EXTREMA RATIO SETHLANS
SURVIVAL, Bushcraft, Backup, Hunting, Hiking/Camping KNIFE
New for 2020 is the Extrema Ratio SETHLANS Survival Knife. All I can say is WOW!
Extrema Ratio have combined their knowhow for safe carry system and dependable and functional knife design, into a truly transportable new product, the Extrema Ratio SETHLANS was designed in collaboration with Daniele Dal Canto Master Advanced Instructor at FISSS** in Italy.
This a bit of a departure from the usual straight out and out military concept.
The carry system is based around a Molle configuration which allows many many transport configurations such as, for example but only limited to one's imagination:
On the regular belt carry, on the pack (non-Molle) on the Molle pack/vest/belt, tactical belt and the list goes on.
Included in the Extrema Ratio Sethlans (survival kit) is also a large quality alloy fire steel. Take note, I say quality fire steel because "fire steels" (ferro cerium rods) are not all made alike when it comes to the alloying compositions. Some steels, one needs excessive pressure, in order to even faintly achieve any sparks from it, or it must be struck with such violence creating unnecessary friction in order for the alloy to ignite. However, for a quality steel, one just has to look at it for it to "throw sparks"! The fire steel which comes with the Extrema Ratio Sethlans is such a steel (u will see this in the upcoming video).
I added a small piece of plastic to stop the diamond plate from abrading the Molle pouch (It's not really necessary but I'm a bit crazy with this sort of stuff LOL!)
The Molle system is built around a sturdily constructed Kydex scabbard which securely and safely stores the business end of things. Needless to say, the whole carry system can be striped down to the individual components, namely, the Kydex unit; the rear Molle straps and loop, the front pocket and finally a Malice clip to secure the small front pouch. The whole thing can be reversed for left hand extraction.
The whole "system" of the Extrema Ratio Sethlans comprises of the following: One knife (my model made with Böhler's N690 (uncoated blade- there is a coated D2 version, HRC 60 and Teflon coated with what Extrema Ratio are calling "EXP DARK"); an excellent super fine ceramic stone (as mentioned above) bonded to a coarse diamond plate and a big chunky fire steel which is held in place via 3 ballistic nylon webbing loops.
Finishing off the Sethlans Knife system is a piece of included paracord, which is designed to tie into both the Molle skeleton and the Kydex scabbard (of course one can put their own cordage/length here).
Why is the handle slightly curved?
The handle is curved to make using the knife more comfortable to cut with. When the blade is held in a horizontal position, one's elbow is down. If you hold a knife and the handle is regularly straight and the blade is held horizontally, your elbow will be at a higher angle, try it. The higher the angle of the elbow, the more this becomes unnatural. Nothing has been left to chance with the design of the Sethlans, including the handle design. Trust me, these things do make a difference when using ANY TOOL over long periods of time. For an example: I would use the construction of a shovel and its handle. There are shovels comfortable to use all day digging holes and there are ones which will break your back in a short time of use.
It was clear from when laid eyes upon this system, a lot of serious thought has gone into the design of the Sethlans.
Why do I refer to the Sethlans as a SYSTEM?
All too many knife manufacturers skimp when it comes to knife carry systems. I can say, based upon 35 years plus outdoor experience (10 years experience carrying and using Extrema Ratio products) in the field (not the bedroom or desktop or garage or shed), this is definitely not one of those companies. I have never had a scabbard fail on me, even under the most harsh conditions in the Australian wilderness, nor Northern hemisphere adventures either (not to leave out the North!). No stitching has ever come undone, no webbing abraded through, no FRN cracked, no press studs coming loose, buckles breaking, etc. The parts are made in Europe.
The "System" of the SETHLANS
The KNIFE
The Extrema Ratio Sethlans can be described as a drop point (possibly the most useful design when it comes to outdoor/survival knives (Im not talking about machetes here or parangs ok or even tanto blades also easily maintained-see below). The tang is a big chunky 6mm (1/4") thick slab of N690 Cobalt tool steel. But wait there's more! No, the knife is NOT heavy in the handle and that's because they have engineered a fuller within the grip!
