Fremont Knives Farson Blade

Super sharp edged unique blade for everything from chopping to skinning. The design for this survival blade came from a stone knife found near Farson, Wyoming, in the Great Red Desert. Forged from steel or titanium, its simple design and unique shape do not cause undo attention to this tool.

The Farson blade by Fremont Knives is a design taken from a relic stone knife found in the Great Red Desert near Farson, Wyoming. For a better grip and reduction in weight the designers eliminated the center and added a para cord grip and lanyard which can be used to attach the blade to a handle making an axe (although the company does make a Farson blade axe with handle and blade being one piece).

Lightweight and inconspicuous, probably owing to its "not your usual" shape for a sheathe, causes no raised eyebrows or concern in locations that would usually ask you to put your knife/gun whatever in your vehicle. (they just don't see a weapon sheath).

This blade with moderate use has maintained a good sharp edge for the three months I have owned it and has not yet required sharpening. As I have not had need to sharpen it yet, I am unable to comment on any difficulty in sharpening the curved part of the blade, but see where this might be more difficult than sharpening a straighter blade.

Lashing this blade to a stick handle to make an axe does take some thinking. The force behind your axe is lessened if you only lash the blade to the side of a stick handle. I found a more secure way to fix the blade to a handle was to put a groove in the handle to support the flat edge/handle of the blade from the back as well as the sides. (narrow slit depth of about half the diameter of the stick worked pretty well for me.)

This blade being of a good steel (it comes in titanium, I just don't have the budget for that), should last a lifetime and be a tool I can hand down to future generations. Mine came with a canvas sheathe. While this is holding up all right, I believe I would recommend the option to get a leather sheath for durability were it not for the design flaw of the sheathe it came with. (assumption here is that the sheath design is the same for the leather option)

The sheath is also one of the weaker points to this tool. If wearing it on your belt, it seems the sheath was made for the left hand... which I am not. The "solution" which is not really acceptable in my view, is to turn the sheath upside down so that the opening is facing down towards the ground. This is not optimal in my view as if the snap came undone you could have your blade falling with the sharp parts up endangering you if you attempt to catch it.  Cross draw does not work.

manufacturer specs:

• Length Overall is 6″
• 3.1″ in Width
• Thickness is .140″
• Length of Cutting Edge is 7.75″
• Blade Material 4cr15
• Handle wrapped with 8ft of 550 Black Paracord with a Loop for Securing around the Wrist
• Includes Nylon Sheath With protective Plastic Insert

Why own one? Its simplicity alone makes it pretty much impossible to break, wear out over the course of a lifetime or two. This is a survival tool that will outlast your need.