Mora and Frost knives

B

BillL

Joined
Jan 12, 2005
Messages
239
I just went for a holiday trip and left my Victorinox Safari in one of the hotels. I'm now looking to bring cheaper knives for my trips. Are there any differences between Mora knives and Frosts knives? I'm also looking into some Opinels, how do I know which are the carbon steels and which are the stainless? Some of the sites say that "Safety Ring not included" - is this the ring that screws round to lock the knife?

Thanks very much for your input.
 
Are there any differences between Mora knives and Frosts knives?
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I own both and am confident that there is not a quality difference between the two.

I'm also looking into some Opinels, how do I know which are the carbon steels and which are the stainless?
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The dealers' descriptions should say. The stainless models may be marked "Inox" - I don't have one on hand at the moment, but I seem to remember that they are.

Some of the sites say that "Safety Ring not included" - is this the ring that screws round to lock the knife?
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Yes, they're refering to the locking ring. Most of the smaller Opinels do not have locking rings; most of the larger sized knives do.

Wish I could be of more help.
Good Luck,
-Bob
 
BillL said:
I just went for a holiday trip and left my Victorinox Safari in one of the hotels. I'm now looking to bring cheaper knives for my trips. Are there any differences between Mora knives and Frosts knives? I'm also looking into some Opinels, how do I know which are the carbon steels and which are the stainless? Some of the sites say that "Safety Ring not included" - is this the ring that screws round to lock the knife?

Thanks very much for your input.
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This topic has been recently discussed: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=462158

~Paul~
 
What steel does Opinel use in their stainless and in their carbon steel?

Thanks
 
I don't see any difference between them. All moras have a problem with the tips, though, in my experience. The tips are really, really prone to breaking, but then again, they're so cheap it doesn't really matter, and they're decent knives otherwise.
 
dePaul said:
Not more than other knives, I assure you.

~Paul~
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No, in my experience they're far more likely to break at the tip than other puukkos. But as the saying here goes, with the price of one decent puukko you can get five moras, so it really doesn't matter that much. :)
 
Elen said:
No, in my experience they're far more likely to break at the tip than other puukkos. But as the saying here goes, with the price of one decent puukko you can get five moras, so it really doesn't matter that much. :)
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First of all. Let us establish what steel we are talking about. Sandvik 12C27 or Sandvik 12C27M or Uddeholm UHB 20 or Eur CK 101 or CK 95 or laminated Uddeholm 2140? All of these steels are being used in the common Mora knife. And the same goes for the puukkos. They are made of many different steels and therefore it's impossible to compare those two knife models.

And then there is the issue of blade geometry. Do you really want to claim that if a Mora and a finnish puukko posses the same blade geometry, the puukko has always a more resilient point?

~Paul~
 
I wouldn't say it's impossible. There are loads of miserably bad puukkos, and moras provide a very good quality for their price. I'd rather have any mora than a cheap 'traditional' Finnish puukko. But compared to puukkos that are actually well made, and therefore also much more expensive than moras, moras do tend to lose their tips more easily. I haven't even kept an eye on the steels used in the blades with regard to that issue - it's just years of experience talking. And I would be surprised if someone hadn't noticed the same, using the same type of knives. But like I said, if someone compares a cheap Finnish traditional puukko to a cheap mora, the mora is likely to be found better. That's my experience at least.
 
Elen said:
I don't see any difference between them. All moras have a problem with the tips, though, in my experience. The tips are really, really prone to breaking, but then again, they're so cheap it doesn't really matter, and they're decent knives otherwise.
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I've been using Frosts mora's for about 25 years, keep a couple spaced around the shop, truck, boat bag. Over that time I've been guilty of abusing them because they were such a low cost knife, and replacing one of them was alot cheaper than if I broke up a "good" knife.

So far I've never broke one yet, and over the years I've actually got rid of my other fixed blades. My main mora is the wood handled laminated carbon blade, and it cuts like the dickens. Very rugged, and the preffered knife of alot of the "survival gurus".
 
Elen said:
1. But compared to puukkos that are actually well made, and therefore also much more expensive than moras, moras do tend to lose their tips more easily.

2. I haven't even kept an eye on the steels used in the blades with regard to that issue - it's just years of experience talking.
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1. Well, that's not what you stated in your previous contribution to this thread. This is what you said: "No, in my experience they're far more likely to break at the tip than other puukkos."