The Sethlans' chunky tang is 6mm (1/4") thick, although there is a "Fuller" within the handle to keep the weight down. Do not be concerned with strength, as the handle is more than strong enough^^ for the most rigorous tasks for such a knife. The G10 scales are milled to fit precisely into the Fuller. These scales will also (just like for any good liner lock folder) also provide some mechanical strength. But this knife has been designed to be used without the scales as well and it can be "cord wrapped" for those who like this minimalist approach (hence the slotted milled sections to help maintain an effective wrapping weave).
The weight distribution is such that the knife does not weigh heavy in the hand (in fact the fulcrum point sits behind the ricasso!). This is a very important consideration for extended periods of use, such as: skinning medium to large game, working wood and food preparation. WHY? Because the sole purpose of a knife is to cut and if unnecessary energy is put into simply supporting a knife in one's hand/wrist, then this amounts to wasted energy. You may be reading this and thinking: "What a load of rubbish"! However, I would ask you to consider the following: A huge (and proven countless times both via anecdotal and scientific evidence) difference can be seen in the distance someone can travel (all other things being equal) on the weight of the footwear one wears. Hence the outdoor shoe industry, (good shoes/boot makers) strive to produce products which are light weight but sturdy enough for the intended task/s. Many of you will have seen I like to wear "Approach" type boots (over both hemispheres, from alpine*** to jungle). These are relatively lightweight, sturdy, fast and durable/tough; much the same can be said of the Extrema Ratio Sethlans in its design rationale.
The scales do not form part of the retention system and hence can be removed as mentioned above without affecting the safe carry of this knife.
I noted there was a generous coating of oil over the entire tang when I removed the scales. Take note here that despite the excellent corrosion resistance of N690 at HRC 58, to seawater, it is NOT corrosion proof, so like all good users, we should indeed carry out maintenance checks once in a while should the knife get submerged. My field experience tells me however, that unless the knife gets a good dunking in the sea, then just letting it dry in a warm place should be fine without the need every time to remove the scales. On that note the scales can be easily removed with an ordinary flat bladed screw driver.
The blade geometry and edge quality is such that typical camp activities can be easily achieved. The Extrema Ratio Sethlans is not thick around the edge so getting shallow angles for feathering is easy.
The first fixing bolt hole sits way back from the ricasso and that is important from the perspective of NOT putting holes close to the point of a fulcrum (if indeed the knife be subject to such forces) so as not to provide a point of potential failure- just like in aircraft design, bending forces are not occurring around, or close to holes. (Yes, that's right, that's why on other Extrema Ratio models the handle fixing bolt is not where near the guard)
The scales of the Sethlans are made with black G10 composite. It goes without saying G10 is super strong and basically doesn't absorb water, unlike micarta composites. G10 is the industry standard when it comes to high mechanical strength and high dielectric breakdown (ok the latter quality isn't important here LOL)
If you are going to include a fire steel then you had better make sure at least part of the spine is acute enough to strike a steel, should you require this method in order to light a fire. Sure, a steel can be struck with a piece of broken quartz or glass or any sharp and relatively hard (at least 7 on MOHs scale of hardness) material with a good edge. Yes, the Extrema Ratio Sethlans does indeed feature an acute edge on part of its spine. Many people have complained that ER do not make spines that a fire steel can be struck against. Of course they don't they make predominantly military tools and no one is striking fire steels. Now they address this "social media request/complaint"
There is well-placed gimping and an acute edged spine.
Thumb/forefinger (on the top of the knife), rear top and underside surfaces. There is a lanyard hole which can accommodate either webbing (such as climber's webbing) or cords with a diameter of up to 4-5mm.
The handle is slightly curved for ergonomic comfort and "cutaway" around the index and middle finger as in their other models, to provide a secure non-slip grip.
Despite having a 1/4" (6mm) thick spine At its maximum width, the Sethlans blade geometry has been milled in such a way as to provide maximum cutting efficiency, yet sturdy construction and there is also a swedge near the tip.
The Extrema Ratio Sethlans is comfortable to use in the ungloved hand and the forefinger/thumb gimping is grippy but not uncomfortable, due to its profile.
Make a fire, prepare food, (or prepare food make a fire) cook, that's what interests me. These things can be easily achieved with the Sethlans. I wouldn't necessarily take it camping in the tropics (read my other blogs about why that would be based upon extensive camping in the tropics) but outside of the tropics, no problems.
