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- Dec 7, 2019
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When I first held the Mora Kansbol two years ago, I wouldn’t say it was love at first sight, but it was the beginning of a satisfying and complete knife experience. It did everything brilliantly from mundane house chores to occasional food prep. The Eldris Light Duty is my second Mora knife, and while I haven’t spent a lot of time with it yet, it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite fixed blades. Let’s see how this little guy stacks up to the Kansbol.
Dimensions
Blade length: 59 mm or 2.32 in
Blade thickness: 2 mm or 0.08 in
Blade steel: 12C27 Sandvik stainless
Blade grind: Scandi ground
Overall length: 145 mm or 5.71 in
Weight: 61 g or 2.2 oz
Weight, sheath included: 78 g or 2.8 oz
The blade and cutting performance
The factory edge was impressively sharp. The blade glided across paper without a hitch. Paracord cutting and package opening presented no problems as well. This is probably the most important takeaway from this review: if we work within the clear limitations of the knife, the Eldris is an excellent cutting tool. If you’re frustrated with it, there’s a good chance you need a bigger blade for the job anyway.
For the blade itself, as a guy who generally prefers bigger blades, I’m honestly impressed with the work that a 2” blade can achieve. Will a flat grind slice better than the scandi? Perhaps, but I’m not too concerned about it. The scandi blade cuts just fine and I’m happy with it. I wouldn’t limit this knife to bushcraft-only tasks; it makes short work of household tasks as well. This Eldris also has a rather attractive mirror-like finish. It has zero bearing on function, but it’s lovely to look at.
It’s also interesting to note the differences between the vanilla Eldris and the Light Duty version. The former features a compound grind and a 90 degree spine; both of those features are missing from the Eldris Light Duty. Those features aren’t high on my priority list, so I opted for the Light Duty instead. Compared to my Kansbol with its 90 degree spine, I find it more comfortable to rest my thumb on the rounded spine of the Eldris. I haven’t tried this myself and I’m no expert, but I hear it’s possible to put a sharpened spine on a knife with a Dremel and some patience. If I needed to create sparks in an emergency and all I have is the Eldris, I wouldn’t be afraid to use the main edge anyway.
Overall, as long as we keep in mind what we’re working with, the Eldris has an awesome blade and cutting edge.
The sheath
The sheath is similar to the stock plastic sheaths of the Kansbol and Garberg, just downsized obviously. The Eldris clicks into place securely, and there is practically no rattle on my unit. You could carry this as a neck knife, since the drainage holes also double as an attaching point for a necklace. Depending on your clothes and body type, the knife may print since the handle and sheath are quite thick for a small knife. My personal preference is pocket carry for discretion and accessibility.
As a fun fact, the Kansbol belt loop is compatible with the Eldris sheath.
Overall, I like the minimalist sheaths of Mora for the most part. If I could make a minor addition, a more prominent thumb ramp would be helpful in extracting the knife more easily, but that’s more of a want rather than a need. Retention out of the box is just right.
Handle and ergonomics
Ergonomics is the department that surprised me the most. While the handle length is shorter than the Kansbol’s, comfort and control remain mostly intact. The handle is fat enough to ensure a good grip on the knife, which not every neck knife out there achieves satisfactorily. Hammer grip allows for four finger hold, and a more angled saber grip allows for three finger hold. It’s difficult to convey this over text; as cliché as this may sound, you have to hold this yourself. The bottomline is that this is a knife that feels great in the hand, at least for me.
The lack of a prominent guard shouldn’t be an issue if you know what you’re doing. With slow, deliberate movements, it’s extremely unlikely for the user’s fingers to slide into the blade. The rubbery sides of the handle also provide adequate protection against slipping. Just don’t thrust it violently against cardboard or anything else.
I added a lanyard not really to improve grip, but to assist in unsheathing. My pinky wraps around the rope and the knife pops free more easily when I pull. It’s also a great way to personalize your Eldris.
Concluding thoughts and score
This is one of those knives that just look and handle better in person; the images and even videos online don’t really tell you the whole story. Is it worth picking up when we also have the less costly Mora Companion? I would say yes, for the compact EDC-able size and impressive ergonomics. It’s not a substitute for the Kansbol or any larger knife, but the Eldris makes for a highly capable pocket blade that won’t weigh you down or scare other folks away.
