new knife

[Grizz]

Got this scandi knife recently. It is a whole step up in blade quality from the cheaper utility knives of the same design that I use daily. It's the thickest blade at 2.7mm with a blade length of 3-7/8". The birch grip is about 4" long. Notice how the edge overhangs the grip by a small amount. It's how they're made. Easy to carve oneself. I might make a new grip for it.

I would like it a little better with a shorter blade, but this is not a complaint. It's stout and very sharp and seems to have all the basic elements of a lifetime working tool.

It's a knife design that dates back to or predates the vikings. The sheath is also an old design, I think. The back shows the unique construction. I don't know if that style exists in other cultures, or where it originated.

In trolling swedish and norwegian boat building sites you can see guys with the same type of knife on their belts. Quite the service record for a knife design, eh?

In the closeup of the roll stamp you can see the line of the lamination. The center section is quite wide compared to some of my laminated carving knives.

I get my knives from http://www.ragweedforge.com.

Enjoy

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Grizz

[Blaine]

I approve, Sir....

[gamekeeper]

My Frosts made in Sweden knife is one of the sharpest knives I have, the Mora Swedish knife below is not so good but the cross guard is useful.
I have a few knives made in Sweden and Finland, the last one I bought is a Mora/Light my Fire knife with a fire steel in the handle.

[SteveR]

You may be interested in these Finnish knives called Puukko, Russians hated them in 1940-1941 Winter War.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puukko

Steve

[Grizz]

thanks guys


@ Game Keeper

Those are classics. The steel quality seems to be a variable. I have a mix of stainless, carbon, and laminated blades with the harder edge temper. My most used knives have the red handle. They are shoddier construction with unfinished backs where you can see the shear marks. Doesn't hurt the edge or the usefulness. The stainless ones seem to be weaker on the very edge and need stropping more often.

@ Steve

I have looked at the puukkos, Ragnar sells them too. They are spendy compared to the swede knives that I use for woodworking and wood heating chores. Do you have any of the finnish knives?

Grizz

[shooter]

I have one Mora knife. I'm not savvy about all the differences in the different knives, but this one has a black handle and is carbon steel. Very sharp, holds a good edge, and seems pretty sturdy. It is probably one of my top 3 knives. Looks like you got yourself a good one.

[gamekeeper]

Grizz, the laminated blade is certainly the sharpest and easy to keep sharp too!

I was going to post photos of my other knives but photobucket was not playing ball!
This is my latest Swedish knife, it was razor sharp right out of the box and the fire steel throws loads of sparks.

[Ji in Hawaii]

Bang for the buck hard to beat a Mora Knife. I own a Mora 612 with the half-guard, great little knife with excellent steel.

[Ben_Rumson]

Thanks for the link Grizz... I like Mora knives too... Great bang for the buck...I agree that knife sure would be good looking with some nice wood on it..
Me being the lazy type I think I'd grind off that bit of the edge adjacent to the grip to give a little clearance there rather than make a new grip...
Ji... I have the same knife as yours & enjoy it every day..

[Rusty]

I have one I carry in my pack that goes to work with me every day. Mine is the same mfg as Ji's, but mine is shorter and doesn't have the guard. I try not to sharpen that last 1/2" or so of blade. It's got to be the best bang for the buck I've ever had in a knife, bar none. I paid $6.50 for mine brand new. I think you can still find them for less than $15.

[Grizz]

I could be characterized as being a little compulsive in the mora category. I actually use these and some of them are used every day.

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The OD version is stainless steel for the boat and I have two. One will be fixed to the boat and one will be fixed to the overboard bag. The draw knife was used to help fashion a kayak paddle and will be tasked with oar building chores. The carving knives get used for carving and detail carpentry chores. The blue handle stainless is the only bad mora I've ever bought. The edge rolls over at the lightest tasks, like cutting zip cord. It is the thinnest blade I have and it excels at cutting up cardboard boxes for disposal. A smith told me the best thing to do would be to put a secondary bevel on the blade, but I am thinking of removing the plastic and experimenting with re-tempering, just for fun.

