Rob, great, honest review, as always. The real value of your reviews is the straight forward and consistent way you do them, I especially appreciate your explanations of the variables, moisture, type of wood, condition, etc. Far too many reviewers would have shied away from your final conclusions. Keep up the great work.
I 've had my Ontos (same sheath for almost 12 years now) now sheath damage from insertion removal over such time. I did however coat the inner part of the retention webbing (when I got it) with wetsuit urethane rubber- no chance of cutting it.
Thank you. It's interesting to see what has happened. I have been looking at The exstrem ratio Satre, I have seen many Videos, read reviews, I am not convinced on spending cash yet. My best knife, I have now is Casström No 10 SFK in 14C28n. It holds an edge, it's been used across the kitchen to my garden without fail. Three of my others knives will be sold. I my look again at the Satre. Cheers, take care
Thanks Rob! I trust your reviews. This is a very expensive and hyped knife. I was disappointed that it didn't live up to its name and price. Looks cool though!
I have many knives in N690co and are a big fan of the steel. I also have two ER Shrapnel one knives and i bought TRC kydex sheats for them, great sheats and i really like those knives. Nieto uses the same steel alot and i have several of them. Fox use that steel and it is a great performing knife. I have been interested in the Selvans but its's not cheap. I saw that the DBK boys was super happy with it and really liked it and it performed great for them,i dont know. I like the looks and the idea of that knife. It will be interesting to see another vid with a new edge on it and what that will do. Dont give it up just yet. It's not fun when something you had high hopes for does not perform as it should. Looking forward to a new uppdate on the knife. Thumbs up as allways!
Rob me old mucker. You my friend are a super star, so this weekend I managed to forget life's worries and do some camping with a selection of knives..... The one I purchased from you, the falkniven R2 scout and one I purchased a while ago from a fellow UA-cam hidden valley bushcraft. And sir I have to say all three knives are exceptional but yours the orange g10 scales, the weight in hand, and feathersticks like a demon. Mate worth it's weight in gold, I am forever putting stuff down (like a moron) but it just screes I'm here.
@@RobEvansWoodsman I will say of the three I took out yours was the best feathersticker, the hvb knife is good but it has a longer blade 110mm as opposed to your 95mm and a longer handle with a petruding tang just made it a bit cumbersome.
First thankyou as always, second the moment I saw that knife I thought ugly. I like the way you address everything I was thinking with the bold writing onscreen, you never B S , we all know we should do something like remove annoying bits of kit to do some task but we carry on anyway lol. Re that ken onion I slagged a couple of months ago, I am getting better results now, like you said a learning curve. I messed up a cheap mora stainless , lost the true scandi on it so experimented with the ken onion attachment and mad it a kind of scandi convex and guess what? It cuts very well and feather sticks good. Thanks again Rob you are my favourite reviewer, I willsave money and not buy that knife
Ouch, £450! Great review mate. I can't feather stick Ash to save my life, a very very sharp scandi will work kind of but it doesn't lend itself to feathers. A shame it went so blunt so quickly, you'd expect a lot more for the money - there's nothing intrinsically wrong with N690, it's pretty much the same composition as VG10 but as with all steels it has to be heat treated well....I bet it performs better when you've worked your sharpening magic on it. I do love the look of the Selvans - but as a survival knife I just think a Fallkniven A1 gives you more options and as you said - you can fully kit yourself out with quality gear for £450. Now a Fallkniven modern Bowie or Cold Steel Trailmaster....there's £450 well spent on something that chops well.
Congratulations with the new knife. That one if perfect for military service, especially in the Arctic as a great substitute for the Same knife commonly used by Ranger units. My first self bought service knife was an Extrema Ratio. Won't let you down. Will be interesting to see what your sharpening will do to it.
Rob I bought a Selvans several years ago. It proved to be a very capable blade, but it wasn’t the best at any single task. Mine had a very good edge on it from the factory. I’m not sure if the heat treat is the same now as it was when I purchased mine but I found the edge retention to be quite durable. I was both disappointed and surprised to see how quickly your edge dulled. I found I could do most Bushcraft tasks with the Selvans but it really didn’t excel at anything other than perhaps batoning. I still have it today but if I carry it in the field I always carry a smaller companion knife to handle the finer camp tasks. There is the cool factor with the survival kit and sheath! Lol…I always enjoy your content and I look forward to seeing round two after you’ve had time to put a keen edge on it. I am really curious to see what happens with the edge retention going forward.
Wow!!! At 9:08 I was convinced; Crap, even with all the "pros", the "cons" kill it!!! £450???? Bloody 'ell!!! Glad you bought it and not me! LOL!!! But that was a decent little folder there. Those last few seconds had me peeing in my pants!!!
For £450 I could buy a nice Gransfors, one of your lovely blades, a Silky; and still have enough left over for a pint and a lady from Limehouse (well, before the place was regenerated anyway).
I didn't pay for it , l traded it for a special Bushtool, which l made especially for the trade. lt's a £200 knife sold for £459!! l've re-ground it to a 24deg convex and it dose curl spruce better but thats in the kitchen not the woods. l should have gone finer. As you said ,could have one of my bushtools in RWL a Gransfors forest axe and a quality saw for that price.
Well, the up side is, no matter how bad the tool, it's always fun to watch your escapades. Let us know what steel that thing is if you think of it in your next vid. Have a great weekend!
I mentioned the Steel in the video , N690, I said that I was thinking of using it on a run of knives but changed my mind after using it. Wake up old fella!!😜🤣🤣
LMAO!!!!!!! Sorry, I thought you said, "I love knives "and Sex nightly"...... plus, you have me laughing so much, I miss a lot of detail; and, I'm half deaf from artillery!
Hi Rob , just caught the video. Couldn't help thinking when you were doing the batoning that you could have bought about a dozen old fashioned bill-hooks for that money, and they would probably have done a better job, in my opinion !
