Mora vs Folder

pict

pict

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I tried to do a search for this topic but for some reason search isn't working for me this morning.

Which do you think is the better blade for including in a daypack for a hike or a weekend camping trip, a Mora or a folder?

Tasks would include food prep, cutting cordage, splitting kindling, making fuzz sticks, cutting down saplings for shelter, normal knife stuff etc. I think asking which of these is best for prying is like asking which makes a better hammer for tent pegs, a US Army canteen or a Nalgene bottle.

My EDC folder is a plain edge Spyderco Endura. If I plan on needing a "hard use" folder I normal carry a S&W SWAT with G-10 scales becuase I feel it is stronger than the Endura. When I go into the bush I normally leave the folders behind and toss a Mora of one type or another in the daypack, typically a SWAK or a Clipper.

A few months ago I was sent a care package from Europe with: 2 Erikson carbon red handled #1's, 2 black rubber handled Carbon Eriksons, a red handled Frost's Carbon steel (#1?) with a 6 cm ruler on the side, and a Mora 2000. Add those to my 3 SWAK, Clipper, and wood handled #1, and I've got a lifetime supply of Mora's now.

I don't think there is any folder out there in the Mora's price range that will give you similar performance. So at what point do you pick the folder over a Mora? Mac
 
I would pick the Mora -- or any cheap scandi fixed blade -- long before a folder, even a high end one.

I have and had several tough and sometimes pricy folders (AFCK, Spydies, Griptilian, CRKT M16 beefers, etc.). While the blade can be tougher, the joint is a moving part, and therefore it's a weak point. The split handle on a folder also dislikes impacts and all.

KJ Eriksson's are my favourite. The tang goes in deeper in the handle on the plastic models than, say, the Frosts. My absolute favourite is the #22, in 12C27 sandvik stainless steel. Properly heat treated, they keep an edge even better than the carbon steel ones, are more resilient, and a little more beefy. Just right for me.

My two cents.

David
 
JMHO but the Opinel folders are the folding equivalent of the Mora. As long as you don't get the handle wet, they swell and are almost impossible to open. A dunk in warm mineral oil would probably help. Or Ragnar has a butterfly folder that looks interesting (out of stock at the moment). http://www.ragweedforge.com/AhtiCatalog.html towards the bottom of the page.
gene :D
 
pict said:
I tried to do a search for this topic but for some reason search isn't working for me this morning.

Which do you think is the better blade for including in a daypack for a hike or a weekend camping trip, a Mora or a folder?

Tasks would include food prep, cutting cordage, splitting kindling, making fuzz sticks, cutting down saplings for shelter, normal knife stuff etc. I think asking which of these is best for prying is like asking which makes a better hammer for tent pegs, a US Army canteen or a Nalgene bottle.

When I go into the bush I normally leave the folders behind and toss a Mora of one type or another in the daypack, typically a SWAK or a Clipper.

A few months ago I was sent a care package from Europe with: 2 Erikson carbon red handled #1's, 2 black rubber handled Carbon Eriksons, a red handled Frost's Carbon steel (#1?) with a 6 cm ruler on the side, and a Mora 2000. Add those to my 3 SWAK, Clipper, and wood handled #1, and I've got a lifetime supply of Mora's now.

I don't think there is any folder out there in the Mora's price range that will give you similar performance. So at what point do you pick the folder over a Mora? Mac
Click to expand...
That's what I refrain to scream each time I read a "what folder for survival/outdoor" topic...
 
crawfordew said:
Or Ragnar has a butterfly folder that looks interesting (out of stock at the moment). http://www.ragweedforge.com/AhtiCatalog.html towards the bottom of the page.
gene :D
Click to expand...

The nylon handle 'butterfly' is an old design, probably from the 60s. It was originally made by Hackmann with red handles, and is also known to some as the CIA knife. More lately it's been made by Pertemet (from 1994?), possibly with surplus Hackman machinery. At some time they added the choice of a black handle.

In the US these were at a time marketed for fishermen. The model is called (nowadays at least) "Retkiveitsi" or Trek Knife.

They are a bit crudely made. The stainless blade is well finished and has a even polish, though it's not extremely sharp NIB. The pins are crudely cut/formed steel bar, especially the pivot pins are nasty with sharp burrs. Handles are flexible nylon and have a lot of play. They're also light, so manipulating the knife can be difficult. The latch is a simple piece of thin steel bar bent to a rectangular shape. When closed, the tension comes from pieces of what seem to be scrap rubber inserted in to the handles, pressing against the back of the blade and the edge. They seem almost like an afterthought. Sometimes the edge wedges into the rubber making it hard to flick the knife open. Remove the wads of rubber and the blade just rattles between the handles, which now have no tension to keep the latch closed. Dual tang pins would have not been too hard to incorporate to the design.

It's a bit of a novelty, but I guess OK for a toolbox knife or something similar. I would not pry with it at all or baton on it.


If you want the functionality of a mora in a folder, I suggest looking at EKA knives. They are not quit as cheap as the cheapest Moras, but are pretty high quality. I've been satisfied with my Swede 92, though edge holding is not phenomenal.
 
pict said:
Tasks would include food prep, cutting cordage, splitting kindling, making fuzz sticks, cutting down saplings for shelter, normal knife stuff etc. I think asking which of these is best for prying is like asking which makes a better hammer for tent pegs, a US Army canteen or a Nalgene bottle.
Click to expand...

