mora too thin?

[Alchemist]

Are moras too thin for any bushcraft activities such as battoning or anything else. Would it be a fool idea to have this be your main carry when practicing bushcraft or in a survival situation? They are not full tang either which is not a desirable characteristic? Thanks guys.

I think what you really need to know is 'are the moras strong enough'? You will have to look very hard to find someone who has honestly broken a Mora. There might be someone who has done so while using it as a tractor tyre lever or something! Dont get caught up in thinking that you MUST have a full tang. Think of all the Saami with a stick tang.
'Are moras too thin'?- No, most knives are too thick
Full tang is not desireable. Depends, Stick tangs are lighter and more likely to be carried at all times.
Are you a fool to have it as a main carry? An easy way to cure the paranoia is to have a good pocket knife. For example, I always carry a normark super swede or a SAK (I think an EKA swede 88 is the best compromise though). It goes securely in a pocket with fire starting stuff. Depending on what I do I then take a fixed blade for the job at hand. In the kitchen a sabatier, in the woods a mora, longer trips (I wish) an F1. In the extremely unlikely event that my fixed blade is damaged beyond any use and I find myself in one of the few parts of the country where I might have a cause for concern, Voila, a reliable folder.

I dont want to jump to conclusions but it sounds like you are suffering from a bit of paranoia. For the same money as an F1- a mora, an EKA swede 88 and a wetterlings wildlife axe (i think- not a finance expert). Any of these will save your life.

 

[addyb]

For my money, I carry a 3/4 size SAK as my EDC, and also as backup to my Mora. I prefer the stainless Mora blades, myself. I fooled around a bit with both varieties, and the only difference I noticed was that carbon bladed Mora's are a little more flexible when it comes to batoning. In terms of edge retention, ease of sharpening, and "hair popping sharp" I figure that both blades types are about equal.

Secondly, yes, a Clipper is only a stick tang. But the way it's constructed what with the plastic handle molded onto the tang, it's a really strong blade. And as for the price, well, what else could possibly be said there?

Adam

 

[TAHAWK]

I suspect that what a good quality thicker blade provides is a degree of insurance against abusive technique -- at the cost of some cutting efficiency (and money).

I witnessed several (four IIRC) Camillus-made "Ka-Bars" broken in batoning by students at a mountain and desert survival school. In each instance, they tried to pry "sideways" with the knife to speed the splitting of the wood. An instructor demonstrated, graphically, how to break such a knife by rocking it down in the cut and striking the tip end. (I gather that he broke one knife per course as part of his teaching.)

On the other hand, I have batoned wood (carefully) with a Western brand Boy Scout pocket knife, which cannot be as stout as a MORA. But I was not in a panic or clumsy with cold or hunger.

 

[Jon]

On the subject of batoning, this makes interesting reading.

http://www.barkriverknives.com/docs/batoning.pdf

Jon.