Mora 2000 in the Jungle

[BOD]

Andrew from BB (justintime) sent me a Mora 2000 to test in the jungle. He was keen to see how it did here.

Let me first say that I am no expert and have never reviewed a knife and don’t know what the “tests" are. I thought the best thing was to get the Mora to do what would normally be done by the other knives when I am in the bush and then decide if this is a knife I’d be happy to have with me.

It arrived on Sunday afternoon which was just in time because on Monday morning I headed of to the hills to look for a particular type of bamboo so the Mora was able have its first taste of the jungle along the way. It had a good edge already (thanks Andrew) so nothing needed to be done

I initially thought of starting off easy, giving it a chance to get acclimatised and shake off the jet lag.

But we came across a fallen Burmese Fish Tail palm. This was too good an opportunity to miss. Felling a palm and extracting the heart would be an essential job for a knife. Normally you would use a parang as a tree type palm is a tough proposition – nothing like an ornamental palm or a banana tree for instance.

So I put the Iban duku away and pulled out the Mora

The palm was in an awkward position, fallen down slope, so the first thing was to limb the trunk so I could move it to an easier location.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2001.jpg

I used a flick cut on a frond and the Mora went almost all the way through.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2004.jpg

Getting used to the Mora, I tried a larger frond and this time we went all the way through

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2007.jpg

On the main trunk it was a different matter. It went in 1.5cm. By way of comparison, I later looked at the stump of a larger palm that had been felled a few months ago with a billhook and the cuts were 3.cm and 4.5cm. So this is a creditable performance. I finished the job by batoning the Mora through

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2008.jpg

Now using a rock as a base, we got to work on the outer layers. I used a baton to get through.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2011.jpg

This inner layer provides the fluffy scurf that was originally used in the fire pistons made by the natives of mainland South East Asia. Dried, it can be used as tinder for a fire steel as well.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2014.jpg

This little fellow was observing me but left after the flash went off.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2015.jpg

I got to a bamboo grove and started photographing and measuring it for later identification.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2036.jpg

After completing that task, the Mora was put to work again.

A good knife is needed to get water if there is no stream handy and we were on the slopes of a high ridge. Two common ways of getting water are cutting a water vine or tapping bamboo. No vines around but lots of bamboo.

A few whacks on the butt and the drinking hole was made. A pointier tip would have been better, I feel, for a neater hole


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2018.jpg

And then Mora cut a bamboo straw.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2020.jpg

Water from bamboo is very pleasant, cool and slightly sweet tasting. Later I saw the ants get busy so I suppose there must be some dissolved sugars as well. A natural glucose drink maybe. I’ve never seen ants go for water before though they are often around bamboo.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2055.jpg

The dog was bored by all this nonsense

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2032.jpg

One of the most important needs in the jungle is a blade that can cut trails. And bamboo is one of the things that’s often in the way.

Mora started out on some light stuff. These are the “before” and “after” photos of the trail

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2026.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2027.jpg

I then tried it out on larger bamboo. Bamboo is resilient and the nature of the beast is that it can be hard sometimes to cut cleanly. The Mora cut through 3cm bamboo easily in one stroke

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2050.jpg

It just failed by a hair to slice through 5cm bamboo. But see that there is no fracturing of the bamboo. It came with a good edge as I mentioned. It did fracture dried bamboo though.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2052.jpg

Trail work is not just bamboo though. The hard, dry hanging stuff can be hard for even a parang to get through. You can just make out a sapling behind all this mess

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2060.jpg

After maybe 20 seconds, the Mora cleared the way.

NOTE; I did not at anytime use my other hand to pull things away or steady the target during any of the tests.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2061.jpg


The Mora was doing well but if you were to do it regularly you would need gloves or you would end up with bleeding knuckles. By way of comparison, there no way my Al Mar could have cleared this in that time. Maybe a minute or more. I wouldn’t try even. And there would be heaps of blisters.

The next test was woody green foliage. There is a tree just visible behind.

Before and After.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2062.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2063.jpg

The light thin springy stuff tended to bounce off the blade so a few more strokes were needed. It would have done the same with a duku blade but the draw cut would have gone through more. Still it was not too difficult. Easier than the dry stuff.

It was time for lunch so the Mora had to clear some ferns and weeds for a fire site. It did okay but a duku would have cleared it in two or three strokes not a dozen or so. Not a fair test I agree.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2066.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2069.jpg

I wasn’t going to insult the Mora by asking it to do what a even a SAK can do and there is seldom any need for feather sticks in the jungle but since this seems to be a usual test for a bushcraft knife, I thought maybe I should have a go. I’m not very good on them and usually avoid the work. Still it was not hard to make passable sticks though in my impatience I’d often slice off the ones I just cut previously
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2068.jpg

While the fire was burning I made some quick chop sticks. Unlike the feather sticks I usually make very nice chopsticks!

