Saturday, October 30, 2010

The simple beauty of Mora

A short while back I was ordering from an online outdoors retailer and noticed that they had Swedish Mora knives for sale. For $10 I wasn't expecting very much but I had heard good things about them so I decided to give one a try. When I received my package I was very happy with the little knife that came inside, it was well made of high quality steel and at a bargain price. You can't ask for much more than that. Being me I couldn't stop at just one. I found this gentleman selling a much wider selection of Mora knives and found two more that I couldn't live without. I like them all. As I said they're high quality, made of the best steel and very reasonably priced too. They would make a person a good general purpose or camp knife. They also come from the factory with a very decent edge and are light in the hand and capable of very quick and precise cuts. I like the natural feel of wood so that's what I bought but they are also available with more durable synthetic grips if you prefer. I also favor a knife with a guard and made sure my next two purchases had them. Apparently the Swedes consider a knife with a guard more for children. The one at the top of the photo is actually listed in the catalog as a child's general purpose and wood carving knife. The only thing that I didn't care for were the plastic sheaths that come with them. I just don't like plastic much, but I'll have to admit that they do the job. If you're in the market for a well made, affordable and very usable knife you might want to consider the simple beauty of Mora.

3 comments:

The Displaced Louisiana Guy said...

Great knives! I have one, and it's simply the best woodcarving knife I own. I use it like a mule, and it never fails to preform. Sharpening them is a bit odd to get used to,because the bevel on the blade is actually the proper sharpening angle. Just lay the knife on the stone, adjust till you feel the bevel laying flat against the surface of the stone, and pull across. By doing this, it maintains a perfect, razor sharp bevel.

On a side note, when I'm carving delicate pieces, I choke up on the handle, and usually end up getting a few minor nicks on my index finger because there is no guard!


You'll use those knives for years! Good purchase!

Wilson said...

Thanks for the advice. I haven’t had the chance to use them hard yet but you can just tell they are well made tools. The other two that I ordered had single guards on them, I just knew that I would probably end up doing what you did when I do use them.

Jon said...

Wow, I'd forgotten about Tom's site - I knew him back when I lived in Niagara Falls and have a bunch of different knives I picked up from him over the years. Great to see he's still selling and blacksmithing.