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.

The pattern, steel, heat treatment, and the grind. The scandi grind is very newbie friendly as it is dead simple to sharpen (zero learning curve).

Also, pride. Much like a SAK or Opinel, I bet a 100 years from now you will still be able to buy a Mora and the quality will be the same or better, and the price will have remained low.

The Mora Clipper does what I need, very very well, at a price that I'm willing to pay.

The Byrd (Spyderco) Robin does what I need, very very well, at a price I'm willing to pay.

Thus, I recommend both of these knives highly. They are inexpensive. Neither has ever let me down. I'm not afraid to use them. I don't try to protect or baby them. They are tools, not objects of worship. They are not the end-all of knives. But they fit my needs perfectly. Why pay more?

good point, buy a really expensive knife and it turns into a safe queen fairly often. When I have crude work around the house or in the garden I grab the Mora.

Well said. Yes, I think that describes it nicely.

In fairness to the OP, though, there is also a hint of counter-culture about the Mora. It fits the philosophy of the bushcraft-related gurus, where learning anything means paring down to the absolute, most basic essentials -- not only in physical gear, but in mental attitude. The simple Mora, with no hype or cachet, and yet with a high degree of practical functionality, fits well with this mindset and process. But that means it's not just a tool, it's a symbol of a certain mental discipline.

Then, when a plethora of survival-oriented gurus get a lot of media play, as they are right now, it might actually appear to be a kind of hype. We all know (and are cynical about) how counter-culture cachet can be exploited as a crass marketing tool. I can't say I've seen this with Moras, but some people may seize this vibe as a sales pitch.

Of course, maybe a cigar is just a cigar.

My $0.02.

Funny that: I do my research by using, and I'll take a Mora over a lot of so called "uberknives".

Cody was trying to make a point: Which is that it's the skill of the man behind the knife that matters, not the knife itself. He's picked himself a knife that is light, a reasonable size, sharp, easy to sharpen, can be used as a fire striker (if needs must)and reasonably rugged.

One small observation about Cody: If you actually listen to him, there is a very thoughtful and well educated individual under the "hippy" exteriour.

Having said that, I personally tend more towards David Canterbury's material based approach. But that does not mean that I cannot or will not learn from Cody.

Agreed. I'm also impressed with his written work.

my opinion; better steel (carbon); you can strike sparks off of it in emergency; sharper and easy to keep sharp. I've personally never been impressed with gerber and would not pay a $1 more for it; and Buck is just OK imo.

I Honestly do not like Cody and would much rather listen to David On most things. Without going to off topic Ive watched cody multiple times in different things he has done and I personally just do not like him. Not really difficult to process that people can not be liked. I also didnt mention anything about learning from him and such i simply said the way he came off about using the mora over what Dave had made him "better" did not settle well with me. I dont mind listening to things he has to say and taking what i want from his teaching's but Will i buy his book? Nope. But that is key to learning about anything at all you do not listen to one person and everyone will like or hate certain people no matter their knowledge. There are people that would rather risk life listening to bear grylls then just Survive listening to Les stroud, just an a example.


Also What do you mean by Ubernives? What do you personally consider a uber knife? So far Ive only mentioned the gerber profile and buck 119 of witch the buck has a rather good Rep under its belt but by far i wouldnt consider the Buck 119 a uberknife.

Neither would I. Buck 119 is a good knife. Fraction large for my taste, but that is personal tast

Re "Uber knife"

According to to the Manufacturer: 4 layers of space age steel. 10 years to develop, $300 price tag.

But it doesn't cut any better than your 119 or a Mora.

Something like the tom brown tracker i think is a P.O.S. Uberknife.

I honestly wouldn't spend more then 100-150 On a knife and if i had the money my insta buy knife would be the ritter RSK MK3. Till then i gotta settle with my 119 which im still happy with.

If i was going to get a mora whats the most suggested? Id much prefer a Plastic handle at the least.

Find a place that sells them and try them out. Whatever feels right (assuming it has the kind of edge and steel you like) is the right one.

For me, it's the 511. Plastic handle that fits my hand perfect, and carbon steel. Also available in stainless, if that's what you want. (I'm not entirely convinced about carbon steel being the optimum choice, but I am certainly happy with it so far).


Knives are mostly about personal preference. To a certain degree, it is also about physiology (i.e. your hand). And there should be some relationship between the tasks you do most and the shape and size of the knife. Basically, all these factors boils down into ... if it feels right, then it's the right one.