No more and no less.

2. How many different types of steel and models have you actually used? Your's "years of experience" doesn't say anything if you tend to use the same knife year after year. Your confession that you do not keep an eye on the steel used in you blades tells me more than you think. Can you give me at least one example of a steel that you've actually used??

~Paul~
 
dePaul said:
1. Well, that's not what you stated in your previous contribution to this thread. This is what you said: "No, in my experience they're far more likely to break at the tip than other puukkos."

No more and no less.

2. How many different types of steel and models have you actually used? Your's "years of experience" doesn't say anything if you tend to use the same knife year after year. Your confession that you do not keep an eye on the steel used in you blades tells me more than you think. Can you give me at least one example of a steel that you've actually used??

~Paul~
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Ah, I see now. I tend to be a bit of an elitist about traditional puukkos, so I don't really consider mass-produced, factory-made puukkos 'traditional' puukkos, rather more of a souvenir for tourists and such. Sorry about that. I guess I'm a bit too much of an elitist, since some of the factory-made stuff is actually pretty good, and good value for the money. Can't always help myself, though.

Yeah, just referring to experience is really very vague. Sorry about that, too. I should've chosen my words more carefully. I didn't mean to say that I don't keep an eye on what steels are used in my blades, I was aiming to point out that I haven't really compared the steels between moras and Finnish puukkos and what relation the steels used might have with blade tips breaking. Sure, I can give you some examples of the steels used in the blades I've used. I have some very basic carbon steel stuff like 1095 and 1055, some blades using D2, some diving blades with titanium, some Fällknivens with laminated VG-10 and 3G, some with more common stainless materials like AUS8A and 440C and then the various steels used in Nordic blades, including the so called silver steel the contents of which I don't even pretend to know. But I'm not really a material junkie or anything like that. As long as it works, I like it.

Oh, and one more thing. I have to say I have never, not ever, managed to break a mora blade anywhere else except at the tip, and even then the blade remains very much usable, just with an ugly-looking, dulled tip. I haven't really tried, of course, but I've abused a lot of moras in such ways that no knife deserves, and they've survived intact, except occasionally for those tips.
 
First, the Opinel: the carbon blade model has black printing on the side of the handle; the stainless has red printing, and the blade has 'INOX' stamped on it.

I EDC an Opinel No. 8 in carbon steel, as it's cheap ($14 CAD), light, sheeple-friendly (which means I can actually use it in public), takes an amazing edge, and I happen to like the traditional look. I'd really recommend that you rub Vasaline over the end of the handle where the blade swings out - it prevents it soaking up water and swelling, effectively clamping it shut. This water intolerance is the major design flaw of this knife.

Funnily enough, yesterday I bought myself the Frost's Mora #440 Sports Knife (4" stainless blade) for $11.50 CAD. I spent two hours last night getting it into shape: filing the spine smooth and sharpening the blade. The Scandinavian grind made it a pleasure to sharpen, using a couple of pieces of sandpaper. . . a relaxing end to the day. As has been said elsewhere, a Mora is the best knife for the money, so long as you are prepared to spend an evening tinkering with it. I'm going to get the laminated blade next, so I can compare the two, tho' I am not a stainless person (arf!) and I naturally prefer a wood handle to the plastic pig I just bought.
 
i also break moras from time to time (the tip), if i need a sharp tip again i just put the pointy end of the spine on a beltgrinder and make the blade more like a clippoint, voila new tip, stronger tip.
 
Elen said:
Oh, and one more thing. I have to say I have never, not ever, managed to break a mora blade anywhere else except at the tip, and even then the blade remains very much usable, just with an ugly-looking, dulled tip. I haven't really tried, of course, but I've abused a lot of moras in such ways that no knife deserves, and they've survived intact, except occasionally for those tips.
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Well, you can see, Mora of Sweden knows of this problem and has engineered a solution into this new line.

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There is a "Frost" and a "Frosts of Sweden". Don't ever think that they are the same quality. Most of the "Frost" stuff is junk but the "Frosts of Sweden" Moras are great knives for the price. With just a light buff with green rouge on a felt wheel, the Moras take a whicked razor-like edge and seem to hold it for a long time when cutting up cardboard.

FWIW
Ciao
Ron
:eek:
 
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