What Knife do I use in the Woods?

 

 

Recently someone asked me which knife would I take with me if I had to live on my own for a week or longer. This is a hard question since I like to have several options with me when I'm out in the woods. Each knife with its own use and purpose. But, if you were to put me in a box and only allow me to take one, then I would choose the Mora. The Mora knife comes in all shapes and sizes, yet, there is one main feature to it that makes that much better than all the other choices out there, and that is the edge. The edge of a Mora knife is what is known as a scandi grind (sabre), as opposed to the average beveled edge (double). With the sabre edge the knife is able to cut the wood without as much mass as the double edge. This allows for a smooth clean cut, so much so that I have cut myself several times with one and don't even notice till the blood starts flowing! However, one issue found is the that the blade edge can sometimes curl or chip if not used properly. This can be painstakingly slow and hard to fix without the right tools! But this knife only costs anywhere from 12 to 20 dollars, leaving it an unexpensive yet effective tool. To show clearly the difference between a scandi grind and a beveled edge I found this picture. As you can see on the left the scandi grind has only one angle change from 4 to 5. The beveled edge on the right has two angle changes from 1 to 2 then finally to 3. The two angle changes can make the knife cumbersome when cutting wood since your using a relatively steep angle to
separate one half of the wood from the other. A scandi, on the other hand, has only one angle change leaving the knife thick enough to hold its own -as opposed to most flat edged knives- and with the correct angle to start with.
Now comes the issue of what type of metal... The Mora knife can usually be bought in two metal variations, Carbon and Stainless steel. My older brother John has always said that Carbon is the better buy since Carbon steel has been know to hold an edge longer than other steels. However, Carbons steel stains! It will stain if the wood your cutting is damp and it will rust if it gets wet at all! NOT a good choice for anyone living in a wet area like Seattle! And then there is Stainless steel, which I have always liked. Stainless steel doesn't stain (duh) or rust. The only downside is the fact that it doesn't hold an edge as long as a Carbon blade would - that's not to say that it doesn't hold an edge long... Now we've been bickering about it for years and I've decided this
If you live in a wet environment: Stainless
If you live in a dry environment: Carbon
You can choose what you like wherever you live but Ill let you know that Stainless is an everywhere knife but Carbon should be kept dry.

Q: What knife would you choose if you could only us one?
A: A Mora of Sweden Knife

Q: What type of steel should I get?
A: It depends on preference (But Stainless is better!)

Q: What should I do if I want to buy a Mora?
A: Go to amazon for a decent selection but I personally like Ben's Backwoods for great variety and great pricing!

Q: What color should I get?
A: Again, preference, but if you plan on doing a lot of hiking I would get a brighter color. Its easier to see if you were to drop it (and you will)...