Wednesday 15 September 2010

Mora Knife Review: Clipper Vs Forrest


The Forrest has been out for a while now, so I thought it was about time we compared the new model to the benchmark Clipper. When I posted my 1st review of the Forrest, regular commenter and wise blogger Hodgeman commented that 'Mora is probably the biggest bang for buck outfit in existence' and I make him right. You can spend crazy money on a knife and you get style, fit, finish, and the joy of owning something made by a real craftsman, what you don't get is a knife that's any better at cutting than the £10/$10 Mora Clipper. They take a wicked edge and hold it pretty well too. Several bloggers and You Tubers have repeated Mors Kochanski's demonstration and beaten one into a tree trunk then stood on it. Some of them pretty big fella's too.


As you can see the Clipper is made to a price, a low price. The bade is stamped from sheet steel and then has the cutting edge fairly crudely ground on to it before being set in a plastic handle. In the picture you can see the marks left my the grinding process, not great looking but that's not what you're buying at a 10 spot. All the money is in the steel i.e the bit you cut with.


The Forrest is all together a classier proposition, almost as though Mora realised they'd already cornered the market in the cutting-tool-for-low-price space, and have now set out to teach the vendors of £30/$30 knives how it's done. The blade has benefited from some sculpting, which does add something to the usability of the knife. I'm massively impressed. It's not easy to define the difference ( post a comment if you feel you can put it into words). 


The sheath has benefited from a design re-think, with the old clip-on design replaced by a through-the-loop system which not only offers added security, but lets the knife move in relation to the users posture.
So in short the extra cash has gone on the blades grind - much neater, the blades shape - one part for slicing cuts one part for pushing cuts, and the sheath - a vast improvement.

When even The Northern Monkey says it's worth the extra cash, you know it's value for money!

More soon
Your pal
SBW

5 comments:

LSP said...

MORA? I want and will get one.

Cheers.

The Suburban Bushwacker said...

LSP
Cant go wrong with either.

http://www.ragweedforge.com/SwedishKnifeCatalog.html

Will ship to you. Do a review dude!
SBW

Bushcraft : ecamo said...

While purchasing bushcraft knives you need to check different things other than their appearance. Their handles should give you comfort while you hold them. Their blades have to be sharp enough and at the same time enable you to work on different items including your prey. They shouldn’t be too heavy that you feel tired after holding them for some time. If you are planning to buy a bushcraft knife you can discuss your needs with an experienced bushman who can give you valuable ideas on it.

Andrew Boe said...

Hi mate,

Thanks for the blog visits.

Is the forest the same profile as the mora 2000 except with a different handle?

Andy

Belfastbushcraft

The Suburban Bushwacker said...

Andy

I don't have a 2000 but from the pictures I think so

I like your blog a lot mate keep up the good work
SBW