Morakniv Bushcraft

[Faramir2]

Curious whether others have used the Morakniv Bushcraft in particular or other Morakniv knives and what the thoughts are. Looking for a decent knife to put in vehicle get-home bags and at the Bushcraft specifically because one package has a ferro rod and diamond sharpener integrated into the sheath. I don't expect that these would get really heavy, rigorous bushcraft use, at most maybe light batoning. Looking for decent blades without a premium price, so that I don't cry too hard if the knives were lost or stolen.

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[ShopMonkey]

morkniv's are designed to be inexpensive, but i always keep one in my pack and one in my tacklebag, they hold an edge well despite having the occasional imperfection

[swamprat]

They are a great value for the $$. I have a couple of them.

[Popshot]

The Morakniv blades are perfectly serviceable bushcraft knife, due to the Scandi grind and the comfortable handle. Not all bushcraft tasks are chopping down trees, for that, use an ax or saw. The Scandinavian Puuko style is great for repetitive slicing and carving tasks. The Morakniv is the low budget version - lightweight, easy on the wallet and easy to sharpen, especially the carbon steel versions.

[Knowledge]

They are great and you don’t worry too much if you lose one.

[coastalcop]

Love my moras , if you are willing to spend a little more

https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/terava-skrama-240-carbon-steel/30189

This is a heavy duty all arounder but big, just get the cheap on the plastic cover acts like a sheath and retains well


Or

https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/terava-jaakaripuukko-140-carbon-steel/63686

If you are looking for a more classic puukko



Or

[Cacti Rat]

I've had several Moraknivs; as others noted previously I like the blade material. Not knowing what you mean by "not heavy bush craft" may be interpreted different by the reader, so this is from my perspective.

As a wilderness knife, I have three areas of concern:

The handle has a soft porous material that can't be completely cleaned; many will argue with that, I have only my personal experience. I have a Morakniv that I used to repair a chain saw fuel line. I never was able to get the fuel smell completely out of soft the handle material. Needless to say, This emergency repair means I ruined that knife for food processing.

I divide my wilderness knife blades into two areas of purpose. The forward third closest to the tip I keep sharp and dedicate it cutting and food processing. The two thirds closest to the handle is used for splitting and chopping. This area of blade gets dull real fast, but need not be so sharp anyway and the forward third stays sharp. The Morakniv blade is at about 4.25". Performing the role of chopping, splitting/batoning falls pretty much on the whole blade, which slows me down because I'm stopping to sharpen the knife between chopping/splitting and cutting roles.

The factory scabbard is unacceptable with regards to retention.

Just my two cents.

[Faramir2]

Thanks for all the thoughts, folks. I'm not looking for something to use all the time, so it sounds like these things would work pretty well for my emergency bag purpose, for the money (and I know I'll get what I pay for; I have higher-end knives I use for other purposes).

Yondering, you mentioned that you usually reprofile your edges to convex grind—is that wholly personal preference, or due in part to an inadequacy of the Scandi grind? I've read the Scandi grind isn't great for things like cutting food, but I'm also kinda curious to play with a Scandi. (For that matter, I'd like to play with a convex but don't have the equipment to do the reprofiling or the disposable coin to get a blade with a convex grind just to mess with it.)

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[Faramir2]

It's not about inadequacy of a scandi or any other grind, so much as just ease of sharpening and a more durable edge. Even with a "Scandi" grind, most people give the blade a convex edge. Including the scandinavians. Attempting to sharpen by stoning that entire flat of the scandi grind is an incredible waste of time and energy, with no real benefit if you do it perfectly "right". I say "right" because there's not really a wrong way, despite what some claim, just some ways are faster or more effective than others. So what really happens in most cases with free hand sharpening is people tip the blade slightly to sharpen the edge faster, and that produces some degree of convex grind - just a smooth rolling transition between the edge and the rest of the blade. It's faster, easier, and in most cases the edge lasts longer anyway. YMMV of course, and there are always die hard knife enthusiasts who like to argue about this kind of stuff.

With most other blades though, I re-profile to a convex edge because it reduces blade thickness immediately behind the edge, getting rid of the sharp transition between edge grind and rest of the blade, and that generally makes them cut easier. I use a belt grinder (followed by a leather strop belt on the same grinder) for this though, and don't do much freehand sharpening any more if I don't have to. I used to use guided hone systems like the Lansky, etc, but even with those I'd grind multiple angles; not a true convex profile but an approximation of it, much like a 3-angle or 5-angle valve job for a performance engine. When used properly though, a belt grinder just makes it so easy to apply a really good convex grind that it's just become my preferred way to go. Instead of carefully re-shaping and honing a new or badly damaged edge for hours, I can spend just a few minutes to turn a chipped, rolled, or poorly ground edge into a razor blade.

One thing about a belt though - some guys get way too focused on super fine grits, and that produces a lot of heat so they burn the edges. I don't go much past 400 grit or so with belts, and then just finish the edge with white diamond rouge on the leather belt. The leather/rouge will take it to a mirror polish but won't overheat the edge unless you really screw up. That's all it takes to make an edge sharp enough to shave part of the thickness of notebook paper without breaking through, and it's an edge that actually lasts.

Got a couple other thoughts and possibly questions, but for the moment, I just looked at my Spyderco PM2, which lives in my pocket, and whaddyaknow, I have a small convex bevel from freehand sharpening. Amusing in a "Huh, would you look at that" way, after my previous question.

