Huge Mora

[Grathr]

I found this huge Mora in a local general store. Its made of high carbon steel and has no sheath. According to the sticker on the cartboard blade cover, is it a fishing knife. They fish bigger fish than what Im used to around here, thats for sure.

[comis]

Grathr,

I love Mora for its price and performance, and I think sometime last year I went ahead and got myself a Mora 748, which is a much longer blade than the Mora I used to have/use(Mora Bushcraft survival).

I also have recently seen a long-version of Mora Bushcraft on Pathfinder store, but the price was rather high(I think well over 100, which was not what I used to see for a Mora).  Is it the same one you have spotted?

[Grathr]

The pic seems to have disapeared

Ill try again





Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[Grathr]

It cost $26, so I bought it


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[comis]

That's a great price!   And in contrast, the Mora Bushcraft Pathfinder is way more expensive, 126usd without sheath.

Here's a picture borrowed from their site:



I don't know why they come so expensive, maybe they are tailor made for Pathfinder? 

[jzmtl]

Easy, Mora ($30) + Bushcraft ($52) + Pathfinder ($44). 

[Grathr]

Its definitly not the same knife. The one I found has a simple plastic handle and is obviously made for industrial work.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[comis]

Easy, Mora ($30) + Bushcraft ($52) + Pathfinder ($44). 

Sir, you nail it!

Its definitly not the same knife. The one I found has a simple plastic handle and is obviously made for industrial work.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

Sure, I really do wonder what's the difference between this Mora Bushcraft Pathfinder vs Mora Bushcraft, it's easily almost triple the original bushcraft knife(with the normal sheath) or almost double the bushcraft survival(with ferro rod and sharpening stone)

[enki_ck]

wow.

Now that's a knife.

Do you know the model name of it?

[Syph007]

Thats a new one to me. 

The biggest mora I was aware of is the #333.  Its basically a machete.

[Grathr]

wow.

Now that's a knife.

Do you know the model name of it?

Heres the number on the sticker:





Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[Grathr]

Heres the link to the product page on the website.
http://www.moraofsweden.se/fish/fisk-slaktkniv-1040cp?group=prod_prod_grp-s1%2F43
On the swedish page it is described as a fish butchers knife.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[Grathr]

I think it is strange that it is not stainless when it is intended for   such wet work.

Anyway, to me it looks like it could be used as a bush knife. I will have to make a sheath for it and try it out


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[comis]

Yes, that does occur a little strange to me, and I would think stainless would be a lot more rust proof since it is used as industrial work knife(such as the 1040 SP).  Do let us know how it fair in the bush and look forward to your report. 

Syph007's suggestion of that big brother is very interesting, I remembered seeing a youtube vid where it bent upon batonning the log, despite the reviewer claim to purposefully use the 'wrong' technique to show how this could be bent. 

[Goatlord666]

Very nice!

Sent from my Cruize W280 using Tapatalk

[dks]

I have a  Mora 748, and sort of thought that it was the biggest fish/fillet style knife they made   

It is tiny compared to those ones.

[enki_ck]

I have a  Mora 748, and sort of thought that it was the biggest fish/fillet style knife they made   

It is tiny compared to those ones.

Well if you go spearfishing with this one you can use it as weights.

[Dragon Lord]

The pic seems to have disapeared

Ill try again

(Image removed from quote.)



Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

Looks like a really nice knife 

[Grathr]

I imagine its is used to gut and chop the head of large fish as quick as possible. But I dont know.  It looks sturdy, but the handle might just fall off after some light batoning. Time will show.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

[comis]

I imagine its is used to gut and chop the head of large fish as quick as possible. But I dont know.  It looks sturdy, but the handle might just fall off after some light batoning. Time will show.


Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

I remembered batoning the xrap out of my Bushcraft survival, and it survived almost 1/2-1 hour of non-stop batoning through hard firewood, and went back to razor sharp just spending minutes on a sharpmaker.  I had a whole new found respect for Mora knives ever since.

I hope big red will stand up to the beating! 

[Ashley]

I have a big one like that also. I took and hand shined the blade as I didn't like the black.

[Grathr]

Shiny!
How has your held up?

[comis]

Hey, Grathr and Ashley.

