Would you stake your life on a Mora?

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I always carry a staff, as a walking stick and for poking. They don't call me 'OldPhysics' fer nuthin'.

When I'm in true wilderness, I also carry a firearm. It's irresponsible not to -- particularly when I'm with others who need protection.

What kind? Each person has his/her favorite. I'm well-trained with automatic pistols (.45/.44 Mag/.40, etc.) and a number of rifles and shotguns (which are easy to learn). But I'll at least lug a high-caliber pistol with suitable ammunition (often the .44 Magnum in stainless).

Never had to shoot a bear. I have had to scare off some lesser predators (big cats, etc.)...and I've shot the occasional rattler.

EDIT: Oh, as this is BF I have to say -- I always carry at least one fixed blade and a good axe/hatchet. I just don't think of them as self-defense tools.
 
The wild animal thing aside, a Mora as your one and only cutting tool in a real survival situation may be a problem. I have broken them splitting wood and prying out splits. Sure, you can call that abuse but in a survival situation abuse may be required. A Mora is great for cleaning game, carving wood and shaving tinder. Not so good for the tough stuff. I carry a Mora in the pack for utility but have something a bit heavier handy as well; SRK, KaBar, Becker. belt axe, etc.
 
woodsmoke said:
The wild animal thing aside, a Mora as your one and only cutting tool in a real survival situation may be a problem. I have broken them splitting wood and prying out splits. Sure, you can call that abuse but in a survival situation abuse may be required. A Mora is great for cleaning game, carving wood and shaving tinder. Not so good for the tough stuff. I carry a Mora in the pack for utility but have something a bit heavier handy as well; SRK, KaBar, Becker. belt axe, etc.
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This was what I was wondering. I always carry something more substancial when I'm more remote and would use the Mora as more of a utility backup but I have been thinking more about carrying the Mora when I am on more populated trails. It just seems less threatening and less of a liability than something like a BK7. I just didn't know how easy a Mora blade would break. Still I just don't feel safe unless I have something with me. To be honest I am not very large and I am not Jet Li so even though I carry a heavy duty walking stick, I don't have that much confidence that someone might not be able to take it away from me.
 
loki67 said:
It's a razorsharp knife with a 4" blade. Simplely put, it will do if you will do.
The Finns used/use the Puukko for everything, this includes killing attackers.
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I have a puukko said to have been used by a Finnish soldier in the Winter War. It has a roughly diamond crosssectioned 5" blade and is .197" thick. How thick is the flat Mora? .8"? Less? More?
 
The Moras are definitely thinner than almost any puukko. The older Moras are thicker than the one's offered by Ericson and Frost today. The Finn puukkos that we see from Jarvenpa and others, old and new, are very solid knives. Just ask the Soviets who took an asswhuppin' from the Finns in the Winter War about those puukkos. The thin Moras that are offered are excellent knives. $10...what a deal! Just don't expect them to do it all.
 
If you have doubts about the strenght (or lack there of) in the knife. Buy 2 of the same type (They really don't cost that much :0) ) and then break the first 1. That should give you some idea of the knives strenght and if you think it will be enough.
 
look at what mors kochanski does with a mora, and there would be no question about wheater it is up to the task. he went looking for the cheapest blade he could find just to show that you did not need a battle blade to be comfortable in the wild.

alex
 
First, to answer your question. Yes, I would stake my life on a Mora.
But now, a little deeper meaning.

It reminds me of the "What is the best knife" threads. The one answer that pierces through all the discussion is: "THE ONE YOU HAVE WITH YOU."
The Mora, or any other small fixed blade will be more confortable to wear, and that being said, is more likely to be on your person.

4 leggers
In terms of large animal attacks, you are much more likely to be struck dead by lightening, or die from a bee sting, spider bite or snake bite than be attacked by a Bear or a Mountain lion.
Much more likely, would be an enounter with wild dogs or perhaps a feral pig.
Both of which can be awnry and unpredictable.

2 legged threats
It's the same as in in an urban environment, nothing will make a person think twice like staring down the barrel of .45 "Normal" people may be threatened by the mere sight of a knife , (especially if they don't have one) but folks with less than admirable intentions may not be very concerned by someone brandishing a 4" blade. However, it does go back to what you have available.
I'd certainly wave a Mora in their face, and be ready to use it, if the situation were turning grim....if it is all you have, what else you gonna do?

Really short story, I once saw a guy pull a knife on another fellow.
They were at a McDonalds, parked next to each other.
When the guy drew the knife, he instantly became winner of the arms race, that was, until the other guy pulled a Louisville Slugger from his car and proceeded to wail on the guy. It was over in less than 20 seconds. It's funny how quickly things can change.


Back to Widerness
Assuming no firearm, and assuming a little bit of warning, you are gonna grab the largest cutting instrument you have close-by.
-If it's a hatchet or machete, go for it.
-If it's a Busse or a Becker BK9, or BK1 (chopper) ,fine.
-If it's a Fallkniven or bowie, OK.
-If it's a Mora, then so be it.