Nothing wrong with your 119. I have the version with a tough rubber handle that I bought 15 years ago and it's still going strong. I find it a bit clumsy for fine work, but if it works for you that's great.

The important thing is to get out and use it, learn to sharpen it at home and in the field, and get comfortable with it. As someone else said, it's not so much the knife as the skill of the guy wielding it that matters.

As for Moras, I'm with you on the plastic (polypropylene?) handles. They add a lot of strength to the knife IMO.

The Clipper is a really nice slicer and a nice handle shape. If you like a thicker blade and a beefier grip, I have a #746 that has a good, stout feel and a nice, grippy handle. I've heard good things about the Allround (also a heavier blade) but haven't handled one yet. The good news is you can try a couple without breaking the bank.

People get pretty emotional about knives. In a way it's funny to me but I'm not exempt. At the core they're just inert tools but something about them strikes a chord in us, perhaps on a primal level. I will say this though- just because I praise one knife doesn't mean I'm criticizing another. There are lots of good ones out there.

The cost of some knives also sends people into a tizzy. I know guys who think anything under a few hundred bucks is junk and guys that won't buy anthing that's not custom. At the other end of the spectrum, lots of people think it's insane to spend over $125-$150, especially given the plethora of great blades in that price range. I'm in between. Since I'm not a rich man I must ackowledge the Law of Diminishing Returns. I'm not critical of a guy spending $2k on a knife, but I can't afford that.

Working as chef I've found the "sweet spot" is around $200 per knife. I'll spend more than that for something exceptional, and I have a few that were less than that, but the blend of quality and value at that price level suits my needs. For outdoor knives I generally don't need as many nor will I generally spend as much since I'll use them less. That said, eventually I will cave and get a couple of Busses. Yeah, they're expensive but experience has proved they're worth it.

One thing I generally avoid is the personally branded blades, be it kitchen (eg Alton' Angle from Shun) or the Grylls Gerber. Same goes for clothes- I feel like a dumb@ss paying extra money to be a walking billboard. I find it kind of tacky. My taste runs to clean lines and simplicity, and any adornment better either be beautiful wood or elegant engraved Kanji.

Checking out the allround

http://www.ragweedforge.com/11672.jpg

Is this the one? Not the worse looking the grip looks like soft rubber over plastic which aint bad. Anyone know where i can get one?

Uhm, you can get one at ragweedforge.com.

I think you'd be very happy with that knife.

[quote]Having said that, I personally tend more towards David Canterbury's material based approach. But that does not mean that I cannot or will not learn from Cody[/quote.

This might be a distinction without difference but Cody is materials based but its not new gear based. If you review Cody's book, 98.6 degrees, there is a dozen or more pages devoted to putting together a EDC with photos, reasons and depictions. Honestly the best I have seen. Its very thorough. So while I think what you saying is that you prefer Daves, 'seize the day and throttle it mentality' you also learn from Cody more low key input. If anything I would say Dual Survival has done a poor job of translating the wit and information Cody has put out in his two last books.

I agree with Comms.

I really enjoyed Cody Lundin's 2 books and refer to them often, some of the best Survival reading on the market. But I did not agree with all of Cody's hippie methods on Dual Survivor, I think a lot of that was just for TV.

I also like Dave Canterbury's video's on You Tube and thought more of him on Dual Survivor, but Dave uses a lot of traditional skills that were not shown in the show.

Thats just Hollywood.

I also own both the Mora carried by Cody and the Blind Horse Pathfinder Knife carried by Dave both excellent knives, one is just heaver, larger and costs 10x more than the other.

Mike

I think 98.6 is a great book. The "characters" are hokey and silly and frankly detract from coherently presenting the material, but if you're willing separate the wheat from the chaff it's packed full of good info. Cody is pretty passionate about primitive skills and aboriginale living but in his writings he's wise enough to acknowledge that not everyone can spend the next 10 years learning the skills to get thru next months hurricane. I have a lot of respect for him for not telling people to just throw away their shoes and build a bowdrill.

