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Thread: What kind of blade to start with?

  1. #21
    Senior Member Phaedrus's Avatar
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    He said save up a few bucks, not save a few bucks. The ESEE is more expensive but it's a cut above a Mora or Becker.


  2. #22
    Member davidgraef's Avatar
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    oh ok lol thankyou

  3. #23
    Senior Member kyratshooter's Avatar
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    There is really no need to ship hardware all the way from the states. All you need is available on the European market and is available at reasonable prices for a person on a budget.

    Openil makes fine folding knives for general use, Mora makes all you will ever need in a fixed blade and Fiskers makes fine camp axes and hatchets for general purpose work. I have all of them represented in my kit and never feel under equipped when using any or all of those items. There is seldom a day that passes without me being in the field with one of those items.
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  4. #24
    Member davidgraef's Avatar
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    and which Mora Blade do you have and why? what do you need in a knife that helped you decide that the blade you have is the one you need?

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sourdough View Post
    If I owned "NO" knives, and could only ever own one knife for life, it would be the Becker BK-2. The weak link for most fixed balde knives is the leather sheath.
    I will second (or third) the Becker knives. I was originally going to get the BK-2 but ended up with the BK-7. Similar knifes, difference being the BK-2 has a 1/4” blade; BK-7 is 3/16”. The BK-7 is also 2” longer (local supplier had the BK-7 in stock, that’s why I went that route).
    The BK-2 and BK-7 use 1095 carbon steel and it really holds an edge and takes an edge. I use mine hard and it just requires a little touch up from time to time (I use the Spyderco sharpmaker).

    An example:
    Spring bear hunt. Tracked the bear until 1:30 am. Chopped down a 2” maple to use as a pole to carry the bear out. Field dressed the bear including cutting the sternum bottom to top and chopping through the pelvis to get the butt out (didn’t have a saw and it was too dark to mess around with tying it off and cutting out). All of this was no effort with the BK-7
    Next day skinned the bear and butchered it. All without sharpening it! I didn’t have the sharpmaker at the time or I probably would have touched it up prior to butchering. But to be honest, it didn’t need it.

    Absolutely my favourite knife. I just wish I could get my Benchmake 710 to take an edge so well.
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  6. #26
    Member davidgraef's Avatar
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    ive looked at some videos on the Kbar and it also seems like a great knife for the price. what would be some advantages of getting maybe a mora instead of a kbar? what are some disadvantages of the kbar? lol because i dont plan on using it for combat haha

  7. #27

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    Depends on what you need your knife to do...

    It also depends on your enviroment and the season. If you needed to process firewood the Mora knife would not be up to it.
    You would then also need to pack along a hachet which would negate its price/weight advantage.
    Last edited by socom2173; 11-12-2011 at 07:51 PM.

  8. #28
    Member davidgraef's Avatar
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    but if i already have a machete, that could process firewood as well as a Kabar Combat knife right? so between the machete and the mora knife, for 3 season camping, that should be sufficient right? i mean, i dont plan on building a log house either, so i dont need much more right?

  9. #29
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    Folks try to out think knives. I don't know why but they do more so than any other tool. If you need to drive a nail you go get a hammer. You don't obsess over the type of head, it's weight or handle. You just get a hammer and drive a nail (I know that's not true if you are a carpenter or roofer. But in general that's true). Same for removing a nut. You grab a wrench or a socket and just do it. Knives are just another tool. Most are designed to do a specific function but can overlap into other jobs just like you can use a hammer to crack a nut. Machetes clear dense brush, combat knives are for combat, axes are for cutting and splitting wood, hunting knives for hunting, etc.

    I carry a large knife, a medium knife, a pocket knife and a folding saw. I can generally do whatever I want to do with those four. If I can't do it then it usually doesn't need to be done all that bad. Just my humble opinion.
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  10. #30
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    Rick, that was a good post. I'll add a few thoughts. One: The preponderance of users are people who live in urban environments, go into the wilderness for short recreational visits. Two: One's thinking shifts if the period is longer.

    When I was guiding hunters, and the company would drop me off in the wilderness for three months, I would carry seven to ten different shaped knives in my pack, this was mostly to avoid having to sharpen a knife while processing game, but also to ensure that the needed shape and size knife was available.

  11. #31
    Member davidgraef's Avatar
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    ok, i think i understand. basically, the most important thing i can do is get outside and find out what i need in a knife. so i do have one more question. i know myself, and i know i would need a knife that will be durable and last a long time. what would you guys suggest is a knife that can handle being used roughly? of a considerable price range.

  12. #32
    Member davidgraef's Avatar
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    i have a more specific question now. im going to take the general advice of all of you and go with a mora blade. they are cheaper which is a big plus, but seem to be pretty strong as well. my question is, what is the difference between carbon steel and stainless steel? i know stainless steel wont rust, but what are some other differences? i found a site that sells a mora companion for 13 bucks (can i post the link? im not affiliated with the site at all) and its carbon steel.

  13. #33
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Yes, you can post links as long as you are not affiliated with the site. As to your question of stainless vs carbon steel there are several things to consider.
    1. Stainless steel is rust resistant, not rust proof (lots of various grades of stainless available, some are even high carbon)
    2. What environment will it be used in? For wet (especially around salt water) environments ss might be a better choice.
    3. Difficulty in sharpening. I find that carbon steel takes a little more effort to sharpen, but holds an edge better. To me the difference in sharpening is negligible.
    4. Using with natural flint? While both will throw sparks with a ferro rod (carbon is better IMO) carbon is far superior when using natural flint - again - IMO.

    Overall, I prefer carbon steel blades. They require a little more care, but I believe they have more character. There are some very high grades of stainless steel that make excellent knives. I just prefer carbon steel.
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  14. #34
    Member davidgraef's Avatar
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    ok awesome thankyou for the help.

  15. #35
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    Keep in mind - a lot of what I said is personal preference based on opinion. Opinions do vary. By starting with a Mora you will not be investing a lot of $$$ and can better formulate your own opinions.
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  16. #36
    Member davidgraef's Avatar
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    ok, heres the link, http://edcdepot.com/moracompanionmod...teelblade.aspx and in general carbon steel is stronger, but takes more care right? and with the flint, i dont use flint cuz i dont have one. i have just been using matches

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  18. #38
    Member davidgraef's Avatar
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    how well does the carbon steel do in the cold? like anywhere between 15-30 degrees Fahrenheit? is it something i should be careful about? or not worry about?

  19. #39
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    The only issue with carbon steel is like any material when it comes in from the cold, to a warm area, moisture will condense on it. Since you don’t want to keep carbon steel wet for long periods of time (rust) just give it wipe with a rag and a light coat of oil.

    That takes minimal effort and gives you a chance to admire a nice blade...
    Even the Dalai Lama had to bug out…

  20. #40
    Member davidgraef's Avatar
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    ok thank you!

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