You are going to use whatever is available at that moment.
 
I have spent time in both summer and winter with Mors Kochanski. If you think he is handy with a knife, you should see him with an axe. The two tools compliment each other. A Mora knife fills a niche. Ask Mors what one tool he would choose if he had to choose. He opts for the axe. Of course the knife you have with you when you need it is the one you are staking your life on. You can sure do worse than a Mora. But...if you can choose the knife you are going to stake it all on, I would opt for something a little more durable. Not necessarily a huge, heavy blade, just something heftier than a Mora.
 
Moine said:
Consider this : Albeit not optimal for some tasks, a mora is way tougher and cuts way better than your teeth and nails...

Survival is not always about having the best tools... it's more realistically about making the most of whatever you have. If you're used to carrying your skills in your backpack, you're screwed anyways. First thing is not to HAVE. First thing is to know, and to master.

So first thing to do for you is to go out and get some serious knife fighting lessons... then if the instructor is any good, after 1 lesson and a half you will start to see your mora a very different way. Right now I carry a 3 cm blade around my neck, and I've successfully built shelter, dressed a deer and split kindling with it... food for thought ;)

David
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Dude, you 'dressed a deer' AND 'split kindling' with a 3 CM long knife?:eek: And how many days did this take you? I've spent my whole Life outdoors in New England fishing, hunting and trapping and feeding my family but not with a 3 Centimeter knife blade:rolleyes: YOU DA' MAN! Tell me it's a typo or put up a photo of said 'knife' splitting kindling, dressing even a squirrel, etc please. Thanks
 
I'd have no issues carrying my Clipper. It is a stout, solid little knife. Of course I'd have a walking stick, the the Clipper helped carve. I don't carry knives as a primary SD weapons, they are tools. Of course, I usually have a sidearm on me.


tjg
 
1Tracker said:
Dude, you 'dressed a deer' AND 'split kindling' with a 3 CM long knife?:eek: And how many days did this take you? I've spent my whole Life outdoors in New England fishing, hunting and trapping and feeding my family but not with a 3 Centimeter knife blade:rolleyes: YOU DA' MAN! Tell me it's a typo or put up a photo of said 'knife' splitting kindling, dressing even a squirrel, etc please. Thanks
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I skinned a 5 point with one of those Gerber key ring knives before which is under 2", it's more pulling than anything. And of the hundred plus deer I have skinned and gutted, I used a small 3" kitchen knife. Remember, people have been skinning animals with sharp rocks for thousands of years. You do not need a large knife to clean game. Although I will say I would prefer more than a 2" knife to clean a hog - I hated cleaning hogs.

Back in my Forestry days, the company I worked for had a lodge on an 11,000 acre tract set aside to entertain company guests deer hunting. I would have to show or clean a lot of what they shot myself; something I never minded doing either if it was their first deer.
 

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alco141 said:
look at what mors kochanski does with a mora, and there would be no question about wheater it is up to the task. he went looking for the cheapest blade he could find just to show that you did not need a battle blade to be comfortable in the wild.

alex
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If you have not read Mors Kochanski's Bushcraft, it is an excellent read, even if you are not into primitive living skills as there are sections devoted choosing and more importantly, proper use of a knife, axe, and saw.

http://www.karamat.com/articles.html

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bushcraft-by-Mo...goryZ378QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem
 
Would I stake my life on a mora?

Wild animal attacks: if you see the cougar first, making yourself big and noisy is good. If you were grabbed from behind and could get any knife out, then something like a Ka-Bar or other fighting knife would be the best bet for reaching a viral organ or artery and ending the contest. That is all hypothetical-- "IF" is a big word. As many have said here, a big stick is a better bet. If you gave me a choice on cutting tools for defense against an animal, a Cold Steel Bushman on a stout pole would be my first choice and and a machete next. A long sharp stick would be better than any hand knife.

Taking down a bear with a knife of any size would be on the order of dumb luck or fantasy. A half-hearted swipe from a Brownie would open you up a like paper sack. It's time for a high caliber rifle or a 12ga. If I was going into brown bear country and couldn't manage a shotgun, then bear spray would be the next choice. I haven't read anything on it, but I imagine bear spray would work on a cougar too. Prevention, like staying away from seasonal salmon feeding areas and sows with cubs and making a little noise along the trail would be a better plan. Brown bears are rare enough in the lower 48 that you will know when you are going into areas where they might be. Bear bagging your food will help you and the next guy throught the area to avoid prowling bears (and raccoons and other critters).

Two legged snakes require firearms and radio/cellular phone for eradication. I would be far more worried in areas like car campgrounds than in the back country. If a mora doesn't scare them, a Ka-Bar probably wouldn't either. It's just a mini arms race. The guys in the front line of a pre-gunpowder army had pikes-- big sharp sticks! Someone else wrote about baseball bats and I agree.

