morakniv vs cold steel srk (bugout/bushcraft bag knife)

V

vansman

Joined
Jul 14, 2020
Messages
14
Hello everyone.
So I'm pretty surprised at the price of some full tang fixed blade models that I have been looking at.
Carbon steels are cheap, and people seem confident enough in them to trust as a camp companion.

My budget is < $40, and I have a surprising number of good quality options at that price

Unless people have other suggestions, I've whittled down my options to 3 knives.

-Morakniv craftline (cheapest at < $25)
-Cold steel srk 6" (might shell out the extra $10 for the compact if I have a good enough reason).
-Morakniv bushcraft.

I also plan on getting an axe and/or saw of some sort too, but I kind of want to keep the weight down and minimize the amount of steel that I would have to lug around.

My concerns:
The Morakniv's are significantly thinner than the srk. If I were to have just ONE knife as a bugout knife, would this be of much concern?
"Batoning" seems much better with a thicker knife, but if I had a hatchet/axe, that would be moot right?
A thinner knife also seems better for well, knife stuff, but a thin knife is also prone to breaking.

Another plus of the morakniv is that I can use it as a kitchen knife, it doesn't look as "tacticool" as the SRK, doesn't come with a hideous and cumbersome kydex sheath, and it kind of has its own quirky aesthetic appeal. Kind of reminds me of a Volvo, functional, yet sorta sleek if you look at it at a certain angle.
Nothing seems special about the handle rubber though, and it seems like it would be much more prone to peeling/rotting/melting than the krayton that the srk has.

The srk also just looks kinda cool because it's all black, and it has a nice laminate on the blade.

Does anyone have any suggestions on these points, other points that I may have missed, and perhaps other fixed blade suggestions?

Thanks!
 
I think either the Mora or the Cold Steel should serve you just fine.:) For toughness, I lean a little more towards the Cold Steel though. I don’t have the SRK, but I have it’s cousin the Recon Tanto and it’s tough as nails.

For any knife, I wouldn’t recommend batoning or prying unless absolutely necessary, and even then it may not be wise to risk breaking your only cutting tool in a survival situation. Best use a hatchet or big knife for chopping wood or small branches.
 
Nothing against the Mora but for your intended uses the SRK will serve you well. I am a carbon steel fan for toughness and ease of sharpening. Carbon steel had been used forever on steel knives. If you don't think carbon steel is tough, just look at the life of a typical truck spring or lawnmower blade; and they are most generally lesser steels than the 1095-ish (or better) than we can get in reasonably priced knives. You can't go wrong with a $40 SRK; just keep the handle material (which I really like) away from chemicals and petroleum.
 
Another vote for the SRK. As for the 5 or 6 inch blade, it depends if a few extra dollars for 3 less ounces are worth it for you. I have a regular SRK + Mora (backup/food prep) in my get home bag too.
 
Ive been playing around with different versions of the SRK for many years ; for the price you cant go wrong.And you can remove the nylon part of the sheath and add a teklock,lefty or righty so it rides higher on the belt.
 
It’s an unpopular opinion, but I think mora’s are $15 knives that have increased in cost over time due to their wave of popularity causing SKU proliferation.
The best bang for your dollar is almost always going to be a cold steel. Also, I think there’s only one “full tang” mora and it’s the Garberg... an $80-$95 knife... and if you’re spending that much just get a San mai SRK.

But as for your list, the full size SRK is the best knife.

If someone told me society was collapsing and I had to grab one knife before leaving my house, it’s going to be my SRK... not my mora.
 
Go for the Mora Companion HD. Thicker blade and still under 20 bucks:

https://www.baryonyxknife.com/mocohemg.html

Another option is a Buck Bucklite Max. Full tang, made in US, about $25. It’s a different beast: blade is hollow-ground and stainless steel. So it won’t do everything a Mora will, but it will do a few other things.
 
Roamad said:
Another option is a Buck Bucklite Max. Full tang, made in US, about $25. It’s a different beast: blade is hollow-ground and stainless steel. So it won’t do everything a Mora will, but it will do a few other things.
Click to expand...

This is where I landed as well.

I'm the "ounces = pounds" guy, weight of everything in my bag matters. I had an SRK at a half a pound for awhile, then swapped it out for a Mora Pro S.

Then I found the Bucklite Max. It's the same weight as the Pro S, but has full tang and I like Buck's grind better than the Scandi.

It's also made in the USA and I really do like the Bos treated 420HC that Buck uses. Easy to sharpen, easy to maintain, really corrosion resistant.

And the price is right around the same as the Mora.

Don't get me wrong, Mora is good stuff. The Pro S I mentioned is actually now in the wife's go bag. And the SRK is a good piece as well.

Great to have the choices in this range that you do.
 
Mora Companion, all day. Really, if I can't cut something with a pocket knife or a hatchet, I want a power tool.
 
Thanks guys.
I would go with a smaller mora, but I already have a spyderco native, and thats not only my edc, but also my "small knife" for general purpose everyday normal knifing. Shelled out a little more for it since it's both an everyday tool that I use now, and a bugout tool as well. Though sometimes I think I spent a bit too much on it, it's tough to find an actually quality folder for cheap, and I'm very confident that it will last practically forever and I would be super confident in it as a bugout blade.

I've specifically been looking at knives with a blade > 5", so as to have a nice "biggish knife" for when the need arises. The mora bushcraft is just under that, so it's kind of a last option.

I am for sure getting an axe/ hatchet, and that's why the thinner moras appealed to me, but now I'm leaning towards the srk due to the number of votes.

Made in US is great for the buck, but I want a carbon rather than stainless steel for my bugout knife. Budget does not allow a super steel fixed best of both worlds) ATM.
 
Last edited:
Mora, Mora, Mora. Lighter, more useful, plenty tough enough. Companion is plenty for me (I prefer the Companion handle and the ounce less weight), but they have the stouter Robust as well if you're really worried. This is a good demonstration of what sort of silliness a Mora Robust can handle:

 
I have a couple SRK in SK5 and many, many Mora models.

For cutting, the Mora performs much better than the Cold Steel due to better geometry. The SRK will baton wood and snap cut better due to its weight and length.

They are both solid choices and great values.
 
MolokaiRider said:
I have a couple SRK in SK5 and many, many Mora models.

For cutting, the Mora performs much better than the Cold Steel due to better geometry. The SRK will baton wood and snap cut better due to its weight and length.

They are both solid choices and great values.
Click to expand...

Agree with this. Neither one is a bad choice.

Dude, you got the hatches battened down?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top