Broderna Jonsson (MORA SWEDEN)

Ballenxj

Ballenxj

Joined
Oct 30, 2010
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While viewing this thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=794638
Which was about a Viking Knife, I noted that a "Mora" knife was used for comparison. Rather than posting my knife in that thread, I thought I'd be better off posting a new one here, so without further adieu, here is my Mora. ;)
All comments and information about this knife is welcomed.
-Bruce
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A closeup of the text on the blade.
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I've never seen it in real live. Maybe Sweden is an exception, but I think outside Sweden it is a rare knife.
 
I dare say its rare here in sweden to. Very nice knife you got there. Must have followed a imigrant or someone who traveled to amerika.

Bosse
 
An ankedot:
When I was a kid growing up in the large woods just beneath the mountains there vere still old men from the old times alive. They have earned their living in the woods. Living in cabins whole winters logging, far from home, or during the summer working with following the timber downstreem the big flods. They often had small farms that also required hard work. My grandfather now soon to be 98 years old is the last living of them.
This was men who mastered their few working tools. Logsaws with double handles, big axas, shovels, Boats and timberhooks, and also knifes.
I almost never saw them without a knife and it was always a reed handle (or used to be reedhandle) mora knife. They stuck to the standard size and had fibre sheats as this was before the plastic sheat times.
In the days I knew them they were elderly men with time for drinking coffee and talking about older times. Mostly they talked about horses or cabins in the forest or historys from hunting and fishing but I remember them talk about knifes also.
One can think that they must have agreed about the best knife as they looked so close to eathother but I can tell you they diskussed lively about it. It was all about the blades, all of them agreed that laminated steel was the best but was it Eriksson, Frost or Jönsson that was the masters of lamination?
My grandfather thought Frost was the best (and he still does), FallJohan thought as him, The legendary hunter and worker Zakarias, strong as an ox and 2 meters tall,was all in for Eriksson and so was my grandfathers brother Olof, and the brothers Rönning, Olle and Theodor, was strongly for Jönsson. Walter Swedlund, that as a old man drowe my schoolbus was a odd man in the bunch, He had a shorter (mabye 8 cm) reed handle Frost and thought that a shorter blade was usable. he was the only one that didnt think 10-11 cm was the size for a real knife.
I now has knifes that belonged to a few of them and I can tell you that I think Theodor Rönnings Jönsson is a knife beyond the others even though it for 99% of everyone just looks as the other ones.

Bosse
 
NirreBosse said:
An ankedot:
When I was a kid growing up in the large woods just beneath the mountains there vere still old men from the old times alive. They have earned their living in the woods. Living in cabins whole winters logging, far from home, or during the summer working with following the timber downstreem the big flods. They often had small farms that also required hard work. My grandfather now soon to be 98 years old is the last living of them.
This was men who mastered their few working tools. Logsaws with double handles, big axas, shovels, Boats and timberhooks, and also knifes.
I almost never saw them without a knife and it was always a reed handle (or used to be reedhandle) mora knife. They stuck to the standard size and had fibre sheats as this was before the plastic sheat times.
In the days I knew them they were elderly men with time for drinking coffee and talking about older times. Mostly they talked about horses or cabins in the forest or historys from hunting and fishing but I remember them talk about knifes also.
One can think that they must have agreed about the best knife as they looked so close to eathother but I can tell you they diskussed lively about it. It was all about the blades, all of them agreed that laminated steel was the best but was it Eriksson, Frost or Jönsson that was the masters of lamination?
My grandfather thought Frost was the best (and he still does), FallJohan thought as him, The legendary hunter and worker Zakarias, strong as an ox and 2 meters tall,was all in for Eriksson and so was my grandfathers brother Olof, and the brothers Rönning, Olle and Theodor, was strongly for Jönsson. Walter Swedlund, that as a old man drowe my schoolbus was a odd man in the bunch, He had a shorter (mabye 8 cm) reed handle Frost and thought that a shorter blade was usable. he was the only one that didnt think 10-11 cm was the size for a real knife.
I now has knifes that belonged to a few of them and I can tell you that I think Theodor Rönnings Jönsson is a knife beyond the others even though it for 99% of everyone just looks as the other ones.