Obtuse edge geometry like that is why the blade went dull so fast. Even with good steel and heat treatment it'll lose it's keen edge quick. I guess the idea is for it to be durable but it's a knife not a prybar.
The geometry is what gives cutting power, I think many knives forget that important part. This seems like one of them, very tactical and visual but not very effective
Just subscribed. Really like your videos. Shame you didn't like the knife but glad I watched your review because I'm never going to buy one . The Selvens looks a really good knife but maybe not in the woods ? Have you not looked at a Condor Pack Golok? Big blade that chops like a Lazer and feathers really nicely and only 90 quid tops ! .
NOT MY CUP OF TEA ,i hate tanto blades makes the knife look unfinished in my opinion , would never spend so much on any blade , looks like the heat treat was completely off on yours though ,would love to see the new edge you put on ,looking forward to your next video . god bless ....Lee
I heard this knife was awesome from DBK, I really wanna get a survival knife i was thinking of the a1x but once i saw their review it looked amazing. Now i see yours and see your experience to. Can you help recommend me a good survival knife! Price isnt an issue. Just want something that will be worth it. LOVE your reviews your truly honest, been watching you for 3 years :)
I love Fallkniven knives, the A1X is great but handles are not that comfortable, the A1PRO is probably a better knife for prolonged use, cold steel knives?
I've swapped the SELVANS it was shit! Look at the cold steel Recon Scout, TRC Apocalypse, lion Steel plenty of great large utility/survival knives out there.
@@RobEvansWoodsman Personally, not a fan of ESEE knives, had the 4 and the 6 and ended up moving them on .... just couldn't get on with the flat grind. The RB3 looks a great knife though. If you can get your hands on a BK7 .... I guarantee you will be impressed 🤙🏼🤙🏼 Love your channel mate.
@@RobEvansWoodsman Totally understand your fear about the handle ... I was the same. Bought a second hand BK7 to try, and absolutely fell in love with it. I would be more than happy to send you my brand new BK7 with Micarta handles and after market kydex sheath to review .... be careful though, once you get your hands on it, it will be hard to part with 😜
Good point you make there Rob! I also don't mind spending good money on an expensive bit of kit, providing it delivers on the promise. The design concepts are good, as you pointed out, but what is the idea of that very blunt tip? With a little less angle and an added cm or two it would enhance the blade, in my opinion. The argument for carrying a saw is 0bvious, but man I do love a big chopper. In fact, I'm going to do a bit of work with my Bushwhacker today. Alas, it appears a bit of metal fatigue has made its appearance and caused some edge chipping. On the other hand its done some pretty hefty work!
There's a few improvements that could be done to this knife, I will address them in the follow up video in a week or two. Enjoy playing with your big chopper 😛
If you had said in the beginning of the video the price I wouldn't have watched it , great review Rob by someone honest who isn't getting anything for it , be great if you made one and give it the same amount of work and compare them 🏴👍
Nice vid mate,N690 is very very good steel with the right edge angle,30 degree is way off, that’s just stupid from ER but they do it with all their knives,I regrind all my ER I owned a convex and they kept performing for a long long time, my Hill knives with N690 does even better with a convex edge,lanyards are a pain on every knife imho as are beads of some sort, can’t stand them🤪 in my experience larger knives make great feathersticks keeping the point downwards and running down along the edge to the handle but I do prefer a scandi bushcraft knife in combination with a saw more and more these days
Hi Rob - I’m trying to find the Join button on the homepage you mentioned and I’ve tried following the link you posted in the channel announcement but can’t find anything there either to become a member - I am clearly having a senior moment! What am I doing wrong mate? 😂
Rob, was interested to see you review on this knife and see that you came to the similar conclusion as me.... I had the same issues with edge geometry and also had to re-profile and thin the edge which I think is not acceptable for a knife of this cost. Extrema Ratio seem to send out their blades blunt, this is the 3rd knife from them that barely cuts paper. Maybe it is a matter of persevering, being prepared to field sharpen regularly? Interested in seeing a follow-up review on this and if your re-profiling made any difference. I wonder if the steel would be better with a more toothy edge, i.e. 600/1000 grit over a mirror polish, just feels like it would after I tried it with a mirrored edge and lost its sharpness again? Thanks for all of your posts and nice to see you have found a beautiful location from your last.!!
I was out this morning trying it out , you will see the video next week. I'm so pleased that I'm not the only one disappointed with such an expensive piece of kit, I've had quite a few comments saying I'm wrong and I used it incorrectly, mainly being told that DBK loved it, I won't say any more!
@@RobEvansWoodsman Looking forward to the update... It's advertised as a Bushcraft/Survival Knife, 6.3mm thick... you gave it easy tasks! The issue is it is more like a sabre grind but it is actually convex finished with a micro convex edge... it creates large shoulders on micro edge, it is potentially tougher but too thick for finer cutting. I still need to remove a lot more metal and will thin the edge closer to the handle for detail cutting, bit like a parang... Yes DBK has had a couple of reviews with this and failed against the competition in the latter..... really for me, the knife looks cool/semi tactical but that is where it ends.... I think any A1 model would be better for way less money. But if it gets you out in the Forrest looking like Hans Solo, who cares, nature is the place to be!
@@pbradventures I haven't put it on my belt yet, give me a Fallkniven any day of the week, the A1PRO and X are firm favourites of mine.....and the A2 and the modern Bowie! I address the thickness behind the cutting edge in the next video. We both have exactly the same thoughts on this knife, I really don't understand how others think it's amazing .
@@RobEvansWoodsman Totally Agree with you.....!! However keep reviewing more knives as it is great for people making decisions on their next purchase... we all know this is subjective to different reviewers (chopping through bricks ;-) , making fires and bushcraft tasks) but it definitely helps!!
First negative review I have ever seen. I have used this knife in the past and know a few people who swear by it. All were shaving sharp and easy to use. Not sure what is going on here but I am going to say it is a matter of perspective, style or some such.
