How did you break your Mora?

D

dogstar

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Jan 23, 2011
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Mora knives are often criticized for their plastic handles and lack of a full tang. I'm wondering how strong they really are. If you've broken one, can you please describe A) how the knife failed, and B) what you were doing when you broke it. Thanks a lot!
 
haven't really put it to a true test yet but mine has yet to break. Its the Mora Classic #1. It has a wooden handle but i'm not sure if it's full tang. It's only problem is that a very small piece of the wood chipped of the back of the handle but I only payed 20 or 30 bucks on amazon so I really can't complain. Got it mainly for random whittling and so it works for me.
 
I took a hammer and busted the wood handle off a laminated blade. Then I took an old (early) gerber guardian, heated it up and pulled the blade out of the handle (epoxy). Then I ground the tang of the mora to fit the guardian handle and epoxied it in. That was twenty five years ago and it's still going strong.
 
I've never broken a Mora either, and I have owned a few. Even if one manages to break a partial tang model, they must be doing something wrong imo.
 
only time I ever got close was battoning wood from old pallets (didn't have an axe available), and trying to hammer it through a nail.

the handle was fine, but it needed quite a bit of sharpening work to get the nick out of the blade......
 
I broke mine while batoning a gnarly piece or Gorse. I was testing the knife - using more force than I would normally, to see just how much they can take. People are put off by the partial tang, but the blade will break before the handle does.



The knife now lives in the kitchen drawer as a pencil sharpener/ letter opener!
 
The only one I've broken was a wood handled classic one. I was using it for throwing practice (yes it's silly I know, I was fifteen so that's old sins already) and the handle came off. No biggie really. :D

I have seen plenty with broken tips from prying and chipped edges from hacking through wire. Those are things that can break about any knife. Moras cost pocket change locally so folks will really beat 'em like there's no tomorrow.

Used as a cutting instrument, with some thought and care, they can handle all reasonable tasks.
 
When moras first became really popular on the W&SS forum I couldn't resist and got a few. My favorite was the laminated #2. The barrel handle is what really set it apart from the rest.

One fine day I decided to break it, for other reason than to see what it could take.
I batoned it tip first into the most knotty and twisted hardwood stump I could find, and bent it into a U.
It took a good set but didn't break. So I bent it again the otherway and it took the shape of an S.

And that is when I put it in the back of a drawer, satisfied that it was a solid knife.
A year later I found it again, rusty, but straight as an arrow. By magic, it had bent back.
I decided to give it a second chance, so I cleaned it up. I now use it regularly.
 
tabeeb762 said:
When moras first became really popular on the W&SS forum I couldn't resist and got a few. My favorite was the laminated #2. The barrel handle is what really set it apart from the rest.

One fine day I decided to break it, for other reason than to see what it could take.
I batoned it tip first into the most knotty and twisted hardwood stump I could find, and bent it into a U.
It took a good set but didn't break. So I bent it again the otherway and it took the shape of an S.

And that is when I put it in the back of a drawer, satisfied that it was a solid knife.
A year later I found it again, rusty, but straight as an arrow. By magic, it had bent back.
I decided to give it a second chance, so I cleaned it up. I now use it regularly.
Click to expand...
It straightened up by itself just laying in the drawer?:eek:--KV
 
my old wooden handled laminated Mora has a stick tang peened over the butt plate. I don't use it but it seems pretty strong.
 
dogstar said:
Mora knives are often criticized for their plastic handles and lack of a full tang. ....
Click to expand...

I've never heard of anybody other than the "I want to deliberately break a knife" folks question a Mora's strength. I'm sure if you put it in a vice and beat on it with a sledge hammer, it will break.
 
I personally have only broken one mora, by prying with it when I was younger. But since I have not broken any and I have used them for all sorts of bushcraft tasks. I have given two mora's to my nephews (given to me here on BF's as a giveway) and they are still going strong for the boys. If two young boys havent broken them in a ton of use...you gotta be doing something wrong to break em.
 
Use a chisel out of s7 for your chisel needs. Use a knife for cutting and slicing. Use an axe for heavy wood and such. I have never broken any of my Moras. If you can break one, you've been guilty of using the wrong tool for the job. This is true in spades for the Triflex models. I have seen some bent tips on the Mora 2000 models as these have a reduced grind that is especially good for fine work. If you MUST bash and abuse a knife, a least get a blade with a beefy spine!
 
kvaughn said:
It straightened up by itself just laying in the drawer?:eek:--KV
Click to expand...

All by itself. In the kitchen drawer of my summer place.
Alone for many months, with nobody for company except cockroaches.


One possible explenation is the iron sides took the set, and held the hardened core under tension.
With time, it flexed back to true.
 
tabeeb762 said:
When moras first became really popular on the W&SS forum I couldn't resist and got a few. My favorite was the laminated #2. The barrel handle is what really set it apart from the rest.

One fine day I decided to break it, for other reason than to see what it could take.
I batoned it tip first into the most knotty and twisted hardwood stump I could find, and bent it into a U.
It took a good set but didn't break. So I bent it again the otherway and it took the shape of an S.

And that is when I put it in the back of a drawer, satisfied that it was a solid knife.
A year later I found it again, rusty, but straight as an arrow. By magic, it had bent back.
I decided to give it a second chance, so I cleaned it up. I now use it regularly.
Click to expand...

You know the deal - pics or that NEVER happened! :D
 
tabeeb762 said:
When moras first became really popular on the W&SS forum I couldn't resist and got a few. My favorite was the laminated #2. The barrel handle is what really set it apart from the rest.

One fine day I decided to break it, for other reason than to see what it could take.
I batoned it tip first into the most knotty and twisted hardwood stump I could find, and bent it into a U.
It took a good set but didn't break. So I bent it again the otherway and it took the shape of an S.

And that is when I put it in the back of a drawer, satisfied that it was a solid knife.
A year later I found it again, rusty, but straight as an arrow. By magic, it had bent back.
I decided to give it a second chance, so I cleaned it up. I now use it regularly.
Click to expand...

That is either the coolest knife story I've ever heard, or it's some high-piled manure. I hope the former not the latter.
 
I already owned four Mora 711, now I´m up to my fifth one.

The four before, I used for everything during bulding my own house. Cutting cables and opening boxes (for two of theese this was a bad idea).
One broke during repairing the roof, while i tried to lift a beam. The Mora 711 should help, but broke in two pieces.

Of course, this are examples for abusing a knife, but when the toolbox is far away and the work has to be done fastly. So I think it was ok...

I love Mora knives for their durability and very high qualitiy standart. But for me, the are tools, which are used very rough. It won´t be the last broken Mora in my knife, I guess... ;)

Kind regards...
 
VA27 said:
I took a hammer and busted the wood handle off a laminated blade. Then I took an old (early) gerber guardian, heated it up and pulled the blade out of the handle (epoxy). Then I ground the tang of the mora to fit the guardian handle and epoxied it in. That was twenty five years ago and it's still going strong.
Click to expand...

Any chance of pictures?
 
I've got Moras over 10 years old with no signs of giving up the ghost. I have had them stolen as well as given them away, but none broken so far.
 
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