Now me, I'm a gadget guy. I love technology of all sorts- guns, knives, computers, audio gear, cars etc etc. Survival gear is no different. There's nothing I enjoy more than poring over the knife sites looking at the Next Great Thing. And of course I have to consciously remind myself that aquiring gear isn't the same as preparing yourself. That's the thing that I think gets overlooked when people criticize Cody's minimalist mindset. Sure, if you knew you were going to be in a plane crash next week the smart guy would cancel his d@mn flight! And barring that you'd certainly carry the gear you needed. The problem is you can easily be separated from that gearr; what if you can't build a fire without your matches, or firesteel? As long as you have your life and your mind is intact, you'll still have your skills. If you can build fire by friction, your firesteel will be a luxury. If you can build a debris shelter with a sliver of rock and your hands, think how nice it will be to have a knife and some plastic sheeting. It's the same reason you learn to add, subtract and divide before you're taught to use a calculator.

Perhaps if I was going to dropped off deep in the Boundry Waters or a forest in Saskatchewan a Mora wouldn't be my first choice. But neither would I feel all was lost. Used within it's capabilities it's a fine knife.

I liked Cody's 98.6. It is a good little book.

Whats special about Mora?
Not much.

It is just a knife.
It might be exotic in some places but they are pretty common in the north. They are the basic toolbox knife in a lot of places.
I am not so fond of the grind as some people are but they do hold a good edge once they are sharp.
The blade is thick enough to stand light prying or being driven into wood.
They are cheap enough and light enough that you can have a few extras around. The sheaths are getting better but are still pretty bad.
I think they got popularized more by Mors Kochanski than anybody else but Mors would have used whatever knife was common. What was common in northern Alberta back then were the wood handled frosts.
Every hardware store had boxes of the things. They didn't even come in separate packages.

To say they wouldn't be the choice for the forest is kind of odd because that is exactly what they were favourites for.
People working in the bush expected to have saws and axes available too for the heavier cutting so a small knife was fine.
Still, you can cut a poplar sapling about as thick as your wrist with two or three slices of a small knife if you know what you are doing.

I really like Blind Horse Knives and would recommend them as quality knife for a reasonable price.

Pete

I am so bummed I can't find a shop here in NH that sells Mora knives. My first fix blade was a Mora
http://www.frosts.se/bilder/scout_fritid/scout.gif
but I can't find it for sale anywhere.

My son went down to TN and went into smokey mountain knife works and I asked him to brink me back a basic mora with carbon steel blade. well since he is young and didn't know any better the salesman sold him a clipper with a stainless blade.

Like others have said it is a great value in knife and I may just by the blade and make my own handle so it will truley be mine. sorry for the rant.

http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html

If Ragweed Forge doesnt have it then it's probably not for sale in this country and his shipping rates are excellent. He has a red wood handle with a guard like that for 13bux.

Thanks, I'll look I must have missed it the first time through

I get a big kick out of inexpensive things that work! I own 5 Moras and will probably purchase some more. They are not the "end all" knife but do represent good value. They are easy to sharpen and take a razor edge. I backpack quite a bit and am seeing more Moras on the trail than ever before.

You would love a Mosin Nagant 91/30 rifle then. Most available are Russian surplus from WWII. These things shoot great, are super accurate, and use high power inexpensive ammo. The rifles will run you between $70 and $100 if you shop around, and the ammo is typically $79 for 440 rounds. 7.62x54R caliber - same power class as .30-06 or .308. The Mosin will give you that "big kick" you mentioned (haha, bad pun!)

A Mosin and a Mora are all you really need...

Link?

Also think about something for just one moment. When the gurus favored by the vast majority suggest or use something they like, there might be something to it. Now when it turns out that's a $15 knife that they themselves are not mass producing instead of their own line (no disrespect Doug, loved your knife) then for the small investment, just go for it and find out for yourself.

Worst case scenario you will have one hell of a kitchen knife if you decide not to take it out with you...

My .02

Now that I think of it, most of my own knife use when outdoors is exactly as that - a kitchen knife ... and the Mora does is an excellent kitchen knife.

As a matter of fact, when I am called to kitchen duty, I grab a couple of my favorite knives. I keep them sharp and I cannot convince DW that a sharp knife is actually safer than the dull ones she favors.

I just got a Mora Triflex, the most expensive Mora I've ever seen at the princely sum of $22! Typically it's a very nice knife, and very sharp OOTB. Most of the spine is rounded but the two inches or so nearest the tip work well for striking my firesteel. I haven't really put it through its paces yet but I think it'll be a great camping/survival knife.

Actually it makes a great boning knife.

Be careful you don't rely on it, the triflex sucks bad for firesteel. The spine is tempered soft to be tough, but at the same time too soft to scrape firesteel reliably, you'll get one or two strikes before it rolls and won't produce any more spark.

