Mora Companion Heavy Duty or Schrade SCHF36?

O

outdoorgeargeek

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Dec 23, 2015
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What would you guys rather have for every day EDC, camping, bushcraft... etc? Mora Companion Heavy Duty or Schrade SCHF36? I just want a solid blade without spending 50$ Note: I might also be carrying a folder, UST folding saw and Fiskars axe for other tasks.
 
They're very different knives, even though the Mora is "Heavy Duty".

However, if you're already carrying a folding saw and an axe, then the Mora would be my choice, by a huge margin. The Mora will be better at fine work, will be lighter and easier to carry around, and is cheaper. Its a win/win/win in my mind over the schrade. If you weren't bringing the other larger tools along with you then the choice would be less clear, but for now it seems pretty straightforward to me.

Good luck making the decision :).
 
ocnLogan said:
..if you're already carrying a folding saw and an axe, then the Mora would be my choice, by a huge margin.
Click to expand...

+1

I actually like Schrade Survival knifes for their price, but their quality is a bit hit or miss.

However,

With a folding knife already to handle moderate to light tasks.

And a saw + axe to handle heavy
wood processing.

There's no need for a "heavy duty" knife. The more practically appropriate choice is a "tweener", and Mora HD fits that bill to a tee, (and QC is heads and tails above Schrade). It's sharp enough to slice, sturdy and robust enough for light to moderate wood processing (including light batoning). Now I wouldn't baton a log with it, that's what the axe is for, but a quartered log, even a smalker halved one, halve at it.

Only thing still missing is a machete for clearing brush. $20 buys you a great Tramontina... Shoot, for around $50 you can get a Mora Companion in stainless, a Mora Companion HD in carbon steel, AND a Tramontina Machete...

Buy the Mora, (and a Tram), and save up and do your research for a high quality "bushcraft" knife you absolutely love, be it a KaBar, ESEE, or Falkniven or Bark River, rather then settle for a Schrade.

*(if you didn't have the axe or saw, I would probably recommend a Schrade as a better, "little bit o' everything knife". Where it will do a bit of everything, it won't necessarily " excel" at any one thing, where the Mora will excellent at the few tweener tasks it is designed for, and still do most everything else well enough).
 
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If your heart is set on a beefy knife, the Schrade makes sense. It will allow you to sort of get the whole big knife thing out of your system without loosing a full $100. Or... it could just convince you that you really need a killer big knife later when you have more funds.

I'm with the others. I consider my Mora HD to be my big knife at this point. I get the utility of a chopper, but I don't use either a chopper or a hatchet for the way I backpack. When car camping, I just take an axe (or hatchet) to cut store bought local fire wood.

My most commonly used fixed blade is my thinner Mora Companion. IMO, it's really perfect for a combination of food prep and wood working. But I also get the Binford Tool Time appeal of a big knife get that me saying that I like the Mora Companion just fine won't scratch that itch for you.

Go with your gut. Which makes you happier? Get that one.
 
Between the two you mentioned the Schrade SCHF36, solid full tang 1095 high carbon steel that is easy to sharpen. But I would also spring for a Mora Stainless Companion, it always pays to have a backup and with the weight and price of a Mora their really is no excuse to not have one.
 
Mora Companion HD

Also consider the Mora Allround 746 or TopQ Allround, both in stainless.
 
If you already have an ax and saw, then get the mora. I love moras! Not my favorite knife by any means, but they are cheap, perform well and I've never had one fail.
 
Definitely Mora. I prefer the Bushcraft Black to the Companion HD, but it's more expensive.

The no 1 or Companion do what knives are supposed to do, cut things. Boy are they good slicers.

I really like the Bushcraft Forest also. Nice comfy grip with the thinner blade like the Companion.

I have yet to find a Mora I don't like and I have quite a few of them.
 
Like everyone above has already mentioned, these 2 knives are very different in their purpose.

The Mora is about one on the most useful multi-purpose blades you will probably ever own, and if you don't have one already, now is as good a time as any to get one!

As far as the Schrade goes... well... I would not buy one personally unless I could inspect it first. I say this actually being a pretty big fan of Mistwalker's SCHF9, my issue is the QC, which I find to be hit or miss even with the Taiwan-produced Griffin-Design SCHF9. I imagine it's probably more of a crapshoot with the SCHF36, as I believe that one is made in China. I picked up my SCHF9 at a big box, and there is another big box that carries the SCHF36 if you don't mind paying $5-10 extra for the ability to try it out first and make sure you get one with an even primary bevel and good secondary out of the box. One nice thing about the 36 is that hollow grind makes it a very competent cutter for such a thick knife.

Decide what you are going to use it your knife for, and then chose accordingly. I picked up the SCHF9 as I wanted a tough knife that I knew was strong from tip to butt, and that I could easily sharpen in the woods. I got as perfect of a grind on one as I have seen, and I am pleased with it so far. Good luck with your decision.
 
Definitely Mora. If you want something full tang in your price range take a look at condor's fixed blades. Their qc is a lot better than schrade's.
 
I like the Companion HD a lot. The Mora Robust is pretty much the same blade with a different handle. I like it a bit better.
 
Mora as others have said. I also agree that the HD might not be necessary if you are planning on taking an axe or saw. Personally I would probably go for the Mora Classic
 
Guess I'm missing the point.

I love my Bushcraft Black, but at close to $60 it's starting to get outside of the price range I consider acceptable when I think of a Mora. And now they want $100 or so for something that probably isn't much more capable? I'll wait to see what the initial field-use testers say, but frankly I'm having a hard time justifying this one.
 
A regular mora, with the axe you won't need a knife that can take lots of abuse, you need a knife that will do fine cutting and slicing as well as possible

The large flat portion of blade stock makes scandi knives wedge in a lot of food and the thicker the blade the worse it gets but the regular thickness Mora arnt too bad about it
 
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