I would never argue that they are not a good value in the under $20 price range, but that is not an attribute of the knife, just an edge in marketing. I'm sure there are cutting jobs which a Mora does well and others for which it will be adequate. However, the Mora knives I've used didn't feel good too me. The handle sucked and the blade had too much flex. Maybe I was expecting too much given the hype from Mora fans, but I was really disappointed.

When I'm looking at knives which I will trust my life to, a cheap price point never enters the discussion. There are way too many to list knives that I would select over a Mora, they just cost a lot more. BTW, the AFSK I have in my accumulation of knives cost me $15 at a gunshow. That was a good value.

I'm with Seeker on this... first post, it's got another forums link, and there hasn't been a response in a while. I'm pretty ready to call the troll/spammer trigger on this thread.

It's cheap, sharp, reliable and giving someone a knife that they can break makes them a damn sight more carefull about looking after it.
It's also damned good at skinning trolls...... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

AFSK?
I think that old relic needs more scrutiny than a Mora does.
If there was ever a knife that was unreliable the AFSK would make the list.
Broken tips, broken saw backs, saw backs in general?, that rotting leather handle.
It weighs almost as much as three Moras and is a lot weaker design. The only good feature is the solid pommel.

I've never been able to raise more than a very weak spark maybe 25% of the time using a Mora and ferro rod, even with filing the spine nice and sharp. I like using them around the kitchen and garden, but that alone rules it out for serious consideration for me.

Some Moras are not carbon steel. The laminated steel knives do not make a spark unless you use the edge.

I have carbon steel, laminated, and stainless. They all exhibit lousy sparking performance. I suppose it is because they aren't hardened enough. The edge on the laminate would probably work the best, it's advertised as a high carbon core at 60/61 HRC.

I guess the point is that I shouldn't have to use (and ruin) the edge, when there are so many other knives out there with a properly hardened spine that will absolutely bathe you in sparks. I like my Moras for kitchen, garden, and around the house tasks, but no way I would trust one for survival.

hmm...i never had problems throwing sparks with my mora's. Just rough up the spine. Hiting real flint seems to be pretty effective to keep the roughness after you have done some work with a file.
But i only use carbon steel mora's, both from Frost and Erikssons.

A Mora is a functional cheap knife that is very sturdy compared to any folder that I know of (US nerds tend to want folders). Maybe it's less sturdy than more expensive fixed blades. I don't think they'd be any good as table knives in normal circumstances though, because of the blade profile. As I see it, a small knife is for cutting, it's not a pry bar or axe, so making it out of inch thick steel indicates confusion about its function. There are bigger knives you can chop with though.