I've already got nearly 100 sparks out of it, so I'm not worried. Besides, I can't imagine ever having nothing on me but the Mora (I usually have a dedicated striker and two or three knives).

We might be using different type of firesteel, the misch type needs a sharp edge or it won't work.

Moras are good knives for the money. I've got several around the house.

Pros: cheap, easy to sharpen (wide bevel), cut well
Cons: take a long time to sharpen (wide bevel), cheap steel

They cut well due to their geometry, although the primary grind is thicker than I like. The blade is thin, but the saber grind is pretty thick, limiting cutting efficiency. It does the job, though, and protects the edge from damage when cutting wood, which seems to be one of the primary design considerations.

I prefer a full flat grind with a thin edge bevel and a microbevel. It tends to cut much better than the Mora's saber grind, but also needs a strong steel to be able to support the edge, such as O1, A2, D2, 52100, etc. Hardness has a lot to do with the strength as well. Some of the Queens in D2 such as the 4180 Hunter and their slip joints can really shine with the above treatment.

I like Moras for garden and yard work mostly. They are great for hanging on a backpack for a hike, they are really light and plenty for most needs. They work, but I don't consider them the be-all end-all like so many others do. Given the choice for survival, I'd prefer a SAK, but that's probably a topic for a different thread.

Mora use 1095 in carbon and 12c27 in SS, hardened to 58+ HRC, they are by no means cheap, way better than what you'd find in knives 3 or 4 times the price.

The laminated ones use O1 at 61 HRC.

Not really, the Queen knives I have in D2 have much better edge holding than any of my Moras, including my laminated ones. Easily 10x better, when I compare with either rope or cardboard cutting.

D2 is a high carbide tool steel, of course it'll be more abrasion resistant (i.e. rope and cardboard), but it's not nearly as tough and edge will not be as stable.

Also Moras are sharpened at 20~25°, if you do that with D2 all the carbide would fall out.

Different mora's have different grinds. My mora 511 certainly does. I am afraid I am not very good recognizing the different mora flavours, but I have one model with a saber grind and several with full flat grind.

I usually go less, about 15 on the secondary bevel, with a 20 deg microbevel at the edge, and D2 holds that just fine on animals and abrasive cutting such as cardboard. I go even lower on CPM M4 and 52100 with no problems, and the cutting efficiency is just insane, these knives are a real pleasure to use, and sharpen up in under a minute, including the D2 knife.

Again, I'm not bashing Moras. I'm not worshipping them either. They are a very good value for around $10 - $30. But a lot of folks claim that more expensive knives don't cut any better, and that is simply not true. Doziers, for example, cut much better, but are also more expensive.

As for the steels, much depends on the heat treat. 1095, for example, at the mid to upper 50's on the HRC scale, is a fair performer, edge holding on the lower end of acceptable for me. If you take the EXACT same steel, and heat treat it correctly up to 65 HRC, it truly becomes a super steel in terms of edge holding, bested by very few. It is incredible what range of capabilities this steel has.

I'd love to try the full flat ground ones, any more info on them? Thanks!

I'm away from home right now, but will check over the weekend. I think the model number is stamped on the blade or something.

When I said 20~25° I meant inclusive, at 10° per side D2 will not hold up nearly as well.

At 65HRC it's going to be too brittle, perhaps for a small slicing only folder but any field work will see the edge chip like ice.

I agree, 65 rc sounds way too brittle to be of much use, sounds like glass.

Wrong. The knife we used was measured at 65 and we cut sod with it. Actual results in the field can be very different from what you read. I'm only posting on my experience, not on what I've only read.

And my angles were inclusive as well.

Sorry about the late reply, my knives were scattered all over the place...

I haven't been able to find out which of my mora knives that have the saber grind. All I know is that is one of the "modern" moras with plastic handle and it says "stainless steel". It looks somewhat similar to the venerable 860 clipper, but it's not.

My moras with flat grind are the 860 clipper (stainless), the 511 (carbon) and the 546 (stainless).

Been thinking about getting a Mora. I'd use it when out hiking and backpacking as a general utility knife but also as a survival knife in a pinch. Probably get the classic style with the red birch handle -- inexpensive so I won't be tempted to baby it.