There are lots of folders which are better cutting tools than the Mora 2000 for most wood work. The Manix is many to one times better for brush work, and will cut better for much longer and be far easier to sharpen. It is also *much* stronger through the main body so it much more suitable for prying loads, it isn't difficult to bend the Mora to the point it stays bent. Neither are suitable for extreme batoning, the Mora because of the partial tang and the Manix due to lock stress (extended and frequent use). I would take the Manix over the Mora readily, it isn't even a contest, however the Manix is *way* more expensive.

Dropping the pirce down, a decent folders can match the cutting ability of the Mora 2000 and have superior edge retention and ease of sharpening once the edge angle is adjusted because of the benefit of a primary grind. Yes they have locks which are a weak point, but the blade strength of the Mora 2000 is so low that it would break long before the locks would on any decent knife. However if you look at the carbon steel blades with similar grinds and thicker steel bodies and heavier tangs then the durablity and strength gets shifted back to the fixed blades, but this starts being less of a knife comparison and more of a utility tool one and this usually favors fixed blades unless you look at folders like Extrema Ratio which are fairly poor at being knives.

There is nothing of course stopping someone from taking the Extrema Ratio lock/pivot design and actually putting a knife blade in it with an ergonomic handle. But it would be trivial to find a fixed blade which exceeds it in all respects and is much cheaper besides.

-Cliff
 
If it were an Endura v.s. Mora, I'd go with the Endura. Here's a simple test. Take both knives (the Mora's are so cheap, you should keep a couple around anyway...), and a firesteel, and see which one makes better sparks. You might be surprised how poorly the Mora does.
 
Sodak,

I disagree about the ability to make sparks from a ferro rod. I squared off the backs of my stainless Mora's with a file and they throw showers of sparks. My Mora 2000 has a very nicely finished spine with slightly rounded edges so it doesn't spark anything. I haven't gotten around to squaring off the back of the carbone steel knives yet.

I try not to use the edge of any knife to scrape a ferro rod if I can help it. Mac
 
You have Mora fans and those that aren't. I choose the Mora. I've bataned the 2000 with good success and zero ill effects to the knife and wouldn't hesitate doing so again. As an all around outdoorsmans knife, the 2000 works very well.
 
pict said:
Sodak,

I disagree about the ability to make sparks from a ferro rod. I squared off the backs of my stainless Mora's with a file and they throw showers of sparks. My Mora 2000 has a very nicely finished spine with slightly rounded edges so it doesn't spark anything. I haven't gotten around to squaring off the back of the carbone steel knives yet.

I try not to use the edge of any knife to scrape a ferro rod if I can help it. Mac
Click to expand...

I should have been more specific. I don't use the edge either, I use the spine. I squared off a couple of Erikksons, both stainless and high carbon, and I'm lucky to get a couple of sparks every third hard "rub" or so. Even the edge of these doesn't produce many sparks at all. My Endura, like most of my other folders, gives a great shower of sparks on every try off the spine. The striker on the Storm or Blast match beats both hands down, but the Endura isn't too far behind.
 
Sodak,

After your post I took my carbon Erikkson Tradesman out to the shop and squared off it's spine. Before squaring it barely threw a spark, after squaring it lights up like the
4th of July.

I'm guessing you didn't get the spine square or you're holding it too flat against the firesteel. The spine of my knife is squared off 90 degrees (both sides feel sharp to
the thumb) and I hold it at a 45 degree angle against the firesteel. I get loads of sparks. Mac
 
You're just gonna make me go back out into my cold garage and check them again, aren't you? ;) I'll take a look and get back to you, thanks for the tips!

Later -

Ok, I filed both of them down to good right angles, no change. I must have a soft batch, or you a hard one.
 
In addition to the above sound observations about the superiority of a "MORA" over a folder, I would add the consideration that a fixed-blade is generally easier to clean after being used for food prep.

And all my MORA's create showers of sparks from a Metal Match (firesteel, Swedish Firesteel) once the spine has been squared up. Any hard, sharp edge will do so, including ones of rock and glass.
 
Sodak, does the edge behave any differently, is it much harder than the spine on a file check?

-Cliff
 
Cliff,

I can't tell any difference. The file skates across leaving little marks, no matter what part of the knife.

TL,

I agree with your cleaning comments completely. I'm not bashing Moras, I use them a ton here at home. For the price, they are fantastic cutters, thanks to their geometry. I'm just trying to give a valid reason for choosing A over B so I don't sound like a fanatic. Maybe it's too late for that, but I hope not....
 
i'll throw in a word for the moras as well. i just included another with my order form ragnar, and plan on getting a stainless for a canoe knife. another plus to fixed blades is ease of use one-handed, and weak-handed.
 
Sodak- do youu have a LAMINATED blade (black handle in the Craftmans series)? If so, the outer layer is very soft and is poor for fire steel use. A plain old carbon Mora will throw sparks with a piece of actual flint rock as well, just be careful of the edge.
 
Hi Horse,

No, not laminated. With everyone else getting great results, I'm starting to suspect my technique.
 
sodak said:
. . .
TL,

I agree with your cleaning comments completely. I'm not bashing Moras, I use them a ton here at home. For the price, they are fantastic cutters, thanks to their geometry. I'm just trying to give a valid reason for choosing A over B so I don't sound like a fanatic. Maybe it's too late for that, but I hope not....
Click to expand...

Uh, I didn't think you were or sounded like one. I just wanted to contribute the bit about cleaning and join in on the observation that MORA's can work with firesteels.
 
Sodak,

Sorry bud, it's too late... you're a fanatic...;)

The unsquared-off Mora's are abismal sparkers usually. You're point was well taken. I'm suspecting your technique too.

I guess the point I'm making is that you can put certain folders up against your favorite Mora and the folder may win. However, we're comparing a $120+/- Manix to a $10 SWAK. I've been very impressed with the Mora's I own.
Mac
 
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