permanent Portfolio, Investing, Finance and Random Thoughts.
Fallkniven TK2 Knife Review and Starting a Fire in Winter Conditions
The F1 is a fine knife, but it is a survival knife for the Swedish Air Force and the blade is made stout to take more abuse. The Fallkniven TK2 has a similar blade shape (a little more pointed at the tip), but it features a distal taper. Meaning it thins out towards the point and the convex edge is also thinner allowing it to get a really keen edge. On top of this, it features a Japanese Super Gold Powdered Steel (SGPS) that Fallkniven calls “3G”. The blade is a lamination of VG-2, SGPS, and VG-2 steels. That’s the 3G part. And it’s really tough!
This knife has a wonderful balance in the hand and is just a great all purpose outdoor blade. It holds a great edge as well. Compared to the F1, the blade is not as thick. However the steel used in this knife is stronger than the VG-10 steel of the F1 so it probably comes out as a wash in terms of toughness. Basically, even under abusive conditions I think it is pretty unlikely you’d damage this or any other Fallkniven knife.
In terms of which I prefer, honestly it’s a toss up. The F1 is an outstanding deal for the price. No other knife I’ve used comes close to it in that regard. If you want a thinner knife and more exotic steel that will hold an edge a little longer, then the TK2 is your ticket.
In this video I also demonstrate how to start a fire in snow conditions. Starting a fire on snow is not much different than starting it on dry ground. The only difference really is you need to build a platform for your fire materials to keep them off the snow. Thick green or damp wood is best for the base. They dry wood is put on top of this. The wet base allows the fire to burn and keep off the snow. In this video I make a simple cook fire to show how to collect materials, build a platform, and get the fire going.
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