So, guard or no guard? Seems like, especially when wet, one's hand could slip onto the blade with no guard, but the one with the guard seems like it'd be less secure in the sheath and that the sheath might not hold up as well under hard use since the sheath has a slit (to accommodate the hand guard) that extends about 1/3 of the way down the sheath.

Here, you can see the hand guard sticking out of the sheath:


Out of the sheath:


No hand guard:


HJ

Hi Jim,

The 2 similar Mora knives I have are gaurd-less. I once put my thumb on top of the blade thinking it was the back of the knife, no bad cut but sure got my attention. Three weeks ago I used both a standard "no-gaurd" Mora and a Mora Clipper to skin and butcher a deer. Both felt good in the hand but the standard wooden handle got a little slippery and I kept the thought that it was gaurd-less in the back of my mind.

I would next try one with a gaurd, I could always shortening it if I did not like the size or remove it all together if I wanted.

The carbon Mora I have gets sharp, but the laminated one gets really sharp! I do not know if you can get a laminated Mora with a handgaurd?

Later, Mike

Mike,

Interesting that you should mention the Clipper. That's the other Mora that I was looking at. I like the classic look of the ones with the red birch handle, but I keep thinking rubber is going to be more practical. The Clipper is so inexpensive I won't feel like I have to baby it. I have a SOG Field Pup, but it's such a beautiful knife that I haven't used it much. Dumb, I know, but it's hard for me to want to baton a work of art. The Clipper's nothing special and would make for a good knife that I won't be shy about using. The Clipper's weight is also pretty attractive.

Thanks for your thoughts,

HJ

Hey Jim,

I have used a Mora Clipper a lot and really like it, I use it much more than the traditional oval wood handled Mora.

Mora recently came out with a knife similar to the Clipper but with a slightly thicker blade and grip, it was called the Craftsman Allaround but I think it is now called the Top Q (SS) or High Q (Carbon steel). I have used the stainless version and it does feel a little stronger than a regular clipper.

Both versions can be seen at Workwear Canada along with a short video by owner Paul Robinson.

I am sure they are available in many places in the US also (Ragweed Forge?).

Very high quality, functional knives for the price.

I know what you mean about a knife being too nice to use, I have a first run Dave Canterbury/Blind Horse Pathfinder Knife that I cannot bring myself to take in the bush.

I have started carrying a very nice Fallkniven F1 though.

No ownership in any of these businesses ...yada, yada, yada; just a happy customer.

Good Luck, Mike

i think Mike made a good point about whats so great about Mora knives,they are not so fancy and expensive that your afraid to use/loose them.

I've never seen it with a guard. And yeah- few knives will get as sharp as the laminated Mora. At the price it's a stupid-good deal.

I've never seen those wooden handled mora's with hand guard before, interesting...


I've never liked the handle on those old-fashioned red ones - but that is a question of personal geometry and preferences. It would only take 15 minutes to remove that silly paint, shape the handle to fit my hand and then treat the wood with whatever you like (to improve the grip, not cracking etc). If you have a handle that fits your hand like a glove and a surface that is less prone to slipping than wet, red paint - then do you really need a finger guard? But handling the red mora I've always had a feeling that I was going to slip any minute....


I've recently become very good friends with the clipper (carbon steel as well as stainless). I really like that handle, and it feels secure without any need for any more finger guard than the unobtrusive small ergonomic "bump" that is there.


Oh, and if anyone has more info on those laminated moras I'm interested in that as well. Laminated knives have a long tradition in Scandinavia, but I didn't know that mora made any. Well, live and learn...


I love Mora for their price / quality relationship. Over the last 6 months I've been going through 6-7 knives of slightly different configurations, testing and trying - as well as trying to sharp them afterwards. These knives are scattered around at various places in my home, car and so on. No knife is wasted. I would never have the heart to buy a $100+ knife, test it for a few weeks, sharpen it and then let it live in the tool chest...

I'll have to look for the specifics, but IIRC the laminated Mora has a high carbon hagane hardened to around 61-62 RC with a soft stainless jigane. The laminated was the first Mora I ever saw, probably 20-odd years ago. I really love my Mora Tri-Flex but I still think the $12 laminated one is the best they ever made.

I've never used a laminated blade Mora, but they look really interesting.