The sheath style for the blue knife is the one we favored on my fishing boat. We taped them upside down on the rain gear suspenders, or braces for our British brothers. Ever-ready. If you get dragged overboard by the gear you have to remember to cut the ground line BELOW you, or cut the gangion, if you want to breath air again.

The shorter red handle job is plain carbon and my most used knife.

The handles on the draw knife would be nice on the field knife I posted above, with perhaps a finger guard or as mentioned, a flat spot on the edge. Or perhaps just the addition of a round knob on the hilt for stabbing motions. Whatever that might mean.

The odd man is the little Gerber in the center. Very slim 2-1/2" blade. Doesn't spring open and has a clasp lock so it takes two hands to close it. Perfect size for field dressing deer size game, you can get it inside and sever the diaphragm without cutting yourself or slicing organs. It takes a decent edge and might even hold one. It passes the box cutting test, and is sharp enough to draw blood trimming hang nails if I'm not careful. About the thinnest and easiest to live with folder I've had. About 12$ at wally's mart.

Fun stuff. Let's see more!

Grizz

[Old Shatterhand]

Some twenty or thirty years ago I made this knife from a Mora blade, original brass, curled birch and a piece of leather. It has followed me on hunts and trekkings, and has always been sharp and reliable. Note that the blade is not grinded close to the handle - the common Mora blades are grinded most often into the handles, and it is pretty easy to cut the index finger there.

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Pete

[Grizz]

Nice one Pete

A lot of character in that one. Reads like good tools do.

Grizz

[new pig hunter]

a few years ago I picked up a Leuku from Ragweed Forge .....




Cheers,

Carl

[Grizz]

good one Carl.

How thick is that blade? It looks hefty and serious.

My leather sheath in the first post is treated with hot wax. Makes it stiff and water proof.
I'm guessing your sheath is sewn on the back like the swede?

Grizz

[piller]

Due to the lack of gaurds on most of them, and that blade edge usually going right up to the handle, they are not meant for stabbing, but slicing. The Mora knives I have owned are all scary sharp. They have held a good edge, but the plain carbon steel ones are as good as I have ever used. I have one from Ragnar's Ragweed Forge that has a black rubber handle and a Sandvik Steel blade that is the best stainless I have ever had. When heat treated properly, 12c27 is a good steel.

[new pig hunter]

grizz,

The Leuku is about a foot long with a blade of just over 7 inches. Thickness about 0.127". Yes, the sheath is sewn on the back.

Here's the webpage where it is found ......
http://www.ragweedforge.com/FinnishKnifeCatalog.html

Cheers,

Carl

[Old Shatterhand]

--- The Leuku is about a foot long with a blade of just over 7 inches. Thickness about 0.127". Yes, the sheath is sewn on the back.
---

It is a Finnish or Lapponian knife. The longer models are called "huggare" by the Laplanders. It means "chopper" and in fact they use them to chop bushes for the fire.

The Finnish have a saying: "Give me a long and sharp knife, that I can kill you with, to prove that you trust me!"

F.

[rjohns94]

My mora is in my truck or hunting jacket every day.

[gamekeeper]

My 6 1/2" blade Marttiini knife.


But this is the one I use most.

[BigSky56]

http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html



Mora knives is all I use, got their own built in bevel for sharpening you dont need a special rig to keep the bevel the same angle just a 4" diamond stone in my day pack keeps it sharp. I like the clipper series but since they retooled I use the companion series in F orange its easy to see if you lay it down on the ground or snow. the steel is soft enough to sharpen with a couple of swipes on the stone and I turn the knife over I can split the hide without needing a gut knife ,use them on game and butchering beef at $12 a pop you cant go wrong plus for that price you can give one to a friend or a first time hunter. Did I mention a person that has a hard time sharpening knives can do well with a scandi grind. danny

[Pete44ru]

The custom Loodh, I picked up a year or so ago






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