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2070.jpg

Best of all the Mora blade fitted in nicely into the handle of my Aussie army mug so I could put it into the middle of the embers for a quick brew after the instant noodle soup.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i154/BOD_photos/Gear/mora%20review/DSCN2071.jpg

It’s normal to denigrate Moras but I like the look of it and the sheath. Seems Japanese inspired somehow. I know little about steel and various grinds so won’t say anything. The leather loop will be a problem in the jungle as it will rot

I think the full belly helps when using flick cuts. Also the thinner blade. Does anyone know why they have the sudden change in the shape of the flat of the blade.

I’m pretty impressed with it all in all. It was not an easy outing for any small knife. I’m not cleaning it so that I can see how the blade reacts to the sap nor will I sharpen it with anything brought in to the bush. I think that the bamboo can be used to sharpen the blade, after blunting in the first place

I’ll take it on some longer trips and see how it copes with other ordeals and let you know.

Any suggestions for the tasks?

[abushcrafter]

a good post thanks

[Dan1982]

nice little review there! thanks alot!

Dan

[Nagual]

A very interesting and informative read there, thanks for sharing your experiences.



Cheers, Nag.

[spamel]

That seems to be a fair and comprehensive review, nice one. I can't help but think that that mora must be feeling right out of place in a jungle, but it seems to be coping well. They really are great value knives, no matter what anybody says.

[addyb]

Bod,

I think that that's a decent review; very well thought out and photographed.

My only criticism is that some of the activities you put the Mora 2000 are not exactly what I would consider "optimal" for a knife of that size. I'm glad that the blade stood up so well to such heavy use, but that's a given for 12c27 Sandvik stainless. However, felling trees and slicing through 5cm bamboo is, to me at least, better suited to a khukri or parang.

Cheers mate,

Adam

[Bogman10]

I have never had mine in the Jungle, Just the northern Canadian woods. Good to see it fairs well there too!
Great Value for the money! I had a custom Kydex sheath made for mine. ($20.can)I keep
this strapped to outside of pack.
Nice job on the review, and I appreciate the effort!

[TheGreenMan]

Superb review of the knife and informative post, thank you, BOD.


...I’ll take it on some longer trips and see how it copes with other ordeals and let you know...

Look forward to that, maestro.


...Any suggestions for the tasks?

I propose a preparation of the materials of the fire by friction technique from split bamboo with the Mora 2000 knife.

Kind regards,
Paul.

[BOD]

I propose a preparation of the materials of the fire by friction technique from split bamboo with the Mora 2000 knife..


You mean fire saw or fire thong?


Addyb,

Never fear. Normally I would not do this to a small knife but the idea was to see how much the Mora could actually be a "back up" to a larger knife.

Otherwise I'd need to have two large knives supporting each other in addition to the small ones

This is the knife the Mora was standing in for. It is an Iban duku used as a trail knife and agricultural tool for clearing dry rice fields.

The mora did okay I think and id feel comfortable for short tourist type trips with it but there is no way I'd rely on it alone for trips by myself. In fact I'd upscale to a duku panjai the big brother

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/8501/dscn2083ej4.th.jpg (http://img246.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscn2083ej4.jpg)

[bushcraftbob]

Where can you order these knives from?

[TheGreenMan]

You mean fire saw or fire thong?...

To be totally frank, I didn’t know what the name for the technique I’ve seen demonstrated was, but, having just googled for ‘fire saw’ it seems that it was indeed this ‘fire saw’ technique I had in mind:
http://friendsofthepenan.com/blog/archives/50 (http://friendsofthepenan.com/blog/archives/50)

Although, I have found an alternative technique that is also named as the ‘fire saw:
http://wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/firesaw/index.html (http://wildwoodsurvival.com/survival/fire/firesaw/index.html)


So perhaps a demonstration of preparing the materials for, and method of the ‘fire thong’ would be interesting, as I can’t find a reference for this method anywhere.

Kind regards,
Paul.

[TheGreenMan]

Where can you order these knives from?

They have them here, Bob:
http://www.heinnie.com/r7Ybv5245023/Knives/K.J.-Eriksson-/c-1-92-304/ (http://www.heinnie.com/r7Ybv5245023/Knives/K.J.-Eriksson-/c-1-92-304/)

Best regards,
Paul.

[abushcrafter]

here is a better link

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mora+knife&hl=en&show=dd&sa=N&tab=fw

[big_swede]

well now, that doesn't provide so much information on where to buy the mora 2000, now does it? While the green mans link got him straight to a seller... It is actually the first link to pop up while googling UK sites.

[Buckley8219]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=310018842585&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=021

I ordered one and it arrived within 5 days!

Same price and he has them in stock.

