So whats so special about the frost mora besides its price? I can see how a lot of people like it but After awhile I've seen the mora advertised with the common idea towards newbies that "If they have this knife they can survive anything" which tends to get a major boost from its popularity and other idea that its not a "large rambo poser survival knife". I can see the appeal but is there any other reason to suggest it besides the price point? Is there any reason to suggest it over a Gerber profile or Buck 119 (which are both affordable easily locatable knives)to a newbie in preparedness?

Just a side note I don't mind the frost mora and prolly may pick one up in the future so I'm not really bashing the knife itself just the way its advertised.

I have both a Mora 860 and a Buck 119. The Mora is always in my essentials bag and is a nice little knife. I used the knife a lot since I purchased it early this year and have found that I really like the feel of the knife and it holds an edge forever. These knifes are a great bargain and will last as long as you respect it's limitations.

As for the Buck 119, I wrote this in an older thread which has plenty of discussion on the "best field/survival knife"

I have owned a Buck 119 for 12 years. The kife originally cost ~ $30.00 and dollar for dollar has since proved as one of the best knife purchases I have ever made. I have used this knife extensively and is holding up well. The only change I have ever made to the knife was to wrap some black cloth (hockey) tape around the handle as it is bit too smooth when wet and hard to keep a grip when the hands are cold.

The biggest thing with Mora knives isn't their price really. It is the value and functionality you get for that price. Without trying hard it would be easy to spend four or five times the price and end up with less knife.

Mora knives aren't for everyone. Gear snobs, collectors and mall ninjas will be unimpressed if you pull one out. But if you need a knife to do normal, practical knife work, cutting, you could do worse.

Mora knives are celebrations of what can be done using good quality, but not exceptionally good quality, materials to a produce a simple functional object. The best thing about Mora knives is their steel and simple, practical design. The worse is almost always the sheath. That tells me their priorities are right.

Teslinhiker

I have a 119 and love it but yes the handles a tad to slick for me. Have you seen mods to the handle using a hacksaw blade to etch X's into it? I been thinking about trying that over tape cause i have a major thing against adhesive tapes.

Art_in_FL

Just looking at the 860 being 20$ i know i can get "more of a knife" in my opinion For around 40 or so including the buck 119 not 80-100$. I honestly cant see getting Less of a knife for 80-100 Unless your a major sucker buying into looks over materials and functionality.

If anything tho id prefer the 860 if or when i get a mora.

I have owned a Buck 105 since the early 70's. It is is billed as a smaller version of the 119. Absolutely fine knife, and very light for its size. I also have a few smaller Moras, also very fien knives. They have cut everything required.

There must be a quarter gazillion knives out there that will cut capably, survival situation or not. The Bucks and Moras are excellent values and will see you through, provided you are not totally clueless. Of course, if you are clueless, spending three to four times as much for a presumably better knife is not likely to do you you any good.

What is in the head is more important than what is in the hand.

Cheap,Effective,& Made in a Country that know's what Steel is All about!

The main virtues of the Mora are the very high quality steel, good construction and low price. I'm sure that Mora has gotten a boost from the high-profile survival "gurus" that carry them on their TV programs (eg Cody Lundin, Ray Mears), but in this case I think the hype is justifiable. No, they're not the be-all end-all of blades but very very good for the price.

Phaerdrus

I do a lot of online research and the mora is way way over hyped and its often claimed as the end all be all. When cody showed his knife off and talked as if it made him more of a sophisticated person instead of the big knife the other guy carried it pissssed me off majorly!

I like your gut reaction - be very sceptical when something is praised as "be all, end all" solutions. Sometimes I get the impression that certain pieces of gear (in particular, a knife of brand X or a PSK of brand Y) are in fact magical talismans that will solve all your wilderness mishaps: Just recite the S.T.O.P. acronym and the knife / PSK will solve the problem for you... there ain't no such thing.

Art_in_FL and Richlacal both nailed pretty good. Basically any mora has a basic, functional shape that is very good to work with, with a very good quality versus price relationship.


Mora make A LOT of cheap knives tailored for slightly different uses, mainly advertised as carpenters or handyman's knives, with different kinds of steel and edge angle. With some very specialized exceptions (carpet knife, hook knife), they're all pretty much the same basic shape. Some of the knives in the mora spectrum are well suited for general bushcraft. Others are not (wrong edge angle for wittling etc.)


They ain't pretty, though there is some inherit beauty in their simplicity. The sheat is usually downright ugly, but it is highly functional. And it is made to snap on a button on workman's clothes, not fit on a wide belt.

I've used a lot of Mora's and I think they give you a lot of bang for the buck. The best of the lot is one of the cheapest- I'd put the red wood handled laminated carbon up there with knives four or five times the price. That bad boy is over 60 RC and takes a scalpel edge, one of the few bushcraft knives worth pulling out my Chocera's for.