The Gun Counter

Interesting article I ran across recently--you might be sharpening your Mora knife at the wrong angle:

http://www.bushcraftstuff.com/sharpenin ... too-sharp/

Update--I got my first Mora knife, a Frosts carbon clipper, from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Frosts-Carbon-Cli ... mora+knife

I'm rather surprised at the sharpness of the knife--it certainly looks sharp, and when I try it against my thumbnail it shaves it easily, but I can run the pad of my thumb against it and it doesn't feel sharp at all. Nice little knife, though, everything considered. The sheath is cheap but functional, the knife locks into it.

My brother an I each got one of these from a local gun store when he was out here. I have not yet really put mine to the test but it seem to work well enough so far and should be a great knife for the price.

I'd be interested to hear how you guys like these in actual use. I'm thinking about getting a bunch and littering our vehicles and 3-day bags with them.

Weetabix wrote:I'd be interested to hear how you guys like these in actual use. I'm thinking about getting a bunch and littering our vehicles and 3-day bags with them.

They're used and abused like you wouldn't believe in Scandinavia. I don't know how many I have, I tend to buy new ones regularly and use them for anything and everything.

I've seen them used as prybars, can openers, paint stirrers, rust scrapers, screwdrivers, and still hold a usable (though far from good) edge. They're often used as a generic tools around here. Lots of people carry two of them, one they use as an actual knife and take good care of the edge, and one they abuse.

I have at least one that's (probably) older than I am. They were standard issue when I did my military service, I think the ones we were issued were made in the 1940's, and had seen extensive use since then.

I would have no problem relying on a Mora if my life depended on it. Truth be told, if I had to grab one knife to rely on in a SHTF situation, I would get a Mora. And it's not just me, people in Scandinavia that makes a living where they have to rely on the knife they carry use Mora. It wont let you down.

Erik wrote:I would have no problem relying on a Mora if my life depended on it. Truth be told, if I had to grab one knife to rely on in a SHTF situation, I would get a Mora. And it's not just me, people in Scandinavia that makes a living where they have to rely on the knife they carry use Mora. It wont let you down.

I've also heard the same thing about several other knives, including the USMC Ka-Bar. I have a couple other similar knives made by Cold-Steel, but other than my heavy-use Kukri, I have been hard-pressed to find a similarly-performing knife, and that CERTAINLY includes taking ABUSE! I've chopped with it, used a hammer on it to drive both (at different times) the tip and the blade into wood, I've split wood with it, whittled with it, used it to open heavy-plastic-form-molded packages with it, etc., etc. It's a GREAT all-around knife, but not an every-day carrier (unless you're out near the front lines, or opening a lot of packages everyday).

Other than my Kukri, it's one of my favorite outdoor and heavy-use-indoor knives (my Kukri makes much quicker work of heavy items than my Ka-Bar), but my Ka-Bar is capable of finer work and since it's smaller than my Kukri, it's much more useful on a daily basis.

The Mora also looks like a damned-nice knife. So, in a sense, it pretty much boils down to personal preference at that point (and it appears the Mora is smaller than the Ka-Bar, so it's most likely more nimble, lighter, and easier to handle when working on delicate cuts, and if you want/need a lighter/smaller knife than a Ka-Bar, then it could very well be the ticket for YOUR specific needs AT THAT TIME).

I only wish I had one to evaluate to make my own opinions about the knife, so I could write about it too!

Of course, YMMV!

308Mike wrote:The Mora also looks like a damned-nice knife. So, in a sense, it pretty much boils down to personal preference at that point (and it appears the Mora is smaller than the Ka-Bar, so it's most likely more nimble, lighter, and easier to handle when working on delicate cuts, and if you want/need a lighter/smaller knife than a Ka-Bar, then it could very well be the ticket for YOUR specific needs AT THAT TIME).

Pretty much. I'm not going to suggest that Mora is the best knife there is in any situation.
What I will say is that people have been using it to stay alive for over 100 years, and I honestly cant think of any person here that carries any other knife that wont also keep a Mora handy. That's a pretty strong testament to their use. The size makes it easy to work with and when you put it on your belt it's never in the way. I find that bigger knifes tend to tangle and get in the way when I move around, sit down, and do other things. So the bigger knifes I have usually end up in my pack and only taken out when I need it, while the Mora is always with me.

The small size makes it easier to work with for most of what you use a knife for. The exception is chopping, but if you're going to do that you're better off with an axe or a machete. You can still use a Mora for splitting wood if you need to. I honestly cant think of a situation where I couldn't do with a Mora what I could do with a slightly bigger blade.
And just to be clear, I'm talking about the classic Mora size here, they have a few bigger models like the Mora 2000, which I personally consider to be in the "bigger blade" category. I've had a few, but I think they're too cumbersome to use for most tasks where you need control.

But of course, in the end it's personal preference. There's lots of knifes around that will perform up and above the owners expectations. My main problem with the Mora is that they aren't very good looking, they are very utilitarian in style.

Weetabix wrote:I'm thinking about getting a bunch and littering our vehicles and 3-day bags with them.

I have done just that, and I don't regret it; I always have a servicable knife to hand. Cheap enough to buy plenty, you won't be upset if you lose one, and you can afford to lend them.

Erik wrote:

308Mike wrote:The Mora also looks like a damned-nice knife. So, in a sense, it pretty much boils down to personal preference at that point (and it appears the Mora is smaller than the Ka-Bar, so it's most likely more nimble, lighter, and easier to handle when working on delicate cuts, and if you want/need a lighter/smaller knife than a Ka-Bar, then it could very well be the ticket for YOUR specific needs AT THAT TIME).

Pretty much. I'm not going to suggest that Mora is the best knife there is in any situation.
What I will say is that people have been using it to stay alive for over 100 years, and I honestly cant think of any person here that carries any other knife that wont also keep a Mora handy. That's a pretty strong testament to their use. The size makes it easy to work with and when you put it on your belt it's never in the way. I find that bigger knifes tend to tangle and get in the way when I move around, sit down, and do other things. So the bigger knifes I have usually end up in my pack and only taken out when I need it, while the Mora is always with me.

The small size makes it easier to work with for most of what you use a knife for. The exception is chopping, but if you're going to do that you're better off with an axe or a machete. You can still use a Mora for splitting wood if you need to. I honestly cant think of a situation where I couldn't do with a Mora what I could do with a slightly bigger blade.
And just to be clear, I'm talking about the classic Mora size here, they have a few bigger models like the Mora 2000, which I personally consider to be in the "bigger blade" category. I've had a few, but I think they're too cumbersome to use for most tasks where you need control.

But of course, in the end it's personal preference. There's lots of knifes around that will perform up and above the owners expectations. My main problem with the Mora is that they aren't very good looking, they are very utilitarian in style.

I think you may have just sold me on trying to pick up a couple of them (one for the RV). Utilitarian I like, so I just may fall in love with these knives.

My daughter was ordering a friend's book off Amazon last night, so I threw in one of these.

I already have a Cold Steel Finn Bear. Erik - is this a mora? I carry it in my backpack every day, and use it with some frequency. It's sharp, convenient, and nicely sized.