Great video and honest review, you can clearly see the disappointment in your face. Sorry that the knife has not lived up to your expectations but I am sure with the regrind it will perform better. Never really understood the coatings thing either. 👍👍
n690co is shiet! it's only good for self defense tools like what Bastionelli makes. Soft enough that it won't snap on bone.. hard enough to stay sharp til you need to defend yourself with it. Not a steel I would choose for a knife. For a big chopper.. 3V or Cru-Wear.. for a smaller scandi knife.. Elmax or 20cv or Cru-Wear.
@@RobEvansWoodsman Wanna know a steel that really impressed me? Blue paper super, aka aogami super. Can be hardened up to like 65.. stays sharp forever, good and tough too.
The Italian knife industry is reputed to consistently heat treat to a chocolatey consistency. So this knife probably does not well reflect the potential of the Bohler N690 steel.
Thanks, that's good to know, the main issue with the knife was the grind, far too steep, an MOD knife after a good sharpen outperforms it! 1/5 the price.
I think you would have been happier with BRK Bravo 1 3v or CruWear. That's much better at all the task you did in this video. Nice review though, I definitely know to stay away from that knife and n690 all together
l have been thinking about getting a Bark River as l don't have one, l have many factory knives that could have performed these tasks far better than this expensive knife , lncluding the Skrama and MOD knife both of which are sub 100E.
@@RobEvansWoodsman I like their convex edges, just great for feathering, you'd love those grinds. If I had your skills in knife making, I would make my own Bravo1 in CruWear😁
Another new knife, huh? Looked promising, but I am surprised amd disappointed that 690 steel which is supppsed to be a border line supersteel did not hold an edge after a light use. I will hold off investing in some Bastinelli Creation stuff then. Thanks for the good info, Rob.
I’m sure I saw the DBK boys review this knife and they sang it’s praises? Lot of money, would have been peed off with it going blunt...you’ll struggle to get your money back if and when you move it on I think....good honest review though you done what’s expected of a knife like that.
Great honest review Rob👍. Disappointing result after the hype it has had, maybe a new grind will help. Not really a fan of the blade shape for a survival knife, far prefer a Fallkniven A1x profile. And the price WOW 🤔.
This knife reminds me of the Scrama 200, just slightly more esthetic. But it shares the brute feel of a 'crowbar with an edge'/ 'meat cleaver' and also has no useful tip, e.g. for fish gutting... It is also much more expensive! In short: I'd rather carry a folding saw and a medium size knife (F1 or SRK) ... I know why you used the knife as you did, I just wouldn't want to do that myself... and might also lack the skill!
when a knife is branded as a survival knife it should a be a jack of all trades and perform reasonably well at all outdoor tasks, it won't excel at any but should perform, chop , split and shave wood , prepare food and game , slice cordage, defend yourself and even dig in an emergency. l've never found the "ONE" l was hoping that this was it, definatley not. Fallkniven and Cold Steel have far better knives for less money.
@@RobEvansWoodsman Yes, I was thinking 'one knife option survival blade' and I don't think it can exist, due to contradictory requirements! The closest I have seen to what I have read/heard a 'Survival Knife' needs to be is the Kukri (e.g. Condor Heavy Duty or Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri). After seeing the Heavy Duty in action during Fritz Meinecke's '7vs Wild' (sorry, German only) I was lucky to find one at an acceptable price, well below 100€, but due to Lady C (who must not be named here on YT) and the resulting fatigue, I have not yet tested it out enough . But I expect to see serious issues during food prep, that knife is just too big! I expect the Kukri too will have to be paired with a smaller (6-10cm) EDC type blade (e.g. Brisa Bobtail)...
@@RobEvansWoodsman Those are not mutually exclusive - but wrt to making personally suitable camping knives, there isn't anyone I would trust more than you.
I've never seen a review of yours where I didn't like anything about the product....until now. It lost its edge so quickly. I feel bad for you, but hopefully you can give it a nice sharp edge which it might keep for longer. Regardless, that is not the knife for me 😎
The knife doesn't look like it's worth £4.50 never mind £450, with your skills Rob you should design your own do all survival I'm sure it would 💩 on this one. I bought a Lofty Wiseman parang for buttons off the man himself when I was lucky enough to meet him, I know you didn't like this parang and admittedly at first I didn't myself, but after addressing the handle to fit my hand properly I have come to love it, if you take the time with this parang you can perform most task's well but I suppose that goes for a lot of knives out there. The knife in this video looks like total daylight robbery to me, give me a MOD knife over that any day of the week and twice on a Sunday. Excellent honest review as always top Man.😁👍
I agree with you on the MOD knife. I'll make this thing work! I've given a lot of thought to making my own survival knife but never done it, personally l think that the COLD STEEL Kukri is just about as good as you'll get, followed up by the Skrama.
I think chopping has its place but only in wrist thick green wood. Chopping dead wood feels fruitless most of the time, well in Australia anyway where the wood ends up harder than steel 🤣
That is shocking for a knife at that kind of price, I think someone has just made a meal of the large survival knife market, they should be ashamed, the price needs to be dropped by at least £300.0 .
My first Selvans I got was so blunt I sent it back to Italy from Canada. I sent them a video of me rubbing my finger up and fake the blade repeatedly. They were upset and assured the knives were sharp and if it wasn’t sharp enough for me maybe I should buy a different model ?!?! Wtf??? The second version was only ok sharp. What a disappointment!! For that price! They sad they would send me a hat for my trouble I haven’t received it 2 month later
I really can't understand how people rave about this knife it's not very good, l have put it up for sale/trade and have had zero interest , i'll give it a few weeks then i'll grind it again.
Too bad that knife was such a disappointment. I am sure that the maker may see this review and re-think the process. If it is only good at chopping and you have a saw, does it really make any sense at all?