[abushcrafter]

well now, that doesn't provide so much information on where to buy the mora 2000, now does it? While the green mans link got him straight to a seller... It is actually the first link to pop up while googling UK sites.

here is a even better one than the original one of mine

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=mora+2000+knife&btnG=Search&meta=
the idea is that there are lots of choices

[TheGreenMan]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=310018842585&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=021

I ordered one and it arrived within 5 days!

Same price and he has them in stock.

Hennie has them in stock, too (no disrespect to Ben, I'm a customer of his).


here is a even better one than the original one of mine

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=mora+2000+knife&btnG=Search&meta=
the idea is that there are lots of choices

We all know there are lots of choices, so why didn’t you post your second search thread in the first place, if you were trying to be that helpful?

A great service to you both for dragging the discussion down to this level (I'm being ironic,by the way).

[abushcrafter]

sorry :sad6:

[Greg]

Great thread BOD, I always enjoy reading your write ups on the different aspects of working in the jungle environment.
As for the knife it yet again proves that a Mora2000 is another winner like its smaller brother!

[Mimung]

I´m impressed that the knife performed so well in the jungle. I´m a member of a swedish military (independent) forum. Many members rejects the Mora 2000 cause of all the Strider, Emerson and Fällkniven knives. Yet you can see the Mora 2000 among swedish troops in Afghanistan. I´ve got one myself for doing small things. My Fällkniven A1 take care of big problems. /Mimung

[Buckley8219]

Chill out!

All I did is state that I ordered one from Ben in the states and that it arrived quickly. I fail to see how I am dragging down the discussion! I was replying to the chap who asked where he could purchase the knife.

:confused:



Hennie has them in stock, too (no disrespect to Ben, I'm a customer of his).



We all know there are lots of choices, so why didn’t you post your second search thread in the first place, if you were trying to be that helpful?

A great service to you both for dragging the discussion down to this level (I'm being ironic,by the way).

[TheGreenMan]

sorry sorry

:o I’m the one who’s sorry. And I was trying so hard to be mellow in 2008 :)


Chill out!...

Thank you for the advice.


...All I did is state that I ordered one from Ben in the states and that it arrived quickly. I fail to see how I am dragging down the discussion! I was replying to the chap who asked where he could purchase the knife...

My point is, Buckley, that I’d already posted where Bob could buy the knife in the UK (as big_swede kindly pointed out) at a price that would be hard to beat (the cost quoted by Hennie includes postage within the UK), there’s no financial advantage to Bob to buy it from the US (unless Bob wants to buy some of Mr Kochanski’s excellent DVDs from Ben at the same time ;) ).

There’s nothing wrong with suggesting an alternative place of purchase, it’s just a distraction from the serious discussion of the review if a URL to a UK retailer has already been posted. And come to that, it’s not such a hard knife to track down to purchase either, is it, Bob ? :D – there’s always google.

Best regards,
Paul.

[Buckley8219]

Ah o.k,

I see your point, and I apologise accordingly!

I guess my post was kind of redundant :rolleyes:

:)




:o I’m the one who’s sorry. And I was trying so hard to be mellow in 2008 :)



Thank you for the advice.



My point is, Buckley, that I’d already posted where Bob could buy the knife in the UK (as big_swede kindly pointed out) at a price that would be hard to beat (the cost quoted by Hennie includes postage within the UK), there’s no financial advantage to Bob to buy it from the US (unless Bob wants to buy some of Mr Kochanski’s excellent DVDs from Ben at the same time ;) ).

There’s nothing wrong with suggesting an alternative place of purchase, it’s just a distraction from the serious discussion of the review if a URL to a UK retailer has already been posted. And come to that, it’s not such a hard knife to track down to purchase either, is it, Bob ? :D – there’s always google.

Best regards,
Paul.

[TheGreenMan]

Ah o.k,

I see your point, and I apologise accordingly!

I guess my post was kind of redundant :rolleyes:

:)

Thanks, Buckley, that's good of you :) And my apologies also go to BOD for my contribution to the dross.

Kind regards,
Paul.

[TheGreenMan]

I’ve just read in the ‘How old are you’ thread that you’re 13 years old, abushcrafter. I feel, as a 50 year old, I owe you a further apology for taking you to task in the way I did in post #17.

Kind regards,
Paul.

[abushcrafter]

oh chill, I am fine.

[TheGreenMan]

oh chill, I am fine.

That's most excellent and bodacious of you, thanks :D

Kind regards,
Paul.

[abushcrafter]

at last :p

[TheGreenMan]

:)

Kind regards,
Paul.

[BOD]

Alas the Mora was nicked a few weeks ago along with my daypack.

[bikething]

Alas the Mora was nicked a few weeks ago along with my daypack.Thieving B:censored:rds! .. Let us know if you need help getting another one.