Carving challenge with a Mora Robust and some foul-mouthed sarcastic philosophy

Having some sort of container is not only practical and sometimes even beautiful, but can also make all the difference in the woods. You can collect water in it and even boil it in order to achieve a certain degree of disinfection. Not the same amount as in tap water, but hopefully keep at least some of it in your body.  And do not get me wrong: Modern people have no defence against E.Coli bacteria or some of the other bstds you can find in the creeks. So please do not try this at home. Your body is accustomed to drink Chloride- disinfected water. Boiling water will remove some of the ugly stuff in the water, but not microplastics or chemicals.  Anyway, you could even improvise a water filter that way, not a good or efficient one, but at least some kind of it.  

I usually use a tool kit for carving stuff like that, a drill wrench, several carving knives, spoon knives and an adze or axe. But of course it is really unrealistic that you have such a tool kit on you all the time.  

Enter the Mora Robust. Developed as a heavy duty work knife for carpenters and construction workers, it also has gained sort of a legendary status amongst bushcraft people and survivalists.  The shorter blade (around 85x3.2mm) offers a Scandinavian grind with the tiniest of micro bevels and a stick tang.  "A STICK TANG?!1!!1!!???", I hear you cry? Yes, a stick tang, but one that reaches nearly to the end of the handle. The culprit is that it consists of a glass- fibre reinforced plastic that is injection molded around the metal and offers almost the same tensile strength as mild steel. Of course I do have issues with plastic.  It simply should not exist, period.  But it does, and better a sustainable product that can be repaired and recycled than some flimsy shit from the webs.  Look here for an extreme test of the knife that can only be called mad:

https://youtu.be/fKlcBpKbAvM?si=rlKoqCWFK1HufZjW

This knife is designed to stand extreme abuse. I do not think it is pretty, but having worked as a construction worker, roof tiler, carpenter and landscaper myself I can safely say that pretty knives need an almost obscene amount of maintenance in such a setting. And, to get that right also, most of the most extreme abuse you can throw at a knife in "survival" (and you know my stance on this) is but children's play compared to what you do on a construction site. Cutting tar paper, construction bricks and interior plaster boards, opening cement bags, prying,, splitting wood, probing rotten beams, and opening bottles 😉 every day for seven to twelve hours is nothing you would do in a survival situation. The knife also has (sort of) a legal reason built in. It is designed as a work knife. If you wear work pants and boots which are well suited for the woods, and you forgot to lock the knife into a bag which locks into a bag which locks into a bag, reinforce it with spells and magical sorcery runes and put it into another lockable bag that locks into a biogazard container (because it is obviously the object that is dangerous, not individuals with criminal intent), chance is, your legal reason (i.e. your claim of innocence towards criminal intent) might even be accepted by the almighty authorities. Or maybe not, because workers and craftsmen tend to be on the poorer side of wealthy, and the law is possibly only enforced on the poorer people in Germany.  (Information-based opinion according to Art. 1 GG). If it would be confiscated, you also only lost 12-18€, and it isn't rare, so you could grumble to yourself and buy another. 

So, chance is, this knife might be a knife you have on your person somehow.  I suggest you keep it in your backpack and as inaccessible as possible, together with an obviously half-finished funny carving like a smiling wood spirit, some heart pendants or something like that. Yes, you got my meaning right.  And I do not tell you to be cheating.  I trust that no reader dropping by has any criminal intent at all, and that you are here for the special atmosphere of this Blog. There are other sites for the tactical crowd alright, and I think a lot of people are here because that is what you do with a knife anyway, namely carving stuff, being creative and prepping food.  It is not your fault one must suspect some sort of hysteria or even villainous intent in people, fellow human beings or politicians.  

That is how that challenge came to be. I honestly cheated a bit by using the saw on my Victorinox Farmer X Alox to cut a piece of birchwood. But the Vic is even more realistic to have on you in a situation where you need to improvise.  The Robust is faster in carving such a container, though, because you can use it like a chisel, too, which I would not recommend with any Slipjoint knife. 

Starting at the centre of the branch, I worked a recession into it. As I said, I also used the knife as a chisel. Fact is, with a different knife than this, you should not use a drilling motion or chiselling motion, but always a cutting movement, because both can damage the tip. Do not apply too much pressure, too.  You can easily hurt yourself or ruin your piece. Patience is key. 

Be it as it may, after about half an hour, I was able to have a #cuppatree from the branch.  You can also char the inside a bit to make it more durable. 

The knife is not the next big thing. It isn't exceptionally pretty or full of prestige.  But it is extremely sharp and durable and does everything you can possibly expect from a knife. It is also pretty cheap, but sustainably and responsibly made in Sweden. 

Actually there is no reason at all not to buy it.  It is also really great for every toolbox at home or at work, around the house and garden and even for harder kitchen tasks like splitting bone.  