I don't have a problem with ugly knives, I'm much more interested in function over form. However this seems like a knife that was designed by a committee rather than by an experienced blade smith and it's suffered as a result. Given it's price and the fact that it came out of your pocket it would be easy to review it as the knife that you wanted and not the knife that you got so well done on being so reasoned and candid. There are enough B***S******s out there in You Tube land. Thanks for the video Rob.
Have you considered the fact that many reviewers use perfect materials for their reviews and that they get knives for free and don't want to give bad reviews as it'll piss their suppliers off?
@@RobEvansWoodsman dbk Used hard woods and they don‘t get this knive for free. I got many knives from Extrema, including the selvans and i‘m in the Forest almost 2full days a week and never felt disapointed with it 😏
Fair enough, you're a fan. When I get the edge geometry right I'm sure it will be excellent, I really like the overall knife but it went blunt really quick and the edge was too obtuse.
@@RobEvansWoodsman i‘ll watch your next Video with attention, impatient to look at performances with à convex Edge, if it‘s good i‘ll Switch for it 👌🏼 I subscried 😉
@@iGrowTube excellent, thanks for joining me, I wasn't sure how to take your first comment, wasn't sure if you were calling me a dick that couldn't use the knife properly or giving constructive criticism! As I said earlier , I like the knife it just didn't cut well out of the box .
@@RobEvansWoodsman in that case why didn’t hebuy you a gold one ? Chisel point pry bar With a tidy handle from where im sitting I wouldn’t turn my nose up either its a beast but I could never see myself parting with that many returnable Pop bottles to buy one lol
@@bronoun8884 oh well it over and done with now, no point dwelling on a waste of time and money, most reviews of this knife were positive sadly I thought it was grossly over priced and not the "amazing do it all tool" I was expecting expecting, one guy commented that I was an amature and Its amazing in the right hands....
@@RobEvansWoodsman there’s nothing you can’t do with a broad bill hook is what I have come to realise About an inch overhang rounded off and razor sharp rest of blade somewhere between a knife and a splitting axe . On the heavy side a bit but the line between working the land and camping has tirned into a very gray area Anyway good fortune to you sir
Billhooks were and still are used by country folks, they work and have done for centuries, I have to stop buying expensive knives, f**k it it's my hobby and passion, keeps me off the booze!!!
Why try to chop through wood for , when a axe or saw do far better. I know it’s a test but the energy you use up doing so is silly, cold , hungry fatigued but even heat of hydration will beat you,, use a axe or saw.. but as I said it’s a test ..
Rob, great, honest review, as always. The real value of your reviews is the straight forward and consistent way you do them, I especially appreciate your explanations of the variables, moisture, type of wood, condition, etc. Far too many reviewers would have shied away from your final conclusions. Keep up the great work.
Some reviewers use perfectly straight seasoned softwoods for their reviews, l use what is available at the time, real world application.
Completely agree with you on no knife doing it all and £450 was a real shocker.
Another excellent review - love your honesty. I’m interested to see the difference a convex edge makes to it
Great video! I’m now a subscriber line your honesty and knowledge
Welcome.
Thanks Rob! That was a great video. I just saved 400£! Was thinking about getting a Selvans but I will skip that. Rather stick with my A1x!
Nice work as usual. Thank you.
I 've had my Ontos (same sheath for almost 12 years now) now sheath damage from insertion removal over such time. I did however coat the inner part of the retention webbing (when I got it) with wetsuit urethane rubber- no chance of cutting it.
Good idea.
@@RobEvansWoodsman Thanks. I used Aquaseal, works perfectly and you can make it as thick or thin as you like.
Thank you. It's interesting to see what has happened. I have been looking at The exstrem ratio Satre, I have seen many Videos, read reviews, I am not convinced on spending cash yet. My best knife, I have now is Casström No 10 SFK in 14C28n. It holds an edge, it's been used across the kitchen to my garden without fail. Three of my others knives will be sold. I my look again at the Satre. Cheers, take care
Nice review, I was tempted to buy one, think I'll give it a miss now.
You can have this one!
@@RobEvansWoodsman 🤣
Thanks Rob! I trust your reviews. This is a very expensive and hyped knife. I was disappointed that it didn't live up to its name and price. Looks cool though!
Yes it does, looks like I'm in the minority on this one, everyone else loves it.
I have many knives in N690co and are a big fan of the steel. I also have two ER Shrapnel one knives and i bought TRC kydex sheats for them, great sheats and i really like those knives. Nieto uses the same steel alot and i have several of them. Fox use that steel and it is a great performing knife. I have been interested in the Selvans but its's not cheap. I saw that the DBK boys was super happy with it and really liked it and it performed great for them,i dont know. I like the looks and the idea of that knife. It will be interesting to see another vid with a new edge on it and what that will do. Dont give it up just yet. It's not fun when something you had high hopes for does not perform as it should. Looking forward to a new uppdate on the knife. Thumbs up as allways!
It's got a convex 24degree edge now but I think I should have gone finer
@@RobEvansWoodsman probably, the steel should not have any problems with a thinner edge. But it should make a difference allready,maybe
It's kinda like a modern, angular version of the old MOD knife.
and four times the price.
As they say, all that glitters....
Will be interesting to see how you can improve its performance 👍
Inferior steel I'm guessing; we'll see what happens after he re-profiles that edge.
I've been looking forward to seeing what you thought of this one. Brilliant video mate be good to see after you've given it a bit of a tweak.
This isn't over👍
Hi Rob,good to see you again mate
Rob me old mucker. You my friend are a super star, so this weekend I managed to forget life's worries and do some camping with a selection of knives..... The one I purchased from you, the falkniven R2 scout and one I purchased a while ago from a fellow UA-cam hidden valley bushcraft. And sir I have to say all three knives are exceptional but yours the orange g10 scales, the weight in hand, and feathersticks like a demon.
Mate worth it's weight in gold, I am forever putting stuff down (like a moron) but it just screes I'm here.