I read from a review site that the big Mora Bushcraft Pathfinder didn't do too well in a chopping test(only small branches it seems, nothing substantial).  The tester got another example from the seller, and the knife fails at light chopping again.

http://rockymountainbushcraft.blogspot.hk/2014/05/review-big-bad-mora-bushcraft.html

I am not suggesting misuse, but I am curious how well will this big knife hold up in light batoning or light chopping. 

[Gareth]

Hey, Grathr and Ashley.

I read from a review site that the big Mora Bushcraft Pathfinder didn't do too well in a chopping test(only small branches it seems, nothing substantial).  The tester got another example from the seller, and the knife fails at light chopping again.

http://rockymountainbushcraft.blogspot.hk/2014/05/review-big-bad-mora-bushcraft.html

I am not suggesting misuse, but I am curious how well will this big knife hold up in light batoning or light chopping. 

Hummm...I'm not a big fan of chopping wood with a knife at the best of times, tends to be very labour intensive and a more suitable tool such as a saw or hatchet will do the work with ease.  Look at the number of strikes the chap has obviously made at that branch, he must have been at that for a while.  You could saw though that in a matter of seconds, or chop though it with a hatchet in a couple of strokes, or even just break it off buy hanging on it.

OK, lets assume that, for whatever reason, you are out and about, you need a fire and this is the only knife you have, are you really going to worry about a small chip in the edge?

Where I do agree with that article is that I don't feel this is the right edge profile for what he is trying to do.  I would say that the answer is fairly simple though, add a secondary micro bevel to the edge.  It really will help and isn't seen as a crime to a Finnish knife maker I know.

Oh and Fallkniven a "reputable US survival knife maker"?  Really?

[AimlessWanderer]

I do have a couple of large knives which are quite respectable log botherers, but would echo Gareths point that not having an axe or saw is an oversight if you plan on doing that kind of work. I do have one tool which is scandi ground and is suitable for that kind of work ... and it's a Roselli R850 axe!

Whilst scandi ground, the angle is greater than that of a knife, and far more condusive to impact work. The Scandi grind is good for whittling, and carving, and a number of other cutting chores, but it's not got a strong enough edge for heavy work. One of my puukko knives has often been used for heavier work, but this has a slight secondary bevel (slightly more than a micro bevel as described by Gareth), and so loses slightly on detail performance, but gains significantly more edge strength.

The chip in the blade as shown in that article, should be a reflection of how important it is to use the right tool for the right job in the right way, and not a reflection on the build quality of the knife. If you do have to use the "wrong" tool for the job for any reason, then you need to alter your technique in order to get the best from a tool without damaging it. Personally I think he'd have got away with that job if he'd have added a slight secondary bevel, and batonned V cuts in it rather than trying to hack through with an obviously weak edge.

[comis]

Hey, Grathr and Ashley.

I read from a review site that the big Mora Bushcraft Pathfinder didn't do too well in a chopping test(only small branches it seems, nothing substantial).  The tester got another example from the seller, and the knife fails at light chopping again.

http://rockymountainbushcraft.blogspot.hk/2014/05/review-big-bad-mora-bushcraft.html

I am not suggesting misuse, but I am curious how well will this big knife hold up in light batoning or light chopping. 

Hummm...I'm not a big fan of chopping wood with a knife at the best of times, tends to be very labour intensive and a more suitable tool such as a saw or hatchet will do the work with ease.  Look at the number of strikes the chap has obviously made at that branch, he must have been at that for a while.  You could saw though that in a matter of seconds, or chop though it with a hatchet in a couple of strokes, or even just break it off buy hanging on it.

OK, lets assume that, for whatever reason, you are out and about, you need a fire and this is the only knife you have, are you really going to worry about a small chip in the edge?

Where I do agree with that article is that I don't feel this is the right edge profile for what he is trying to do.  I would say that the answer is fairly simple though, add a secondary micro bevel to the edge.  It really will help and isn't seen as a crime to a Finnish knife maker I know.

Oh and Fallkniven a "reputable US survival knife maker"?  Really?

That is true, no doubt a hatchet/axe/saw will have done a much better job than most blades.  And the Fallkniven comment, man, I sincerely hope it is just a silly mistake. 

The secondary bevel is a good solid suggestion, and maybe even 'scadvex' (I think thats how Bark River folks would call it?) could also help in this case?  I think it maybe a combination of geometry and steel that could have prevented that.  50ft-trad hit sums it up well that it is after all, the right tool for the right job, or alternative technique to reduce loss.