Buy it, but do not forget those magical sorcery spells and runes and the biohazard vault to always lock it away.  Remember, knives kill people, not people kill people. 😜

Anyway, do have fun carving and making stuff, take care of yourself and your fellow human beings. It is possibly a culture war against everything non-profit we are faced with. Those are the death throes of the Terror Squid. 

They want to take the innocence from innocent people.  Things like love, care and resourcecefulness are the antithesis to their idea of society.  So they have to remove the assumption of innocence and spread discord. Do not let that happen. Do not even lose yourself in hatred against them. Lose yourself in good things.  In work in the garden, in carving good things and foraging and cooking healthy, hearty meals. 

Because this is human society, not some paper dragon brave new world. 

 

Brief review of a Mora craftline High Q carbon robust

I recently got a new Mora craftline HighQ carbon from my favourite Mora supplier. Here are my first impressions:

The blade is 110 mm long and comes with a mirror polish. It´s made from Mora´s trademark carbon tool steel, which is produced by a French corporation. It is cold rolled and has an estimated carbon content from 0,75 - 1,00 %. I estimate the Rockwell hardness from 59-61 HRC. It has a scandi grind, of course, and the blade has  a spine thickness of 3,2 mm. The handle is made from a reinforced molded plastic inner, which is the same as the handle of the legendary 510. There is a Kraton coating over it making for a very adhesive feel and great safety. The handle is long and big to be handled with working gloves also. The sheath is molded from thermoplastic as usual, and it comes with a button to carry another sheath from the craftline or outdoor lineup, which is a cinch to have for bushcraft applications. The knife has a very clean look to it with many intelligent solutions.

My first impressions in cutting are that it cuts very well, obviously. It came out of the box frighteningly sharp and seems to hold an edge very well. Do not expect the cutting prowess of thinner Moras, however. This is a knife that feels less slicey compared to, say a companion or the laminate whittling knives. The feel is similar to a Fällkniven F 1, only for a fraction of the price. It is sold for 11.95€, and that makes it a threat to any bushcraft knife on the market!

It was possible to crack hazelnuts with the butt of the handle. Batoning was a cinch, as was making a fuzz stick. Hardness was enough to carve mild steel rods.

Blade thickness.

The sheath is compatible to the carrying system in either direction;-). It gets my mind racing:-).

This knife is rock solid, and, don´t tell anyone;-), but it might easily hold its own against knives ten times the price and more. It is ideal for beginners in the field of bushcraft and will get any job around the camp and on the trail done, and is suited also for more brutal tasks.

I will do a shootout soon... in fact, I prepare a video documentation, too. So watch this place. Knives to be tested will be:

Fällkniven F 1
Mora Bushcraft Triflex
Mora Robust
EKA Nordic W 11
Otter hunting knife
Hubertus countryline
No-name NORMA Chinese hunting knife
Balzer hunting knife
My own Mountainman bushcraft


The knives will not be tested to destruction, but rest assured they will get a beating!

Whatever the outcome, however, what we got here is a problem;-), for the price tag makes it an easy buy.

After work foraging bimble, brief introduction of a Mora, garbage and a mushroom sunset;-)

 I figured I was quite stressed out after work, so what to do? - RIGHT! Off with me into the woods, along paths seldom trodden... with a canvas bag and some knives to collect what was lying around...*ggg*

 Those woods are in the periphery of Breckerfeld, a small village near my hometown, and ther is even less traffic than usual.

 I found this knife handle lying around there. You know, there is a common knifehandle bone roe deer breed over here. They are rare and normally shun the paths of man in an extreme degree;-). This one seems to have an anomality, for normally the knife blade is sprouting out of the bone, tempered and all*ggg*. To catch them you have to find a clearing in the woods with large stones on it. The stones have to be shoulder height for the deer, and there you put some spruce sprouts and a dose of pepper. Hunting is done in new moon nights. The deer come across the clearing, want to eat the grass and have to sneeze due to the pepper. Then they bash their head against the rock and drop unconscious or even dead.*ggg* But it only works with the common knifehandle bone roe deer*ggg*...

 I set aside the funny ´shrooms and went on my merry way;-).

 It was some time ago that I found the remnants of a deer in the thicket and I collected some bones and spoke a thankyou ritual and left something to lever the balance. This time I did it again and found this giant red cap. In the pic you can see one of my new Moras. It is the Bushcraft Triflex carbon steel knife. The blade is 100x2,5 mm with a combination plastic and Kraton handle. It comes with a thermoplastic sheath that´s pretty good. The blade is claimed to have a selective temper. My first impression is:

-it cuts like a Mora always does. OOTB it´s shaving sharp, in fact, hair is popping away if you shave. I could easily shave my beard with it, and that´s a feat!
-the temper seems to be not as homogenous as could be, for the outmost section of the tip (1 mm) bent with little effort, a mistake made presumeably in grinding. But no harm done, no breaking here, and a good flexibility.
-the handle is very comfy to hold onto and offers plenty of grip, even when wet.
-the sheath holds the knife in very well, even upside down. The belt loop provided with the knife is clipped in. Body temperature, however,  heated the thermoplastic material enough for the fit of the clip-in- mechanism to become looser than OOTB, but as is, it´s safe enough.

