Pros: Weight
Cons: Handle Material, Overall Quality, Sheath/Scabbard, Blade Sharpness
Pass on this one
I have been excited about trying Svord knives since I heard of them, about ten years ago, in James Ayres' book "The Tactical Knife." I tried a Peasant folder long ago, and I hated it. It doesn't cut anything efficiently. But this review is about the Farmer's knife. I had always heard that the Svord fixed blade knives performed better than the folders. So far, that seems to be the case, but at this price point, and given the company's reputation, I'd say the Farmer's knife is still a pretty poor product. The knife arrived with a cutting edge that was mediocre at best. It would not pass my most typical cutting test, cutting a piece of plastic trimmer line for a yard trimmer. This plastic is tough, and I've found that a knife that cuts the line well will cut about anything well. The knife's edge had shiny spots that showed up clearly under a strong light, in this case the flashlight on my cell phone. A knife with a nicely-honed edge will not show any shiny marks on its edge. I spent maybe half an hour on my hones, grinding down the bevels until I had all the shiny spots removed. Still, the knife struggled to cut cleanly through the plastic line. The handle is mediocre in terms of comfort. It feels like a cheap kitchen knife. The handle did come with a thin lanyard, which is a nice touch. The tang is ALMOST full-length. It stops just shy of the lanyard hole in the handle. The sheath is. . . . not for me. Maybe some other people would like it. It's a cheap-looking and -feeling synthetic material, made to resemble leather. For all I know, it's very durable. It does hold the knife securely. The knife sits so low in the sheath that drawing it is a challenge, even when pulling on the lanyard. The blade, when it arrived, was in its sheath, which is an unusual way to store and ship knives. The blade had a thick coating of grease. Petroleum jelly, maybe? Anyway, that stuff is in the sheath. The blade doesn't seem to pick up a lot of the grease when I sheath it and draw it again, but I'd be reluctant to use this sheath if I were planning to do bushcraft or camping food prep with the knife. That grease on my food would not be a good thing. The blade looks thicker than advertised. I didn't measure it, but I'd guess the spine at 1/8" or .125 inches or about three to four millimeters. I was expecting a blade closer to .10 inches. I do like the thickness. It's thicker than most Moras, but not so thick that it gives up a great deal of cutting efficiency. I have spent years WANTING to like these knives, but it comes down to how the knife cuts. This one won't compare to a $10 Mora in cutting ability. I can't see recommending this knife to anyone.
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