Lee Valley Tools (no affiliation) carries them under the Frosts brand, both with unpainted handles and as blades-only.
Unpainted handles: http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?c=&p=31077&cat=1,51222&ap=1
Blades only: http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=31078&cat=1,130,43332,43393

in a nutshell: mora knives are inexpensive and do their job well.
exceptionally well given the price. In fact i'd challenge anyone to find another ten dollar knife that can compete.
same with the venerable Swiss Army Knife. You could easily spend $100 on a pocket knife and not get the same level of utility and quality found in a $20 Climber.
Now if only there were a tomahawk with that kind of price/value ratio...




The Sharpest Blade is Useless if the Mind is Dull.
(that's mine, by the way.)

I use a Mora in my SAR pack because of its simplicity, strength and ability to sharpen quickly.

Blake
www.outdoorquest.biz

Disclaimer: I sell some these knives on Amazon.

Just to clarify:
The "Allround" knives are very similar to the clipper. They have what I consider to be a somewhat better sheath.

The TopQ Allround has a thicker blade than the Clipper and a slightly fatter handle. The back of the spine is finished smooth, unlike the Clipper. It is only available in stainless steel.

The HighQ Allround has a blade that is thinner, more narrow and shorter. The spine is unfinished. The handle is more of a flexible vinyl rather than rubber. It is available in both stainless and carbon steel.

Thanks for all the thoughts and feedback. I've pretty much decided on the 840 Clipper. Ragweed forge seems perpetually sold out of them.

HJ

I have the 840 and 911. I much prefer the 911's sheath, it actually holds the knife even when you turn it upside down.

The 911's handle is a bit beefier.

In the photos below, the 911 is on top. I got the 911 from Ragnar (Ragweed Forge) a couple weeks ago -- lightning-fast shipping, as usual.


#911 -- This is an all-purpose belt knife with a 4" carbon steel blade .098" thick. $12.00.

#840 -- The carbon steel Clipper has a 3 7/8" (100 mm) blade of unpolished carbon steel .079" thick. $10. Out of Stock

Thanks for the side by side photos. That's quite helpful to see them juxtaposed like that.

I have smallish hands (ring size 9.5), so I was thinking of the 840. If I buy from Ragweed Forge, I suppose I'd have to get the 840 MG since the regular 840 seems to be permanently out of stock. Perhaps he just lists it for the sake of completeness but doesn't intend to sell it.

An 840 will also be easier for my wife (very small hands) to use when we're out hiking together.

HJ

Just noticed this on a site selling Mora knives:


Maybe that's why Ragweed Forge isn't carrying them anymore.

HJ

I haven't tried a #840, but do I hear a distant echo of Herblock's Law ... "if it's good, they'll stop making it?"

Just bought one from Smoky Mountain Knife works, so they might have a few more in stock. (840)
Nice knife so far, will be finding a place in the go-bag for sure.

Thanks, I might check that out.

HJ

I have a Mora that is similar to the #840 shown above, but I can't remember the actual part number. The blade is stainless and the handle is bright orange plastic with a black rubber center part. It feels very solid in my hand. The blade makes good sparks from a ferrocerium rod.

I recently spent some time practicing shelter building. I brought a pile of knives to play with:

- an old BK&T Combat Utility 7
- a new ESEE Izula (little fixed blade)
- my stainless, orange-handled Mora

I found the Mora to be much better at carving and working the wood. The BK&T was a great chopper and "meat cleaver" blade but it is hard to use for finer work. The little Izula was disappointing: it was small and harder to handle while the blade didn't seem to float through the wood nearly as well as the Mora. It seemed to have the worst qualities of both the big and small knives.

My Mora's sheath is like the #840 above, but I made some mods that help a lot. I don't wear it on a belt, I wear it around my neck with some paracord. This makes it easy to access when wearing many layers in the cold, or raingear. I "sealed off" the open part at the bottom of the sheath's belt clip with a few wraps of duct tape so the paracord can't slip out. I tied a short, stout loop of bungie cord through the top curve of the sheath's belt clip, which I use as a secondary retention device by looping it over the top of the knife handle (size this for a tight fit). Works great.

For it's capability and weight, the Mora is hard to beat. I'm really not willing to carry a 12+ ounce knife when hiking. If weight and bulk are not issues, I'd pack a Mora for the fine work and a big ESEE honker for the heavy work. Otherwise I can get by with the Mora by working smarter, not harder.

I second of the #911 over the #840. The 840 is a bit thinner and a bit too light which makes it a bit better for carving but it doesn't stand up as well to things like batoning. I've subsequently found out that they are both only 1/2 tangs into the handle so I'm not sure how long they will hold together in the long term.