Inexpensive Fixed Blade

About 8 years ago I was reading an article on this site
about fixed blade knives. I know it was about 8 years ago because
it was just before Y2K :-) Anyway, a good, inexpensive fixed blade
was recommended as a good bargain. I bought one and I liked it
a lot. I think it was in the $20 range -- a very good deal.

The problem is that I lost it and don't remember the brand or
where to buy another one. I think it was Swiss (country of origin,
not the brand) or from somewhere in Europe. The one I bought
had a bright orange plastic handle and plastic scabbard.
It had a stainless straight blade, nothing fancy.

I would really like to replace it with something similar.
Any recommendations or does anyone remember this far back?

Sounds like a mora.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mora_%28knife%29


Good fixed blades for not a lot of money. They aren't "sharpened prybars", but they cut very well.

www.ragweedforge.com buy two this time.

Mora! yes, that's it -- from the Swedes, not the Swiss.
Yes, you can bet I'll buy two this time.

Simple Mora knives are good. Except for their high-end line your unlikely to impress anyone but survival is not a beauty contest. Simple and sturdy is good enough.

I used to be impressed by the latest blade du jour. Often going for $400 and up. I have seen my share of high dollar gear fail, get stolen or lost. I watched a grown man just about cry when he realized his $1200 knife had fallen out into the river during a canoe trip. Luckily someone in a following group spotted it under water, retrieved it and returned it to him. This took considerable amount of effort and risk. The man barely even thanked the guy who returned it. IMHO a lot of people who are gear snobs are pricks and generally not good company.

One of the nicest camping couples I knew used shower curtains for a rain capes, a tarp for a tent, blankets for sleeping bags and tennis shoes and USGI jungle boots for footwear. They stayed warm, dry, well fed, happy and covered more miles than just about anyone else. They were also very good company and were always helping people out.

I have heard mixed reviews about Mora's, mostly that they are good knives, but some that they are "only for beginners", and that they break easily. Should I be reluctant? Can I expect them to handle hard use, or should they be treated more like fillet knives? Will someone please tell me what the appeal is other than price? Like I said, I have heard mixed reviews concerning durability.

Put it this way, I've got the stainless 'clipper' and if it breaks or bends it'll be because I'm doing something that shouldn't be done with a knife. Always have a backup but I'd have no problem being out with only a mora. Here's a pretty in-depth review that takes a silimar mora through its paces.

http://www.cutleryscience.com/reviews/mora_2000.html

I just got my first set of Moras. I ordered a 760CAMO for my daughter ($20), a 760MG for my wife ($10) and a 780 Triflex for myself ($10 or $11). I'm impressed with their simplicity and obvious usefullness. They arrived razor *sharp*...each of them. I don;t care much for guards but, for some reason, maybe because the handles fit my hand so well, they seem allright on these knives. Next year, I plan on ordering a #911 and a #2000.

At the same time I got those Moras, I also ordered an EKA H8. THis knife is $85, substantially more than the Moras, but it's a more well-made knife. Bubinga wood scales, full-tang 1/8" 12C27 stainless (flat primary grind with v-grind edge), and a fairly nice leather sheath.

I prefer fixed blades from Benchmade, Bark River, etc. I think if I didn;t have the experience of owning some very nice fixed blades, I probably wouldn;t be able to appreciate these little Mora knives. I know that sounds backwards, but I think it's right.

Someone already gave the link for Ragnars, but here it is again:
http://www.ragweedforge.com

I had never seen that review, though I've read others by Cliff Stamp. He's very technical, but he had me almost laughing at the way he broke off-topic and branched into fire building and rekindling!

I have several Moras and I think they are great. Simple, cheap and effective knives. I own the Clipper, a KJ Ericsson one in stainles steel and a laminated carbon S-2, and I like them all. However, the stainless steel one seems to be the nicest for food prep because the blade stays nice and shiny. Carbon knives develop what they call a patina, which is basically some corrosion that "stains" the knife. Nothing toxic however...

I have been hearing a lot of good comments on a different forum regarding the Cold Steel Mini-Pendleton. It really looks like a mini Fallkniven F1. It can be found at about half the MSRP price of $49.99.



PENDLETON MINI HUNTER

Specifications:
Weight: 2.4 oz.
Blade Thick: 1/8"
Blade Length: 3
Handle: 3 1/4" long. Kraton
Steel: VG-1 Stainless Steel
Overall Length: 6 1/4"
Sheath: Secure-Ex Sheath

This is a survival site not a bushcraft site. I get the impression that Moras are perfectly adequate for anything you'll need in a camping trip but might not be up to cutting your way out of a crashed aircraft or prising open a jammed lift door. Decide which you need. The gear guide on this site recommends knives including the Moras.
The Sock

Well, one of the nicest things about the Moras is the price and the fact that they're lightweight. After using a heavier-duty blade to cut or pry in an unorthodox manner, if it were broken or sufficiently dulled, I'd be happy to have the Mora....or any other sharp knife. I agree they're not for chopping or prying.

