Ka-bar Mk1 Navy vs Becker BK16?

[C_Tanner]

So the handle is form not aesthetics? Yeah.....I TRIED to like scandis....I don't think they are as easy to sharpen as proponents claim, IMO.

 

[Moosez45]

So the handle is form not aesthetics? Yeah.....I TRIED to like scandis....I don't think they are as easy to sharpen as proponents claim, IMO.

I have found with Scandi grinds, that you can sharpen them, but its not as easy for me as they say, either.

I know my mora will almost split atoms as they sit now. And you need to sharpen them pretty thoroughly from the get go, get that soft steel out of the way, and get down to that good , hard Swedish metal.

Mmmmmmm. Moras........

Moose

 

[pastormarty]

My dad was a Boatswains Mate (I don't know how to spell it correctly) in WWII and one of his main duties, and that of the group of guys under him, was to handle all of the splicing and rigging on the ship. He could do amazing things with rope, using a folding Buck designed for that purpose. There is an old picture of him from his Navy days and one of the guys in his group is squating down holding a Ka-bar, but I can't tell if it is the Navy or the F/U. He passed away in 1996 and I have often regretted never taking the time to sit down and get him to teach me knots and splicing. I have picked up some of it and taught my kids from what I can remember. It would be fun now to sit down with him, hand him the Mark 1 and listen to all the stories it would start him telling.

 

[C_Tanner]

I have found with Scandi grinds, that you can sharpen them, but its not as easy for me as they say, either.

I know my mora will almost split atoms as they sit now. And you need to sharpen them pretty thoroughly from the get go, get that soft steel out of the way, and get down to that good , hard Swedish metal.

Mmmmmmm. Moras........

Moose

I bought the MarkI. Only have one Mora left, a 511 in a M.Poff kydex neck sheath with a firesteel loop. Don't use that one... Would only break it out if I had to. Don't know how much you can see, but I have it on in my avatar pic.

 

[Moosez45]

I bought the MarkI. Only have one Mora left, a 511 in a M.Poff kydex neck sheath with a firesteel loop. Don't use that one... Would only break it out if I had to. Don't know how much you can see, but I have it on in my avatar pic.

I have about 6 different Mora knives, with my favorite being the Bushcraft Force. What a tough ass blade for it to say Mora on it.

#1, BC Force, BC Triflex, BC Survival, BC Forest, Mora 2000, Mora Military.

Loves me some mora. In all of those, I have less money than just one of my custom knives.

Moose

 

[CCMI]

Moose

Man those stacked leather handles sure look good. I just convinced myself I didn't need one and there ya go posting pictures like that...... I keep going back and forth with that and the USMC leather handle since I have neither....

Did they not make a whole lot of the plain edge, leather handle MK1? I looked on Tomars and didn't see it and can only find it at a handful of places.

Also, is it possible to strip the black off the pomel cap?

 

[Moosez45]

Man those stacked leather handles sure look good. I just convinced myself I didn't need one and there ya go posting pictures like that...... I keep going back and forth with that and the USMC leather handle since I have neither....

Did they not make a whole lot of the plain edge, leather handle MK1? I looked on Tomars and didn't see it and can only find it at a handful of places.

Also, is it possible to strip the black off the pomel cap?

Those are Blue Ridge exclusive, you'll have to find a dealer within their network to score one, or hit teh interwebz for em.

Can you strip it? Yeah, of course, I would go easy with the removal vehicle though, if you use a stripper, I would go with something I could spread on with a brush.

Moose

 

[CCMI]

Those are Blue Ridge exclusive, you'll have to find a dealer within their network to score one, or hit teh interwebz for em.

Can you strip it? Yeah, of course, I would go easy with the removal vehicle though, if you use a stripper, I would go with something I could spread on with a brush.

Moose

Ok, I figured you could, but something about the finish of the pommel (looks different then the blade/guard to me) made my brain wonder. And yes I use a gel stripper, can't go and ruin that nice leather handle with toxic nasty stripper.

Now to decide.... MK1 or USMC..........

 

[Moosez45]

Ok, I figured you could, but something about the finish of the pommel (looks different then the blade/guard to me) made my brain wonder. And yes I use a gel stripper, can't go and ruin that nice leather handle with toxic nasty stripper.

Now to decide.... MK1 or USMC..........

Tough call. I say the 1217, as it is an American Legend.

But the MKI is a Naval Legend as well.

Tough, tough call.

Ah, f it. 1217.

Moose

 

[CCMI]

Tough call. I say the 1217, as it is an American Legend.

But the MKI is a Naval Legend as well.

Tough, tough call.

Ah, f it. 1217.

Moose

Any idea if the leather handle MK1 was a limited order for that distributor or it will not be made in the future?