The Scabbard setup
Extrema Ratio really address the issues with the "survival" knife thing. It's no good carrying a supposed survival knife/bushcraft/Backup Knife if you are not carrying anything to keep it sharp and it's no good carrying the same said type knife if the scabbard is the weak point as any knife will become a potential danger to the wearer should the scabbard fail and the knife inflicts an injury to the wearer.
The Extrema Ratio Sethlans is securely retained via a no rattle Kydex moulding and further security via a left or right handed double press stud 40mm wide strap.
As mentioned, the whole carry system can be disassembled and the kydex unit reversed for left handed carry. Extrema Ratio are also providing as options a belt clip for horizontal carry for the Sethlans as well!
It came with that bit of paracord but there is no reason why a longer piece could not be attached in the same way. Remember there are options available for horizontal belt carry. Personally, I do not find this anything additional, it's bit of cord at the end of the day.
Why a Drop Point? (because why reinvent the wheel when it comes to functional blade designs)
I've talked about this many many times and that is on the subject of blade shapes, specifically useful ones. There is a plethora of blade shapes out there but to qualify as a "Tool" (hence my channel name- BushCampingTools) then it has to come under the banner of being a useful tool. The "Drop Point" blade design is of course undisputedly such a tool.
A drop point has enough of a tip for penetration tasks (gutting, skinning etc.), simply maintained in the field (kept sharp), easily able to skin game and cut meat and other raw or cooked food items. I'm not saying there are no other useful blade shapes, of course there are, however, the drop point, or variations of this shape can be very useful tools. There are more easily maintained knife shapes, such as the Tanto and or modified Tanto or blades resembling Japanese Wakazashi; I have spoken and written about these latter designs elsewhere and on this blog. Some people have complained saying "it's just a drop point", well of course it is, as mentioned, the "Drop Point" like the ordinary triangular bicycle frame is to the bicycling industry LOL!
The Sethlans can be used for hunting (in my bowhunting experience) without any doubts in my mind, so the Extrema Ratio Sethlans should also appeal to the hunter. We regularly walked many kilometres into virgin rugged cliff based bushland hunting wild goats and one must go totally self supporting should the situation involve any delays in returning to camp. In reality, the Sethlands, isn't too heavy or long to cart around, on the waist or strapped to a pack (I always carry a pack hunting).
In terms of "survival" (it that's your thing) then the greater the probability you will be carrying some item the greater the probability you will also have it on you during a situation should any unscheduled incidents occur and you await rescue, that's all I'm going say here on that subject
The Extrema Ratio Sethlans is a knife that will also appeal to those in countries (like for example some countries within Europe) where the law can be harsh on knife carry since this knife does not appear threatening in design and can be clearly seen to be a tool of the hiker and camper. The Extrema Ratio Sethlans can be easily taken hiking and camping, as food preparation is also easily achieved without embarrassment of pulling out some 9 inch chopper among other campers to prepare your evening meal! I also think this would be a great knife for extended hunting trips away from vehicle and comfort amenities (such as cabins or huts), simply camping out and hunting, for example Bow hunting (based upon personal experience).
As with all of their products (I own and have tested), they are built with Italian pride in manufacturing.
^^HOW STRONG IS IT?
Now a quick demo for those who think the handle isn't strong (I noticed lots of comments after they saw the trailer videos. But first to say: this handle strength thing is only of relevance to those who don't want a knife to cut with but only to fool around with and of course stand a high chance of breaking it unless it's a "crowbar"/ "pry bar" LOL and crowbars don't cut very well and are heavy to carry. I have in 35 years, never seen or heard of anyone breaking a handle of even the most cheap crap knife (unless trying to break it or it was faulty to begin with).
So now to the basic strength test, this is my now 72Kg weight (yep I've lost weight, I was getting too fat LOL from close to 80Kg!!) plus another 500gm for the shoes across the knife at the fulcrum-or close to it. No chance of breaking it horizontally and the design from the vertical loading aspect is that of a bridge. Ok? yep one big "triangle" (in the design of the fuller).
Stick around fo the upcoming field review of the Extrema Ratio Sethlans.
BCT
** FISSS- Italian Federation of Sports and Experimental Survival
http://www.fisss.it/
*** Ok you have not yet seen me wearing my mountaineering boots and crampons LOL-specifically for snow and ice only in reality and or prolonged sub zero temperatures.
All images BushCampingTools