Speaking of the right tool, I guess that's a common heated topic about 'survival' blade vs 'outdoor' blade, where the survival crowd are always on a hunt for a durable blade that could do most everything well vs outdoor folks whom may have dedicated blades/axes to do the right job.  I don't think either way is right or wrong.  So from the 'survival' standpoint, it is not surprising to see people hoping a 6.5 inch blade can handle some chopping/batoning.   

[AimlessWanderer]

On the survival blade vs outdoor blade, my view is that the tools are not the issue. The difference between the two is the mindset and usage of the tools rather than the tools themselves. If people can enjoy their recreational outdoor activities with a set of tools, there should be no reason that the tools will perform less well in a survival situation - except for the fact that the mindset may not be as relaxed and therefore judgements may be impared.

I have prepared a fish with a shard of flint, and I have processed firewood with heavy rocks when my small sheath knife was not up to the job. In an "outdoors setting" you go in prepared and relaxed. In a true survival scenario, you are already in a tangle and may have lost possession of key equipment. If you're lost, tired, cold, wet, and hungry, any decent equipment can be of assistance to increase your chances of getting through the night, but conversely is likely to get lost or broken, or lead to personal injury through desperation, inexperience and/or poor judgement

Unfortunately survival has now become a romanticised concept far removed from the truth of the matter. Survival is when you've NOT got you're super dooper outdoors gear, there's no materials, you have lost some extent of physical/mental/emotional capability or whatever. Would this knife be useful in a real survival situation? Very possibly depending on the circumstances, but no tool will be of any use unless the organic lump driving it is capable and competent in judgement and use

[comis]

haha...I knew I just opened a can of worms, but this is a great forum to open that can.  I am not a survival expert and far from being an experienced outdoorsman, but I gonna just speak my mind without worry about the any potential flame in the backyard. 

The mindset and setting of 'outdoor' and 'survival' is certainly different, but that doesn't mean to not make appropriate preparation for survival situation, including better gears.  I often hear the saying that 'the best survival knife is the knife you have with you', and while it will always be true to have 'something better than nothing', having the appropriate tools will save calories or even lives.

For example, in choosing the right blade for my 'No budget 72 hours outdoor survival kit'(too convenient an example, sorry about the ad), I have done quite a bit of testing to find myself a compact blade that could fit in the tin.  All I want for this blade is relatively easy to use for fuel prep, and could be act as a scraper for ferro rod. 

Simple as is, I have tested more than handful self-advertised 'survival' blade for PSK(Derma blade/TOP Turley23/CRKT MK5/Gerber LST/SOG Micron and more), yet many of them are awkward in use and can't even scrape the ferro rod.  I just can't imagine how miserable or morally defeated I'd be if I have to use them when I am wet/tired/hungry/dark.  In the end, I chose the 84mm Lumberjack based on its tool/performance/size. 

Will that tiny knife mean a difference in living or dying?  Hopefully not.  But sure it will help in saving some calories and keep my moral up, and that's few calories/moral I can't afford to lose in reality.

Back to the 'outdoor' vs 'survival' blade, I think my concern is when I am facing the choice between "heavy rock wood-prep" vs "walking 1/2 mile to collect small twits" vs "light batoning", I would prefer the blade/tool that allow me the most options for calories saving/risk mitigation.  A decent fixed blade at 4-5", sturdy to withstand batoning or even light chopping, comfortable handle and a squarish spine for ferro rod scraping, personally that would be a decent 'survival'/outdoor blade for me.  

I think you bring out an excellent point of having the right mentality and good judgement is probably most important in survival, but it doesn't conflict with the idea of having a holistic approach to outdoor safety, that within reason, we should take all the precautions possible and be ready when accidents happen.

[Grathr]

Plan ahead, aquire the right knowledge, have the right equipment with you to match your skills and knowledge, drink enough water, keep calm  and be prepared to deal with unforseen problems.
Do that, and you will probably not end up in a survival situation at all.

[Gareth]

Plan ahead, aquire the right knowledge, have the right equipment with you to match your skills and knowledge, drink enough water, keep calm  and be prepared to deal with unforseen problems.
Do that, and you will probably not end up in a survival situation at all.

Very well said.

I've been in a couple of situations that could be considered 'hairy', but always come out fine due to that kind of thinking within the group I've been out with.

I've only ever had to involve Mountain Rescue once, and it was me that had to get out to a phone and call them in to help.