 Carving wood, e.g. making a feather stick or a wood spirit and the like was a right  treat. The blade holds an edge very well. I carved mild steel rods with it with no problems and without even having to strop it. That hints of an approx. hardness of 58-62 degrees Rockwell in the edge area. The balance is very good, too, with the centre of balance right on the index finger. Orthogonal balance (axis-to-edge) is great also, this coming as no surprise with the edge being in line with the belly of the handle. The knife itself is very light and comfortable to work with. It´s ugly, but I won´t complain. It is sold for 22.99€. Look here for more Mora products.

Do I recommend it? I will shoot it out against some higher-end brand knives and some low-budget ones. Now I can just tell that it has minor flaws, but overall ther is no reason at all not to buy it, except when you´re in for heavy batoning all of the time.

I then went deeper into the woods... more bones, but I left it be.

It´s somewhat strange. The farther you get into the woods, the more likely you will find something like this. I have found a lot of material on places like this, but then I would be glad if I did not have to. Just a reminder to take along what you´ve brought and think twice if you cannot reuse it!

 Then I was off to more ´shrooms, quite a loot for shoop *ggg* and for drying as snacks and spice!

 The somewhat grey weather cleared up and I was able to savour a beautiful sunset on my way home.

A perfect day in the woods!

Birch sap rises! Tapping sap and spoon carving...

 Now spring´s coming with giant steps, and the sap rises everywhere, so I went into the "grove" and figured I´d get me a healthy and refreshing drink. Birch sap is rich with potassium and vitamin C, and it simply makes me feel good. It also always has something spiritual for me, for the forces of the land awaken in the rising of the sap, and tn my own body the sap also rises, bringing new vitality after winter. It´s also a very special place for me, where I do a lot of "stump-sitting". I tried two methods, one with an open system, and one with a closed one.

 If you use the closed system, remember to punch a secondary hole into the cap, for else the pressure will build up inside the bottle and keep the sap in the tree.

 I sat down on my favourite stump, had  a cuppa tea and did some spooncarving from this cherry branch I brought with me. This is the gear I usually carry. A folding saw I got cheap after I lost my Oyakata from Westfalia, a local crafts supply. Mora Classic carving knife, the one with 79 mm laminate blade for more delicate tasks, Nessie a.k.a as Fimbulmuk;-) for bigger tasks. Also my flask, and my beloved kuksa for tea.

In this photo there also is a Mora spoon carving knife (right handed), which to me is a great allround carving knife I also use for other tasks. I sat until the sap bottle was full, and my tea flask was empty;-) some three hours, and then had a sip or two of sap. A squirrell came by just to check on me, a snipe flew above me, geese above, and the sounds of ducks and cormorants filling the air. The sun was warm and soothing, and I really relished in it all.

The sun was sinking over the lake, finally,  and on my way home I was filled with peace and the song of snipe and wild geese returning. A beautiful and peaceful day found a fitting end with the vibrant colours of dusk.



(Of course, the sap did not last me long. ;-))

Mora less the perfect knives;-)

If you are looking into going out into the woods, doing woodwork and bushcrafting, you might get a bit intimif´dated by all the latest paraphernalia. Those Grylls and Mears and Lundins running around and telling you what you need often might leave you with the impression you have to get a bank credit to even get started. And of course it has to be the latest Gerber Bear Grylls signature toolkit you need. Now I am a geardo myself, and I know that supplies might be short sometimes;-). I won´t tell you what you need. But I strongly suspect that it´s not necessary to spend a fortune on gear to get out into the woods and enjoy nature. Face it: Those guys make a living buying and selling, and NOT running through woods half-naked. That´s just for the show. Even if those tips are working, and it is not to be said that their shows are a fallacy. I have yet to learn a great deal of bush lore, and I keep learning from those shows, too. But they are entertainers, and marketing businessmen rather than "real" people. So you can question the gear money can buy a tiny bit.

These Moras are an example. The blades pictured you can get from 12-15€, the knives from 7-75€, and the most expensive version might not even be necessary. I simply love these knives. They cut well for a thin spine and a thin Scandi flat bevel. They are laminate steel that will rather bend than break. They get the job done. Period.

You can always do better. You can buy or make a different knife. If it will be better, remains to be seen. So when you first-timers look into buying a knife, look no further. Of course, if you have to sneak up on sentries all the time or kill alligators or lions, they might be a bit undergunned;-). But since I go mushroom hunting, collecting herbs, prepping food for cooking and snacks, do some carving and whittling, and build shelters, these are all you need for those tasks.