A very interesting take on a field knife - Walther FBK

 I got a new knife for reviewing that is really stunning. Yeah, you all know I don´t like ´em tacticals any, but there is no mistaking there are a lot of dead functional designs out there. Let me introduce you now to the Walther FBK (Fixed Blade Knife). Not a creative name at all, but one can´t argue about it fitting;-).

 The knife comes in a very cool gift box. It´s made from sheet metal with foam fittings to hold the knife and sheath and goodies in. One can take out the furniture;-) and use it for a survival kit and first aids. Out of the box the knife came hair poppingly sharp. The blade is made from 12C27 with a somewhat Tanto-esque tip but with not so much of a pronounced "American Tanto" configuration, which is a good thing to aid in all-round capability. It is ground hollow towards the handle and has a flat grind in the tip. The handle looks like Kraton, and indeed it is a thin layer of Kraton rubber on G 10  scales. The blade is some 4,2 mm thick and the tang has serrations at the back and the rear end. It also has a clean lanyard "pin" built in that does a good job of keeping a potential lanyard from flopping all over the place.

 I  don´t know exactly, but the blade looks and feels like it has a selective temper. As is, it can stand up to a whole lot of abuse.

 The handle seems to be hollowed out. I could not remove one screw, so there´s no evidence yet. The screws can theoretically be removed with a coin. Interesting are the index grooves towards the rear end, which at first seem like a design fad; but moving it from the hammer to the reverse grip position shows that the knife is extremely dexterous in those movements. Okay, so best advice is not to move your knife around in a stress situation, but as is, the movement can be done with a lot of safety.

 The sturdy cordura sheath allows for a lot of carrying options. You can adjust the belt loop with press buttons, and there are MOLLE loops at the back that would even allow for horizontal carrying or mounting to an assault rig or daypack. The extra pouch easily carries a Vic locksmith and Swedish army firestick or a Vic multitool. The sheath looks a bit cheap, and could do with a bit less clumsiness, but we´re talking a knife with a selectively tempered (very probably) 12C27 blade and ingenious handle and grind that sells for 69€.

Overall I can say, of course I do not like the tactical design, but rationally I can´t say anything against it. The blade and handle are outright ingenious, and the sheath is something one can easily live with. The knife and sheath could be decontaminated, and overall it offers a whole lot of bargain for the money. I can´t say how much abuse it can take actually, but will maybe be able to provide you with a full - on test later. It certainly looks the part.

As is almost customary, apologies for the lousy pics, I have to get a new camera soon!