So thank you what a knife, can't wait to see if the Dutch bushcraft boys knife can compete! Lol
It won't feather like mine, no way!!!
@@RobEvansWoodsman I will say of the three I took out yours was the best feathersticker, the hvb knife is good but it has a longer blade 110mm as opposed to your 95mm and a longer handle with a petruding tang just made it a bit cumbersome.
First thankyou as always, second the moment I saw that knife I thought ugly. I like the way you address everything I was thinking with the bold writing onscreen, you never B S , we all know we should do something like remove annoying bits of kit to do some task but we carry on anyway lol. Re that ken onion I slagged a couple of months ago, I am getting better results now, like you said a learning curve. I messed up a cheap mora stainless , lost the true scandi on it so experimented with the ken onion attachment and mad it a kind of scandi convex and guess what? It cuts very well and feather sticks good. Thanks again Rob you are my favourite reviewer, I willsave money and not buy that knife
I have since sharpend the knife on the ken onion grinder and although it hasn't been used for anything heavy it certainly shaves wood better.
great review. nice beefy looking knife
Ouch, £450!
Great review mate.
I can't feather stick Ash to save my life, a very very sharp scandi will work kind of but it doesn't lend itself to feathers.
A shame it went so blunt so quickly, you'd expect a lot more for the money - there's nothing intrinsically wrong with N690, it's pretty much the same composition as VG10 but as with all steels it has to be heat treated well....I bet it performs better when you've worked your sharpening magic on it.
I do love the look of the Selvans - but as a survival knife I just think a Fallkniven A1 gives you more options and as you said - you can fully kit yourself out with quality gear for £450.
Now a Fallkniven modern Bowie or Cold Steel Trailmaster....there's £450 well spent on something that chops well.
We're on the same wavelength here mate
Congratulations with the new knife. That one if perfect for military service, especially in the Arctic as a great substitute for the Same knife commonly used by Ranger units. My first self bought service knife was an Extrema Ratio. Won't let you down. Will be interesting to see what your sharpening will do to it.
Rob I bought a Selvans several years ago. It proved to be a very capable blade, but it wasn’t the best at any single task. Mine had a very good edge on it from the factory. I’m not sure if the heat treat is the same now as it was when I purchased mine but I found the edge retention to be quite durable. I was both disappointed and surprised to see how quickly your edge dulled. I found I could do most Bushcraft tasks with the Selvans but it really didn’t excel at anything other than perhaps batoning. I still have it today but if I carry it in the field I always carry a smaller companion knife to handle the finer camp tasks. There is the cool factor with the survival kit and sheath! Lol…I always enjoy your content and I look forward to seeing round two after you’ve had time to put a keen edge on it. I am really curious to see what happens with the edge retention going forward.
Thanks for the input mate.
I was shocked that it isn't its edge so quickly after all the good reports on it.
Wow!!! At 9:08 I was convinced; Crap, even with all the "pros", the "cons" kill it!!! £450???? Bloody 'ell!!! Glad you bought it and not me! LOL!!! But that was a decent little folder there. Those last few seconds had me peeing in my pants!!!
For £450 I could buy a nice Gransfors, one of your lovely blades, a Silky; and still have enough left over for a pint and a lady from Limehouse (well, before the place was regenerated anyway).
I didn't pay for it , l traded it for a special Bushtool, which l made especially for the trade. lt's a £200 knife sold for £459!! l've re-ground it to a 24deg convex and it dose curl spruce better but thats in the kitchen not the woods. l should have gone finer.
As you said ,could have one of my bushtools in RWL a Gransfors forest axe and a quality saw for that price.
Well, the up side is, no matter how bad the tool, it's always fun to watch your escapades. Let us know what steel that thing is if you think of it in your next vid. Have a great weekend!
I mentioned the Steel in the video , N690, I said that I was thinking of using it on a run of knives but changed my mind after using it.
Wake up old fella!!😜🤣🤣
LMAO!!!!!!! Sorry, I thought you said, "I love knives "and Sex nightly"...... plus, you have me laughing so much, I miss a lot of detail; and, I'm half deaf from artillery!
Hi Rob , just caught the video. Couldn't help thinking when you were doing the batoning that you could have bought about a dozen old fashioned bill-hooks for that money, and they would probably have done a better job, in my opinion !
It's incredible what you could actually buy for that money.
Obtuse edge geometry like that is why the blade went dull so fast. Even with good steel and heat treatment it'll lose it's keen edge quick. I guess the idea is for it to be durable but it's a knife not a prybar.
Spot on
Have to wonder if they botched the heat treat, can’t imagine any other reason for it to go dull so fast. Thx for the review.
I still want one of these BurtMate
Don't bother Dave
The geometry is what gives cutting power, I think many knives forget that important part. This seems like one of them, very tactical and visual but not very effective
It was like chopping with a brick, if I had kept it I would have had to really take the bevel up the blade.
I nearly pulled the trigger myself, and then I realised I could get 3 Skrama 240 each with a leather sheath for the same price. I went with a Skrama.
I don't blame you.
Just subscribed. Really like your videos. Shame you didn't like the knife but glad I watched your review because I'm never going to buy one . The Selvens looks a really good knife but maybe not in the woods ? Have you not looked at a Condor Pack Golok? Big blade that chops like a Lazer and feathers really nicely and only 90 quid tops ! .
Not a fan of Condor sorry, they are excellent value ( I've had a few) for money but not for me .
@@RobEvansWoodsman fairplay to you but every Condor I've had have been stellar.
NOT MY CUP OF TEA ,i hate tanto blades makes the knife look unfinished in my opinion , would never spend so much on any blade , looks like the heat treat was completely off on yours though ,would love to see the new edge you put on ,looking forward to your next video . god bless ....Lee
I heard this knife was awesome from DBK, I really wanna get a survival knife i was thinking of the a1x but once i saw their review it looked amazing. Now i see yours and see your experience to. Can you help recommend me a good survival knife! Price isnt an issue. Just want something that will be worth it. LOVE your reviews your truly honest, been watching you for 3 years :)
I love Fallkniven knives, the A1X is great but handles are not that comfortable, the A1PRO is probably a better knife for prolonged use, cold steel knives?