For its weight class and intended applications, the Eldris Light Duty gets a 10/10.
P.S. Is the Mora Garberg worth buying? And thanks for reading until this point! It’s nice to write stuff that’s not university-related for a change.
Dimensions
Blade length: 59 mm or 2.32 in
Blade thickness: 2 mm or 0.08 in
Blade steel: 12C27 Sandvik stainless
Blade grind: Scandi ground
Overall length: 145 mm or 5.71 in
Weight: 61 g or 2.2 oz
Weight, sheath included: 78 g or 2.8 oz
The blade and cutting performance
The factory edge was impressively sharp. The blade glided across paper without a hitch. Paracord cutting and package opening presented no problems as well. This is probably the most important takeaway from this review: if we work within the clear limitations of the knife, the Eldris is an excellent cutting tool. If you’re frustrated with it, there’s a good chance you need a bigger blade for the job anyway.
For the blade itself, as a guy who generally prefers bigger blades, I’m honestly impressed with the work that a 2” blade can achieve. Will a flat grind slice better than the scandi? Perhaps, but I’m not too concerned about it. The scandi blade cuts just fine and I’m happy with it. I wouldn’t limit this knife to bushcraft-only tasks; it makes short work of household tasks as well. This Eldris also has a rather attractive mirror-like finish. It has zero bearing on function, but it’s lovely to look at.
It’s also interesting to note the differences between the vanilla Eldris and the Light Duty version. The former features a compound grind and a 90 degree spine; both of those features are missing from the Eldris Light Duty. Those features aren’t high on my priority list, so I opted for the Light Duty instead. Compared to my Kansbol with its 90 degree spine, I find it more comfortable to rest my thumb on the rounded spine of the Eldris. I haven’t tried this myself and I’m no expert, but I hear it’s possible to put a sharpened spine on a knife with a Dremel and some patience. If I needed to create sparks in an emergency and all I have is the Eldris, I wouldn’t be afraid to use the main edge anyway.
Overall, as long as we keep in mind what we’re working with, the Eldris has an awesome blade and cutting edge.
The sheath
The sheath is similar to the stock plastic sheaths of the Kansbol and Garberg, just downsized obviously. The Eldris clicks into place securely, and there is practically no rattle on my unit. You could carry this as a neck knife, since the drainage holes also double as an attaching point for a necklace. Depending on your clothes and body type, the knife may print since the handle and sheath are quite thick for a small knife. My personal preference is pocket carry for discretion and accessibility.
As a fun fact, the Kansbol belt loop is compatible with the Eldris sheath.
Overall, I like the minimalist sheaths of Mora for the most part. If I could make a minor addition, a more prominent thumb ramp would be helpful in extracting the knife more easily, but that’s more of a want rather than a need. Retention out of the box is just right.
Handle and ergonomics
Ergonomics is the department that surprised me the most. While the handle length is shorter than the Kansbol’s, comfort and control remain mostly intact. The handle is fat enough to ensure a good grip on the knife, which not every neck knife out there achieves satisfactorily. Hammer grip allows for four finger hold, and a more angled saber grip allows for three finger hold. It’s difficult to convey this over text; as cliché as this may sound, you have to hold this yourself. The bottomline is that this is a knife that feels great in the hand, at least for me.
The lack of a prominent guard shouldn’t be an issue if you know what you’re doing. With slow, deliberate movements, it’s extremely unlikely for the user’s fingers to slide into the blade. The rubbery sides of the handle also provide adequate protection against slipping. Just don’t thrust it violently against cardboard or anything else.
I added a lanyard not really to improve grip, but to assist in unsheathing. My pinky wraps around the rope and the knife pops free more easily when I pull. It’s also a great way to personalize your Eldris.
Concluding thoughts and score
This is one of those knives that just look and handle better in person; the images and even videos online don’t really tell you the whole story. Is it worth picking up when we also have the less costly Mora Companion? I would say yes, for the compact EDC-able size and impressive ergonomics. It’s not a substitute for the Kansbol or any larger knife, but the Eldris makes for a highly capable pocket blade that won’t weigh you down or scare other folks away.
For its weight class and intended applications, the Eldris Light Duty gets a 10/10.
P.S. Is the Mora Garberg worth buying? And thanks for reading until this point! It’s nice to write stuff that’s not university-related for a change.
