*I am not paid or endorsed by any knife company. I am just a guy who goes in the woods occasionally and likes to use my gear. This is my honest unbiased account of my experiences with Mora and a trio of their products.*
The pocket knife is an essential tool for any EDC (every day carry) loadout. In my previous post I discussed 3 tiers of knives. The utility/multi tool knife, the folding pocket knife and of course the fixed blade knife. All have different uses and applications and alternatively each have their strong and weak points. There is no doubt though when it comes to use and function the fixed blade is the go to for most people.
Fixed blade knives offer more rough use applications and safety. With a fixed blade knife extreme use most likely is the choice that will work for your duty assigned and it has the least probability to fail. To be more specific a pocket folding knife has a chance of breaking or failing with it causing possible injury during a job. The folding mechanism can (and will) fail at some point. A fixed blade has a much stronger design and structure, meaning the blade run completely or mostly through the handle. This will leave little chances for the blade to break or fail as it does not fold or have any extra mechanism to be more portable.
One company I have tested extensively was Mora. Mora is a Swedish knife company that has been producing blades for rough industrial use for over 100 years. Their uses range from the Scandinavian Military branches to bushcraft, and even in industrial and hobby woodcraft uses. They have been preached about for their quality and attention to detail at the budget of the common man. Are they worth it? Ill give you an idea of what I think of them after about a year of testing first hand.
I bought a couple different versions to try out. I bought a Mora Companion Stainless, a 511 in Carbon Steel and also a Mora Robust Carbon. All three hit different price points but I didnt spend over $16 on any of these blades. They come factory sharpened nearly to razor quality. All the grinds on the blades were Scandi styled grinds. For the majority of people, this info about the grind will not matter but I bring it up for good reason. Scandi grinds are a simple one bevel style grind. Which translates to it being easy to sharpen and fix with little to no experience in sharpening. This is important to me because I spend more time beating up and destroying my knives than I do actually working on them. The hope in testing all of these blades was to use them as I needed and do little or no work on them. Type of blade material Carbon Steel or Stainless matters a little bit to a degree for prices and also for durability over the long haul. I prepped both the 511 and the Robust by forcing a patina on the blades to help protect them a little longer. Carbon blades will rust easily and not last as long if left alone. They will work just fine but I wanted to give them as best a chance as I could. A chemical patina will turn the blades to an almost black color if forced by a vinegar bath, which was what I did.
To be fair the only option of the three I purchased that I tested extensively was the cheapest of the three. The 511 in carbon steel which I feel is fair. Its a 3.6 inch blade with a thickness of .08 and weighs 3.9oz. The grip is TPE rubber and has a small guard on it so you wont slip while using it. And at a price point of about $10 shipped its a steal. It does come with a sheath which is utilitarian at best but it does the job it needs to.
For a long time I carried the Mora along with a folder every day. Carrying a Mora is easy outside the waist band with a simple rigger belt. I used the Mora a lot in place of my folder as it typically takes a beating. On an average day or work week I probably use it mostly cutting and opening boxes. But there were days I really set out just to abuse it. A couple of times for instance, I cleaned off battery terminals that were crusted over, or I stirred paint cans, and I even batoned some wood chunks preparing to build a fire. I also cut wiring and some metal cable up just to see if it would do it. I pushed the blade and its build quality to its very limits with my normal activities. The only thing I did to the 511 that was maintenance was I oiled it occasionally. For carbon knives keeping them dry and oiled is an important step for the long run. I admit I did not oil and keep it dry nearly like I would if it was a knife I cared deeply about. When I tested these I tried to use them how an average person would. I carried the 511 every day for a period probably of 3 months. What I found was that when I carried it and my folder I usually would opt to use the Mora. It was easier to use, sharper and seemed to be overall better. For the price of $10 it certainly gave my folder a much needed break.
Pros
-Price
-Durability
-History
-Grind choice for easy sharpening
-Option for colors and styles
-Mods are vast for range of uses
-Variety of price points
Cons
-Availability
-Sheath quality
-Mods may be needed for specific uses
Is it worth the price? Very much so. Avid outdoors people would be happy to know that even the cheapest knife Mora makes like the 511 basic is now a favorite for me. It is now rusted, paint covered and battle torn. And the best part is, it is still very sharp. With some work on it there is no doubt that it would be back to near perfect shape. The quality for dollar is unheard of and unmatched.
As for the cons you have to really nitpick. One con is that these will more than likely have to be purchased online. No big deal for the majority of people. The sheathes are functional but that is about it. Some complain that they barely do that. The aftermarket sheaths are out there but you will spend more than the knife to get something kydex worth carrying. The other reviews will also say that the retention starts to fail with the stock sheaths. Poor retention = losing your knife. And I also listed is a con about some of mods for other functions. The bushcraft models which are much more expensive will come with a striking rod. Those models have the spine of the knife outfitted to be used with it as a striker. Commonly other folks that are in the outdoors would use a cheap knife as a striker but unfortunately the cheaper Moras will need to be ground down a bit to be used this way. They come sort of unfinished and need to be ground just a smidgen to work properly. Not a con if you are wanting to pay the Bushcraft Mora prices, but it is if you are looking to do this specifically with a cheaper model and should be noted.
Over all these knives are well worth their weight and the cons I listed. With an assortment of styles and price points I cannot stress how good these are. Get one. Try it for yourself.
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