@@RobEvansWoodsman Thanks you replied really quick. Ill go with the pro! cheers!
I've swapped the SELVANS it was shit! Look at the cold steel Recon Scout, TRC Apocalypse, lion Steel plenty of great large utility/survival knives out there.
Becker BK7 .... closest thing I have found to a do all knife, even preferred it to the A1x.
Beats this knife in performance and cost 👍🏻👍🏻
I've never had a Becker, tried a few Esee knives.
@@RobEvansWoodsman Personally, not a fan of ESEE knives, had the 4 and the 6 and ended up moving them on .... just couldn't get on with the flat grind. The RB3 looks a great knife though.
If you can get your hands on a BK7 .... I guarantee you will be impressed 🤙🏼🤙🏼
Love your channel mate.
@@scottyisable cheers Scotty, it's the big plastic handle that puts me off.
@@RobEvansWoodsman Totally understand your fear about the handle ... I was the same.
Bought a second hand BK7 to try, and absolutely fell in love with it.
I would be more than happy to send you my brand new BK7 with Micarta handles and after market kydex sheath to review .... be careful though, once you get your hands on it, it will be hard to part with 😜
@@scottyisableI don't borrow knives as I would probably be too kind in my evaluation.
Fully respect that everyone's taste is different, but that's one Ugly knife. And undeservedly expensive. Cheers
Good point you make there Rob! I also don't mind spending good money on an expensive bit of kit, providing it delivers on the promise. The design concepts are good, as you pointed out, but what is the idea of that very blunt tip? With a little less angle and an added cm or two it would enhance the blade, in my opinion. The argument for carrying a saw is 0bvious, but man I do love a big chopper. In fact, I'm going to do a bit of work with my Bushwhacker today. Alas, it appears a bit of metal fatigue has made its appearance and caused some edge chipping. On the other hand its done some pretty hefty work!
There's a few improvements that could be done to this knife, I will address them in the follow up video in a week or two.
Enjoy playing with your big chopper 😛
Great review Sir Rob
Thank you my friend
If you had said in the beginning of the video the price I wouldn't have watched it , great review Rob by someone honest who isn't getting anything for it , be great if you made one and give it the same amount of work and compare them 🏴👍
It's a looker, but for that price, i buy Terävä Skrama for the whole family including the dog. Chops better at that too, methinks.
Give me the Skrama any day
Nice vid mate,N690 is very very good steel with the right edge angle,30 degree is way off, that’s just stupid from ER but they do it with all their knives,I regrind all my ER I owned a convex and they kept performing for a long long time, my Hill knives with N690 does even better with a convex edge,lanyards are a pain on every knife imho as are beads of some sort, can’t stand them🤪 in my experience larger knives make great feathersticks keeping the point downwards and running down along the edge to the handle but I do prefer a scandi bushcraft knife in combination with a saw more and more these days
Jangly shit have no place on a knife that gets used, definatley get better feathersticking results the way you said.
Hi Rob - I’m trying to find the Join button on the homepage you mentioned and I’ve tried following the link you posted in the channel announcement but can’t find anything there either to become a member - I am clearly having a senior moment! What am I doing wrong mate? 😂
Scratch that mate - found it at the website - my app doesn’t give me an option!
Rob, was interested to see you review on this knife and see that you came to the similar conclusion as me.... I had the same issues with edge geometry and also had to re-profile and thin the edge which I think is not acceptable for a knife of this cost. Extrema Ratio seem to send out their blades blunt, this is the 3rd knife from them that barely cuts paper. Maybe it is a matter of persevering, being prepared to field sharpen regularly? Interested in seeing a follow-up review on this and if your re-profiling made any difference. I wonder if the steel would be better with a more toothy edge, i.e. 600/1000 grit over a mirror polish, just feels like it would after I tried it with a mirrored edge and lost its sharpness again?
Thanks for all of your posts and nice to see you have found a beautiful location from your last.!!
I was out this morning trying it out , you will see the video next week.
I'm so pleased that I'm not the only one disappointed with such an expensive piece of kit, I've had quite a few comments saying I'm wrong and I used it incorrectly, mainly being told that DBK loved it, I won't say any more!
@@RobEvansWoodsman Looking forward to the update... It's advertised as a Bushcraft/Survival Knife, 6.3mm thick... you gave it easy tasks! The issue is it is more like a sabre grind but it is actually convex finished with a micro convex edge... it creates large shoulders on micro edge, it is potentially tougher but too thick for finer cutting. I still need to remove a lot more metal and will thin the edge closer to the handle for detail cutting, bit like a parang...
Yes DBK has had a couple of reviews with this and failed against the competition in the latter..... really for me, the knife looks cool/semi tactical but that is where it ends.... I think any A1 model would be better for way less money. But if it gets you out in the Forrest looking like Hans Solo, who cares, nature is the place to be!
@@pbradventures I haven't put it on my belt yet, give me a Fallkniven any day of the week, the A1PRO and X are firm favourites of mine.....and the A2 and the modern Bowie!
I address the thickness behind the cutting edge in the next video.
We both have exactly the same thoughts on this knife, I really don't understand how others think it's amazing .
@@RobEvansWoodsman Totally Agree with you.....!! However keep reviewing more knives as it is great for people making decisions on their next purchase... we all know this is subjective to different reviewers (chopping through bricks ;-) , making fires and bushcraft tasks) but it definitely helps!!
@@pbradventures will do mate. I love doing it so I'm not going anywhere.👍👍
First negative review I have ever seen. I have used this knife in the past and know a few people who swear by it. All were shaving sharp and easy to use.