 

[Bladite]

i'd buy me a couple mora 2000s and stash them in the truck, or a handy fishing box or something, to keep the Mark I on the belt company

then you can lend the mora out and keep your good knife still good.

"hey, had to get all aggro on some pallets. lots of nails and staples. blade chipped, sorry, it'll sharpen out"

 

[Bladite]

I have found with Scandi grinds, that you can sharpen them, but its not as easy for me as they say, either.
I know my mora will almost split atoms as they sit now. And you need to sharpen them pretty thoroughly from the get go, get that soft steel out of the way, and get down to that good , hard Swedish metal.
Mmmmmmm. Moras........
Moose

weird. my experience is almost the opposite. factory edges are flawless, never had to sharpen them down.

now i DO have to do that with some hand forged blades, esp if they came from Nepal there's good hard stuff behind the soft stuff, but it wears fast enough anyway i just use'm and sharpen them, and eventually i sharpen them less.

with the scandis, the blue-jeans stropping trick is often enough to get one back to usuable form for me; but a dull scandi is often sharper than any 6 knives nearby (that aren't mine :>), it's a shame, but a lot of people running around with dull blades

heck, some of the best utility knives i own are various moras. i bought a fistful at a show for $4/each once, and just put them everywhere. do bad evil things with some. they get misplaced. people take them. eh, got my $$ worth.

my EKA, Helle, or other such? oh gosh no. mine mine mine. certain Moras? mine. others? bye bye! don't like those newish ones. handles got loose, too many voids in the grips. gunknifenut cut one or two in half and took photos. scary. a knife should not make SQUEAKING sounds in the grip when cutting.

 

[The Warrior]

I only have one Mora, the MG, and for $12, it's a kick ass knife.

 

[Moosez45]

weird. my experience is almost the opposite. factory edges are flawless, never had to sharpen them down.

now i DO have to do that with some hand forged blades, esp if they came from Nepal there's good hard stuff behind the soft stuff, but it wears fast enough anyway i just use'm and sharpen them, and eventually i sharpen them less.

with the scandis, the blue-jeans stropping trick is often enough to get one back to usuable form for me; but a dull scandi is often sharper than any 6 knives nearby (that aren't mine :>), it's a shame, but a lot of people running around with dull blades

heck, some of the best utility knives i own are various moras. i bought a fistful at a show for $4/each once, and just put them everywhere. do bad evil things with some. they get misplaced. people take them. eh, got my $$ worth.

my EKA, Helle, or other such? oh gosh no. mine mine mine. certain Moras? mine. others? bye bye! don't like those newish ones. handles got loose, too many voids in the grips. gunknifenut cut one or two in half and took photos. scary. a knife should not make SQUEAKING sounds in the grip when cutting.

Must not have cut much hardwood with them then. I roll the hell outta the edges on my Frosts Mora of Sweden, til I get down to the hard steel. Even on Ragnar's page, he talks about the high speed polishing they do, and the compound, softens the steel and makes the edges flakey. Once I sharpen them down, they are some of the best knives for the money out there. Think Beckers, but smaller and made in Sweden.

Me and willis both have experiened this with our Moras.

Moose

 

[tradewater]

A Triflex lives in my murse. I like it.

 

[getridone]

I like mora's. #2, 711, 511, clipper, craft thingie, some carbon, ss, laminated. I always wondered though, do people in Sweden not need/like big knives?? Is it because they have no big wood to chop chop, just little fish to filet, and whittle?

 

[Bladite]

Must not have cut much hardwood with them then. I roll the hell outta the edges on my Frosts Mora of Sweden, til I get down to the hard steel. Even on Ragnar's page, he talks about the high speed polishing they do, and the compound, softens the steel and makes the edges flakey. Once I sharpen them down, they are some of the best knives for the money out there. Think Beckers, but smaller and made in Sweden.

Me and willis both have experiened this with our Moras.

Moose

oh, that's it then, they just have poplar and birch up there

no, i've used mine on oak. i don't baton them though.

could be luck, and the fact i have so many knives on some trips, i'm forced to use them all, and not rely on one. we'll see what i can do soon.

as well, i've been waiting for one to get dull so i can take the belt to one.

 

[Bladite]

I like mora's. #2, 711, 511, clipper, craft thingie, some carbon, ss, laminated. I always wondered though, do people in Sweden not need/like big knives?? Is it because they have no big wood to chop chop, just little fish to filet, and whittle?

they have some big fish...

but probably the mora 2000 handles all their jam and peanut butter spreading :> that's the divet :>

otherwise, i suspect they bust out the axes. they LIKE axes there. a lot.

americans are the weird ones that try to use a single tool for all jobs