Project Folding Mora: Advice Needed

J

JNieporte

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Nov 1, 2004
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I'm debating on whether or not to make a folding Mora knife. Yes, I know that Opinels are only about $10 and are quite nice, but that's not what I'm talking about. I can get Mora blanks from my dealer, and I can get a Mora handle off the knife without destroying it. Everything else is details. Before I begin, I'm going to lay out my plan and if there are any things I'm leaving out, please let me know. I'm relatively new to knife-making.

Handle: I'll be using the Frosts' of Sweden Mora Craftsman handle, probably OD green in color. By using a very fine-toothed saw, I will saw alongside the blade and straight down, giving me two handle slabs. They will then be sanded and finished so they're not rough. There will be no liners. All gaps will be filled in with OD green epoxy.

Blade: The blade will be a Craftsman blade. I've toyed with them and figured out how to get the blade to fold into the handle without cutting down the length of either one. All metal will be removed with a ceramic file, then the blade pivot hole will be drilled. If this is deemed to be a lockback, the proper slot will be made. A thumb stud / thumb hole will be made.

Locking Mechanism: This will most likely be a lockback, in which case I'll be using the lock parts from a Buck 110.

I figure the entire project from start to finish will take about two hours after I get the parts. Final fit and finish should be pretty acceptable. I do have a few questions, however.
1. How to open the blade: Thumb stud? Thumb hole? Or a traditional nail nick? I know the hole or stud will get the most votes, but the nail nick is worth mentioning.
2. Is there anything I missed, or anything I should change before I buy the parts? If not, I plan on starting this project within the week.
 
Sounds like a fun project ... one of those that I imagine will require a good deal of creative, on-the-fly engineering as you go along.

Personally I would hold off on the thumbstud/thumbhole decision until you have the knife otherwise completed. Placement and geometry have a lot to do with how effective a stud or hole works, plus it might require cutting relief into the handle that could in turn create other problems. Having seen plenty of production knives with poorly thought out studs and opening holes, there's something to be said for planning on it being a nail nick opener, at least at first.
 
awesome idea! Btw. You can get mora blades. In addition, folding puukos are in existence. I have seen them as butterfly knives. at ragnar's.

God bless
 
Excellent! I don't understand why Mora doesn't make an inexpensive folder. Even if they cost three times as much as their fixed blades, they'd sell like hotcakes...as long as they cut like the fixed blades. Good luck with this project. Have you considered trying to mount a Mora blade in an Opinel handle with the ring lock?
 
EKA knives, Opinels, and Douk-Douks are the the closest folding knife equivalent to Moras.
I have examples of all three brands, they are very functional and great bang for the buck!
I have an EKA swede 38 and 90 and i want to get a EKA swede 82 or 92 next.
The 38 and 90 are slipjoints, the 82 and 92 are lockblades.
http://www.ragweedforge.com/eka-catalog.html
 
Even though there are mora-ish folders your mora folding knife project still sound like fun!
 
I'll keep you updated, but right now I'm waiting for my local knife shop to get the Craftsman 760s back in.
 
I think the nail nick would be much more consistent with the spirit of the Mora knife, so that would be my first choice. If it has to be one-handed, then a stud (or disc), definitely, instead of a hole. The hole would require too much alteration of the blade and probably much more relief in the handle, changing the character of the knife and possibly it's structural integrity.
 
JNieporte said:
Locking Mechanism: This will most likely be a lockback, in which case I'll be using the lock parts from a Buck 110.

I figure the entire project from start to finish will take about two hours after I get the parts. Final fit and finish should be pretty acceptable.
.
Click to expand...
I thought that I was bad at estimating. :D
 
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