Knife 'robustness' is much like tie widths. We have seen thin cutting stock like Moras to prybars like my old Adams Mark 4. Present thickness is somewhere in the middle.In survival we look for greater robustness because the knife may indeed be called upon to perform above and beyond it's dedicated purpose. That said, A few years past I indeed took my Adams and locked myself into an abandoned old trailor, or caravan.It took me the better part of a day to hack my way through marine plywood, insulation, aluminum and wiring. My hand from the rather unfriendly grips was a mass of blisters. I next picked a fight with a 4' palmtree and chopped it to pieces. Now, this is a 1/4" thick, relatively soft Rockwell tool. Finally I dug out a native onion growing in the irrigation gully of the orchard. I bent the blade. I couldn't cut myself falling on it roman like let alone basic survival tasks after this workout. It took a mil file to give even a working edge on what was left.It now had a distinct family resemblance to a anorexic kukhri. The final cut is this: Use your knife carefully and if possible in extremis fabricate a dedicated tool for non knife jobs. If your knife, and your hands are trashed doing vigorous work forget about fuzz sticks, a fire and cuppa tea. Thats one thing the people at Adams probably make right!I dug a hole for it and buried with full military honours, on the batlefield where it fell.

I have a Mora that has been with me for over 10 years. Keeps a sharp edge and is very utilitarian, not expensive at all.
Been thinking about picking up a couple of extras since the price is right.
Not the best/most expensive knife I own but one I use frequently.

I have a few Mora's and use them frequently, I particularly like the Clipper but hate the plstic sheath.

I used the Clipper (stainless version) to skin/butcher a deer this fall and now keep one in my kitchen as a utility/paring knife.

I have a carbon steel Clipper that I can get a little sharper that the stainless version but rusting is a pain in the kitchen enviroment.

Mike

I think a assessment all knife people can agree on is this: Moras are an excellent introductory knife for the gross majority of people opening up their Hannuka and Christmas presents with car keys, preparing a basic kit on a budget or attending an already costly survival school. In fact, Buying two and using one to learn proper knife sharpening, and even Moras can be improved with initial reprofiling, is still cheap. We all had the initial Walter Mitty need for Excaliber when starting out. A Mora is a good deal when your trying to assemble even a basic kit within budget.That many survival instructors such as Mors Kochanski use the Mora is not so much a recommendation as reflection of their use of additional tools, in Mors' case the axe.Scandinavian knives reflect a history of development in a specific region, arboreal sub arctic with smaller, softer trees and a ready food base of; reindeer, fish and birds. Again, Moras have their place and time. Mine are still treasured adjuncts to a more robust Fallkniven F 1.

For people in Canada, the only source I found from the internet is http://www.karamat.com/supplies.html

There is an interesting note about the Clipper which has a Progrip handle versus the conventional polypropylene handle.

I don't like to use Mora knives in the kitchen because you're normally working on a flat surface (the cutting board) and although they don't have much of a guard, their handles still exceed beyond the cutting edge while kitchen knives have room to lay flat the cutting edge while allowing room for holding the handle... (I hope you get what I mean)

But I found Mora knives to be perfect for peeling pumpkins. Pumpkins are similar to wood. The saber ground on Mora knives allow them to peel more easily and shave wood, while micro bevels on kitchen and other knives act like a ski and makes the knife slip.

Frankie

If I wear going to pry out of an aircraft and such I would not use a knife. After you get out of that crashed aircraft you might need to make a fire or shelter, a knife would be good for that. It could cut bait too. Or cut your own arm off if you are pinned under that aircraft.

I have serveal Mora knives also, all have their place, but one I am never caught without in the field is a Gerber Big Rock.
Straight edge....26 bucks from Walmart, Serated edge...33 bucks from campmor.

I have never owned a Mora. Now my Gerber BMF, now thats a knife to make Bowie proud. To damned heavy though for anything but Grunt work.

I actually bought the Ritter folding knife last year. Love it. Put it through some tough chores and works like a champ. Holds my hand well, solid locking mechanism. Its my EDC knife.

I have a pretty extensive knife collection and never appreciated cheap. Cheap is usually flimsy, breakable, dull. Like I said never owned a Mora, heard good things, but trust study, thick blades over cost. I'd take a buffalo skinner over a Mora, though its 10-20x the cost.

The Mora is more of a woodworking tool than any of the knives you mention(including the Ritter).
I love my Ritter fixed blade and folders, but they are NOT the first thing I reach for to make a fuzz stick.
Must woodworkers have something very similar to the Mora in their toolkit.
The sabre grind on a Mora is just much more useful for woodcraft.
If you want to see high end, MUCH more sturdy example of the design, just do a search for bushcraft knives.