Not sure what is going on here but I am going to say it is a matter of perspective, style or some such.
the edge was bad and far too steep
Great video and honest review, you can clearly see the disappointment in your face. Sorry that the knife has not lived up to your expectations but I am sure with the regrind it will perform better. Never really understood the coatings thing either. 👍👍
Thanks mate , you know what for.
Anytime Mate.
n690co is shiet! it's only good for self defense tools like what Bastionelli makes. Soft enough that it won't snap on bone.. hard enough to stay sharp til you need to defend yourself with it. Not a steel I would choose for a knife. For a big chopper.. 3V or Cru-Wear.. for a smaller scandi knife.. Elmax or 20cv or Cru-Wear.
I love 3v and elmax is growing on me.
I'm not a fan of N6090 either!
@@RobEvansWoodsman Wanna know a steel that really impressed me? Blue paper super, aka aogami super. Can be hardened up to like 65.. stays sharp forever, good and tough too.
The Italian knife industry is reputed to consistently heat treat to a chocolatey consistency. So this knife probably does not well reflect the potential of the Bohler N690 steel.
Thanks, that's good to know, the main issue with the knife was the grind, far too steep, an MOD knife after a good sharpen outperforms it! 1/5 the price.
I think you would have been happier with BRK Bravo 1 3v or CruWear. That's much better at all the task you did in this video. Nice review though, I definitely know to stay away from that knife and n690 all together
l have been thinking about getting a Bark River as l don't have one, l have many factory knives that could have performed these tasks far better than this expensive knife , lncluding the Skrama and MOD knife both of which are sub 100E.
@@RobEvansWoodsman I like their convex edges, just great for feathering, you'd love those grinds. If I had your skills in knife making, I would make my own Bravo1 in CruWear😁
@@marcofcat I've made a few convex grind knives in the past but as a big Fallkniven fan and user I'll use them and stick to making Scandis.
👍👍
@@RobEvansWoodsman I recently bought a NL5 idun, just after watching your review. Next month I will buy the R2 scout. I'm a fan too👍
I really would like the NL5 cowryX .
Interesting review Rob. I've been looking at the Ontos. Out of curiosity which would you prefer, this Selvans or the Skrama?
if you consider the price the Skrama wins, we'll see if l can improve the Selvans on the grinder.
Another new knife, huh?
Looked promising, but I am surprised amd disappointed that 690 steel which is supppsed to be a border line supersteel did not hold an edge after a light use. I will hold off investing in some Bastinelli Creation stuff then. Thanks for the good info, Rob.
Honest. Thanks
I’m sure I saw the DBK boys review this knife and they sang it’s praises? Lot of money, would have been peed off with it going blunt...you’ll struggle to get your money back if and when you move it on I think....good honest review though you done what’s expected of a knife like that.
Yep they rated it one of the best bush knives they had tested, including chopping??
l know , l watched their video a few times that's the main reason l wanted the knife.
Great honest review Rob👍. Disappointing result after the hype it has had, maybe a new grind will help. Not really a fan of the blade shape for a survival knife, far prefer a Fallkniven A1x profile. And the price WOW 🤔.
Give me an A1PRO or A1X any day.
@@RobEvansWoodsman 👍😊
This knife reminds me of the Scrama 200, just slightly more esthetic. But it shares the brute feel of a 'crowbar with an edge'/ 'meat cleaver' and also has no useful tip, e.g. for fish gutting...
It is also much more expensive!
In short: I'd rather carry a folding saw and a medium size knife (F1 or SRK) ...
I know why you used the knife as you did, I just wouldn't want to do that myself... and might also lack the skill!
when a knife is branded as a survival knife it should a
be a jack of all trades and perform reasonably well at all outdoor tasks, it won't excel at any but should perform, chop , split and shave wood , prepare food and game , slice cordage, defend yourself and even dig in an emergency.
l've never found the "ONE" l was hoping that this was it, definatley not. Fallkniven and Cold Steel have far better knives for less money.
@@RobEvansWoodsman Yes, I was thinking 'one knife option survival blade' and I don't think it can exist, due to contradictory requirements!
The closest I have seen to what I have read/heard a 'Survival Knife' needs to be is the Kukri (e.g. Condor Heavy Duty or Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri).
After seeing the Heavy Duty in action during Fritz Meinecke's '7vs Wild' (sorry, German only) I was lucky to find one at an acceptable price, well below 100€, but due to Lady C (who must not be named here on YT) and the resulting fatigue, I have not yet tested it out enough . But I expect to see serious issues during food prep, that knife is just too big!
I expect the Kukri too will have to be paired with a smaller (6-10cm) EDC type blade (e.g. Brisa Bobtail)...
I'm a big fan of the Cold steel Kukri as a survival knife.
£450 + uninspiring performance = pretty shit really. I'd be gutted if I'd bought that.
Another good review 👌
Shit happens, I actually swapped another knife for it.
Sooner or later, you're going to have to just admit that you're actually the best, Rob Evans.
best at what? drinking tea or talking bollocks!!!
@@RobEvansWoodsman Those are not mutually exclusive - but wrt to making personally suitable camping knives, there isn't anyone I would trust more than you.
Thank you, I appreciate that, the aim is to help people with their choices and I have an excuse to play with the knives!
I've never seen a review of yours where I didn't like anything about the product....until now. It lost its edge so quickly. I feel bad for you, but hopefully you can give it a nice sharp edge which it might keep for longer. Regardless, that is not the knife for me 😎
It will would!!!
@@RobEvansWoodsman 🤔
Sorry, it will work!
@@RobEvansWoodsman Do you think it'll keep it's edge? Was it the steel or the grind?
@@Trevelyon006 I have shaved some sticks at home with the new grind and it seems ok.