Bosse
Click to expand...
Thank you for the anecdote. Thanks to your story, I now think this knife might be quite old too?
-Bruce
 
That knife cant be newer than aprox 50 years but it could as well be from the 30-40ties. Its interesting I cant see any lamination line! Solid carbon it looks like. I think that a knife like that would be wellcome in many collektions even here in Sweden but mabye to a rather moderate walue. If it was mine I would use it to everything but the worst jobbs.

Bosse
 
Beautiful. I have a new Mora. Missing the soul, but I was cutting leather strips the other day and by god can that thing cut.
 
Thanks guys.
NirreBosse said:
That knife cant be newer than aprox 50 years but it could as well be from the 30-40ties. Its interesting I cant see any lamination line! Solid carbon it looks like. I think that a knife like that would be wellcome in many collektions even here in Sweden but mabye to a rather moderate walue. If it was mine I would use it to everything but the worst jobbs.

Bosse
Click to expand...
The person that gave this knife to me many years ago has a last name of "Johnson." I have to wonder if his Dad, or his Dad's Dad didn't bring this one over all those years ago? I think the name is pronounced the same way, but spelled different. They are Danish though. Could be linked?
-Bruce
 
Ballenxj said:
While viewing this thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=794638
Which was about a Viking Knife, I noted that a "Mora" knife was used for comparison. Rather than posting my knife in that thread, I thought I'd be better off posting a new one here, so without further adieu, here is my Mora. ;)
All comments and information about this knife is welcomed.
-Bruce
standard.jpg

A closeup of the text on the blade.
standard.jpg
Click to expand...

I missed picking up the Frost version of this knife last weekend by a puma hair, it has the laminated steel blade instead of the straight carbon blade although the carbon blades are nothing to scoff at as they take and keep an excellent edge.

I am always looking for vintage Mora knives after the one my grandfather gave me was stolen... he picked this one up in Sweden and was a full guard model with a 4 inch laminated blade that would cut through tin cans like they were made of butter and you could still shave with it afterwards.

Have been carrying a Mora since I was a wee little svensker and today I picked up two classic Jonsson Mora knives (less common that Frost) with red birch handles and the single guard and the stick tang, both were shaving sharp and are presently getting a vinegar dip to add a little protection to the blades.

Found this image here and this is the Jonsson model...

Mora_02_800.jpg


The Mora is an every day carry and an extremely capable bush knife although I also carry a Fallkniven F1 which is the mother of all survival knives but not a knife I carry every day.
 
We might be surprised how well the similar inexpensive Swedish stainless steel versions hold an edge. I've had very good performance from mine. No patina though for folks who want one.
 
Sixty Fiver said:
today I picked up two classic Jonsson Mora knives (less common that Frost) with red birch handles and the single guard and the stick tang, both were shaving sharp and are presently getting a vinegar dip to add a little protection to the blades.
Click to expand...
How COOL is that? I feel they must be related. ;)
-Bruce
 
buckthorn said:
We might be surprised how well the similar inexpensive Swedish stainless steel versions hold an edge. I've had very good performance from mine. No patina though for folks who want one.
Click to expand...

A lot of people forget how nice a quality carbon steel blade can be... for the day to day and for a knife that is not going to sit on display it is a great choice.
 
Antiqued one of the Jonssons last night... also gave the blades a vinegar treatment.

jonssonmora2.JPG

Sanded the handle down to remove the stock finish and then gave the handle multiple coats of shellac which will protect the handle and make it very easy to keep clean, although it is shiny it offers a slightly better grip than the stock finish.

Plan to take the other knife and do a nice leather, or perhaps paracord wrap on the handle.
 
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