[Vlad the Impaler]

For the criteria you are looking for, try a Schrade SCHF9. That thing is a beast for about $40. I also have a couple Moras. Good quality and from my ancestral homeland.

[DogDoc]

I've used Moras for years. Great knives for the price. I have them lying around all over the place and in every vehicle, bug out bag, get home bag, garden box, foraging kit, work bench, etc...
I like the carbon steel blades better than the stainless though I've never had any trouble with either.

As a bonus, to having good blades and being cheap as dirt, they have a very utilitarian appearance with their cheesy sheath that makes them pretty socially low-profile/unnoticeable for a Please-let-go-of-my-Glock knife.

I'm an herbalist, edible plants guy and wilderness survival guy (HomeGrownHerbalist.net (https://homegrownherbalist.net/)). Several years ago I and a couple of colleagues took about 30 teenage boys out into the desert with no food, no sleeping bags, no tents, nothing but the clothes on their backs to live off the land for 4 days. I gave each of them a $12 Morakniv, 2 Gatorade bottles (for carrying water) and about 3 feet of paracord (to hang the water bottles around their necks for carry and to start bow-drill fires). That's it.
I was very impressed with the way those Moras held their edges after 4 days of hard use and abuse by a bunch of teenagers.

[DogDoc]

For the criteria you are looking for, try a Schrade SCHF9. That thing is a beast for about $40. I also have a couple Moras. Good quality and from my ancestral homeland.

That looks like a knife worth trying.

One can spend a mountain of money on a knife. I've never really been drawn to that. The Morakniv is sort of like a Glock. It's not beautiful, fancy or refined, but it sure works well.

[SqueeDAB]

The SCHF9 is a phenomenal “beater” blade. I keep one in the trunk in my Oh Shit Kit, and a Mora Companion in the glovebox.

I very much like Moras. They do pretty much everything a small knife should. They’re inexpensive enough to have a few stashed all over the place.

The Mora Garberg is a great full-tang knife with some nice sheath mounting options. Their Bushcraft Pathfinder knife (7” blade, approx) is another nice option that won’t break the bank but will get the job done.

I use a Mora Bushcraft Black ($40ish) or a Craftline Robust ($20ish) pretty regularly, and they have held up very well.

It’s funny and amazes me sometimes how much I use, abuse, and love some of my “cheaper” knives. However, some of my pricier knives don’t see much action: my Busse TGLB is a solid knife that could literally cut bricks out of a wall, but it’s not particularly great at any “normal” knife tasks. Meanwhile, my ESEE LS ($120ish) or even a Schrade SCHF42D ($50ish) take beatings and still keep going strong.

[ShopMonkey]

FUN FACT, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE GRIP ON THE MORAS, THEY DO STIPPLE AND SHAPE WELL, AND I CAN KNOCK EM OUT PRETTY QUICK

[Faramir2]

Good to know. About how much does that work run? Haven't gotten the knives yet (been absentminded this week) but will take a look/feel and see what I think.

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[ShopMonkey]

Good to know. About how much does that work run? Haven't gotten the knives yet (been absentminded this week) but will take a look/feel and see what I think.

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well, i just put it up on the website as a service, with choice of stipple pattern. i'll get some pictures of of previously done knives when i get the chance

[ShopMonkey]

6287062871

[Badger]

I’ve got more than a few grand wrapped up in knives...and other sharp things. The answer to the question is usually “Mora” for all the reasons listed by others.

[Faramir2]

6287062871

Thanks for the pics. Once I get hold of a couple of knives, I'll fiddle with the handles, do a little whittling and other stuff I anticipate using the knives for, and see if I want to get them stippled. I have a feeling I'll want them done, considering how slippery plastic like that can get, when wet.

[ShopMonkey]

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[Jons999]

Still have the SI Grab N Stab as my get home truck knife!

[Faramir2]

Still have the SI Grab N Stab as my get home truck knife!

Got that blade on my dresser, and it is my go-to, when I can't carry my pistol for some reason (or at least choose not to). Nothing quite like it for its purposes.

I should receive a couple of the Mora Bushcraft blades this afternoon or evening. Looking forward to handling them and deciding on stippling.

[Faramir2]

Final got them from Amazon tonight (had to redo the shipping address since that was wrong). Handled a bit and really like the feel (got one unboxed, started fiddling with it, and said to myself, "Ooh, me like"); whittled a little wood, and the edge and grind seem good. Handles feel like rubber overmolded on plastic—Shopmonkey, can that be stippled? While the handles are pretty grippy as they stand, I'm still toying with a little more aggressive texture, as that has its distinct advantages.

[SqueeDAB]

Some Mora handles have a softer rubber over hard plastic (like the Bushcraft Black, for example). The more “classic” models are pretty much just plastic and could certainly benefit from some stippling.

[SqueeDAB]

62879

that’s some nice work there on a very underrated blade (Beckers are great).

[Faramir2]

Some Mora handles have a softer rubber over hard plastic (like the Bushcraft Black, for example). The more “classic” models are pretty much just plastic and could certainly benefit from some stippling.

The Bushcraft Black is what I got. Definitely grippier than the Classic or Companion my dad has.

[ShopMonkey]

The Bushcraft Black is what I got. Definitely grippier than the Classic or Companion my dad has.

yep, did a couple of them too
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[ShopMonkey]

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