The knife doesn't look like it's worth £4.50 never mind £450, with your skills Rob you should design your own do all survival I'm sure it would 💩 on this one. I bought a Lofty Wiseman parang for buttons off the man himself when I was lucky enough to meet him, I know you didn't like this parang and admittedly at first I didn't myself, but after addressing the handle to fit my hand properly I have come to love it, if you take the time with this parang you can perform most task's well but I suppose that goes for a lot of knives out there. The knife in this video looks like total daylight robbery to me, give me a MOD knife over that any day of the week and twice on a Sunday. Excellent honest review as always top Man.😁👍
I agree with you on the MOD knife. I'll make this thing work!
I've given a lot of thought to making my own survival knife but never done it, personally l think that the COLD STEEL Kukri is just about as good as you'll get, followed up by the Skrama.
Just can’t justify that much money for n690 steel. Maybe Elmax , CPM 3V, or other premium steels.
I have a few Boker knives I bought before I knew anything about knife steel and they are very underwhelming.
440a in the booker knives?
What would Mors have said to this knife? 😂
A pry bar that doesn't work wood well!!
@@RobEvansWoodsman 😂
I think chopping has its place but only in wrist thick green wood.
Chopping dead wood feels fruitless most of the time, well in Australia anyway where the wood ends up harder than steel 🤣
Bouncing off I expect!
450 beans seems like robbery for something which appears to have shit edge retention. I'd be gutted if I'd dropped that kind of money on it
We'll see next time with the new grind how it performs.
you send it?
Sorry but I don't know what you mean.
@@RobEvansWoodsman perdona la traduzione errata,volevo chiedere il selvans se lo vendi
I have not sold it.
👍👍
That is shocking for a knife at that kind of price, I think someone has just made a meal of the large survival knife market, they should be ashamed, the price needs to be dropped by at least £300.0 .
My first Selvans I got was so blunt I sent it back to Italy from Canada. I sent them a video of me rubbing my finger up and fake the blade repeatedly. They were upset and assured the knives were sharp and if it wasn’t sharp enough for me maybe I should buy a different model ?!?! Wtf??? The second version was only ok sharp. What a disappointment!! For that price! They sad they would send me a hat for my trouble I haven’t received it 2 month later
I really can't understand how people rave about this knife it's not very good, l have put it up for sale/trade and have had zero interest , i'll give it a few weeks then i'll grind it again.
Same here
Too bad that knife was such a disappointment. I am sure that the maker may see this review and re-think the process. If it is only good at chopping and you have a saw, does it really make any sense at all?
The DBK boys thought it was amazing, I'm a nobody, what do I know?
Rubbish knife , the grind is far too chunky.
@@RobEvansWoodsman My opinion is that those guys are too interested in goofing around instead of doing serious content.
I don't have a problem with ugly knives, I'm much more interested in function over form. However this seems like a knife that was designed by a committee rather than by an experienced blade smith and it's suffered as a result. Given it's price and the fact that it came out of your pocket it would be easy to review it as the knife that you wanted and not the knife that you got so well done on being so reasoned and candid. There are enough B***S******s out there in You Tube land. Thanks for the video Rob.
apparently it was designed by an Italian survival expert, it's the super steep grind that lets it down.
Many reviews have been made about the selvans, but no one use it likes you 🤔
it‘s never the knife fault, it‘s just the user
Have you considered the fact that many reviewers use perfect materials for their reviews and that they get knives for free and don't want to give bad reviews as it'll piss their suppliers off?
@@RobEvansWoodsman dbk Used hard woods and they don‘t get this knive for free.
I got many knives from Extrema, including the selvans and i‘m in the Forest almost 2full days a week and never felt disapointed with it 😏
Fair enough, you're a fan.
When I get the edge geometry right I'm sure it will be excellent, I really like the overall knife but it went blunt really quick and the edge was too obtuse.
@@RobEvansWoodsman i‘ll watch your next Video with attention, impatient to look at performances with à convex Edge, if it‘s good i‘ll Switch for it 👌🏼
I subscried 😉
@@iGrowTube excellent, thanks for joining me, I wasn't sure how to take your first comment, wasn't sure if you were calling me a dick that couldn't use the knife properly or giving constructive criticism!
As I said earlier , I like the knife it just didn't cut well out of the box .
Not to keen on the knife, l would still have an axe and a very different knife. So not for me sorry.
I agree
It's ridiculous that you have to carry folder to do the work while carrying a £400 + knife
It was a rediculous knife
@@RobEvansWoodsman yeah true ... true....I'm not going to buy it anymore. Thank you for saving me that money 😁
More money than sense
Yes!!!
To be fair I wasn't prepared to pay that much for it, a customer bought it for me in a trade for a special knife I made him.
@@RobEvansWoodsman in that case why didn’t hebuy you a gold one ?
Chisel point pry bar
With a tidy handle from where im sitting
I wouldn’t turn my nose up either its a beast but I could never see myself parting with that many returnable Pop bottles to buy one lol
@@bronoun8884 oh well it over and done with now, no point dwelling on a waste of time and money, most reviews of this knife were positive sadly I thought it was grossly over priced and not the "amazing do it all tool" I was expecting expecting, one guy commented that I was an amature and Its amazing in the right hands....
@@RobEvansWoodsman there’s nothing you can’t do with a broad bill hook is what I have come to realise
About an inch overhang rounded off and razor sharp rest of blade somewhere between a knife and a splitting axe .
On the heavy side a bit but the line between working the land and camping has tirned into a very gray area
Anyway good fortune to you sir
Billhooks were and still are used by country folks, they work and have done for centuries, I have to stop buying expensive knives, f**k it it's my hobby and passion, keeps me off the booze!!!
Why try to chop through wood for , when a axe or saw do far better. I know it’s a test but the energy you use up doing so is silly, cold , hungry fatigued but even heat of hydration will beat you,, use a axe or saw.. but as I said it’s a test ..
You answered your own question , only chopping for the test, I always use a saw and rate a saw higher than a large knife or axe in most situations.
Extrema overpriced...
Extrema low HRC...
Collecting Italian knives, I took an Extrema swerve away from this company!
Wish I had , still got the piece of crap, can't give it away.