If you fear nature and being out in the woods, stay home. It's better to learn to live within the natural setting than to think you can fight it. Mother Nature will win every time unless you follow the rules.

So what are you going to do with a knife in the woods? Prepare food, repair gear, clean a fish, maybe whittle a tent peg. Hunters have specific needs and there are plenty of specialized knives for cleaning and skinning large game. Most of them aren't very big. With big game the biggest cutting chores are splitting a breastbone or pelvis and most hunters I know take a small saw or hatchet for that.

A mora and a small SAK will take care of all your survival cutting needs save one-- cutting big wood. A saw, machete, or hatchet would be better suited for that chore. IMHO, chopping with a big knife when you are cold, wet, or injured is a good way to wack yourself in the leg or your other hand.

When you get down to big iron and survival while hiking, you are better off to have a lighter knife and "spend" the weight on other items. My idea if a bigger survival knife would be something like a RAT-7. That is 13.5 ounces. My mora clipper is 3.5 ounces with the sheath, leaving me 10 full ounces of other gear I could haul for the same weight-- more than the rest of my hiking survival kit. Heck, an SAK Trekker is 4.4 ounces and I'll take the mora blade for abusive tasks over the SAK.

So what is good about a mora? They are light, inexpensive, sharp, and very usable. IMHO, they are the best cutting tool for the weight and cost.

What I stake my life on is my brains. Do I know where I'm going? Does anyone else know where I will be and when I'm due back? Do I have the essentials with me? Can I do basic first aid, build a fire, secure water, and build a makeshift shelter? Those are the things that will keep me alive. Not getting in that situation is even better.
 
Moras are much sturdier than they look. I carried one for ages as a back-up and also as a camp paring knife for fruits and light cutting. Never thought I would use it for anything more extreme ... until I had a failure on a main blade on a winter camp.

I carried a larger sturdier knife (7 inch, 3.5 mm, 440c) for a camp trip once and it suffered some edge damage while chopping -- my error as it was hollow ground. The small 4 inch mora finished the job -- batonned and split the branches that the larger knife failed on. I have to say that I did not expect the Mora to survive this but it did without any problems whatsoever. The model I have is a Frosts laminated steel craftsman at 2mm blade thickness.

The Mora will surprise you. It's worth doing what one of the other posters suggested and buy two to see if you can test one to its limits -- it's really revealing.
 
alephlex said:
Moras are much sturdier than they look. I carried one for ages as a back-up and also as a camp paring knife for fruits and light cutting. Never thought I would use it for anything more extreme ... until I had a failure on a main blade on a winter camp.

I carried a larger sturdier knife (7 inch, 3.5 mm, 440c) for a camp trip once and it suffered some edge damage while chopping -- my error as it was hollow ground. The small 4 inch mora finished the job -- batonned and split the branches that the larger knife failed on. I have to say that I did not expect the Mora to survive this but it did without any problems whatsoever. The model I have is a Frosts laminated steel craftsman at 2mm blade thickness.

The Mora will surprise you. It's worth doing what one of the other posters suggested and buy two to see if you can test one to its limits -- it's really revealing.
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Well, I hope they are everything they are claimed to be. I have 2 on their way. A stainless clipper for canoe trips and a carbon 746. I plan on some others but just haven't decided on which model yet.
 
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=448205

This might interest some of you as far as the Mora's durability is concerned.

I think they're very good knives for all the "small knife" tasks. Can they chop and baton without breaking? Yes, but using them to build shelters and splits logs for the camp fire is going to be incredibly inefficient. In certain scenarios, that time can cost you.
 
Around here there is so much wood laying on the ground in our forest that there is no need to split or baton wood, you can find what your looking for pretty easy. So yes, I would trust my life to a Mora. That doesent mean its my first choice though.
 
I would not stake my life on a Mora, for the very unlikely SD application it is just not strong enough I feel. I am sure it is as good as many SD folders though and it is probably one of the most common knives used in murders over here, due to availability. A Mora is more useful than most larger and more expensive knives. It's not good for chopping, but most larger knives are not very good for chopping either, an axe or machete is better. In an emergency I would like a sturdier main blade for prying and other such activities. Under normal circumstances I don't quite understand why one should baton it through pieces of wood, that is bad for any knife and is something I would avoid as far as possible. I have been making a lot of fires in the wild, but so far I have never seen any real reason to baton a knife through a large piece of wood! Firewood can usually be gathered without any tools, and if you need tools, for chopping down larger dead trees and such, knives are not much use anyway. Under extremely wet and humid circumstances I imagine it might be necessary to split logs to get into the dry inner core, but I never had to do it. Birch bark, pine or spruce resin, spruce twigs and so on usually does the trick, and when you have a proper fire going you can feed almost any old log into it.
 
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