Light My Fire + Mora = Fire Knife

[ArfinGreebly]

[ -snip- ]

Moras, on the other hand, are knives I can't have enough of. I probably have a Mora in every room of the house, a couple in my truck, one secured to the frame of my Goldwing, and several sitting in boxes waiting to be placed. I also really like the Swedish Fireknife by Light My Fire. Take a Mora knife, put a Swedish Fire Steel striker in the handle so you've always got a way to start a fire with your knife, and you've got a winner. Granted, it is $4 over the limit for what we're talking about in this thread, but I hope this can be overlooked.

[ -snip- ]

I am, as of yesterday, in receipt of my first Fire Knife.

I got the green one.

Scored for $25, shipped, at auction.

The blade is almost the classic Mora.

There's a secondary grind near the tip, kind of along the lines of the Mora 2000 secondary grind, but less pronounced. The blade is a little narrower than a regular Mora blade, and just a shade thinner.

The handle is nicely ergonomic, and the fire steel integrates well with the handle. It has a positive twist locking action that assures it won't be falling off and getting lost.

I guess I was kind of expecting a bit of cheese on this, given that marketing is often a bit overdone, but I have to confess I was pleasantly surprised.

There will be more of these for me. One of them will replace the Mora Clipper in my "portable kitchen" box. Others may replace Moras in my Bags of Bugging.

I'm impressed with this one.

I'd be okay with one or two, but the darned things come in something like six colors, so naturally . . .

 

[Dirty Bob]

If it's a plain heat-treat (same hardness on all blade parts), you can use a sharpening stone to "square up" and inch or so of the back of the blade near the handle to use as a scraper. I need to do this to one of my own Moras. It saves your edge and doesn't reduce the knife's usefulness at all.

All my best,
Dirty Bob

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Spine

Spine is already ground for the fire steel application.

No stoning needed.

I have to get some more of these before somebody comes to his senses and discontinues the line now that they know I like it.

 

[Yo Mama]

But I just got my LAST knife...................

 

[hso]

If you don't already have a fire steel (or three) and need a good knife that's a great deal.

If you have the knife, fire steels can be had for $9. I don't see a reason to replace knives you already have with new ones just to get a $9 fire steel to go with them.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I'd buy one if only they'd make it in a high visibility color...

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Thickness

On doing a little more comparison, I think I'll revise my estimate of the thickness.

It's not as thick as some of my older Moras, but seems to be about the same as my modern ones.

It is narrower, though.

If you don't already have a fire steel (or three) and need a good knife that's a great deal.

If you have the knife, fire steels can be had for $9. I don't see a reason to replace knives you already have with new ones just to get a $9 fire steel to go with them.

In terms of cost, hso's observation is correct.

Locally, the $9 fire steels (of that same brand) sell for $12, and other brands can be had from $8 to $10.

If you prefer the carbon steel ("kolstål") Moras to the stainless, then it actually makes more sense to buy them separately, since the Fire Knife only comes in stainless.

Still, as gimmicks go, I kinda have a soft spot for this one.

Please don't allow my weakness for gimmicks to sway your thinking.

I'd buy one if only they'd make it in a high visibility color.

What?! No YELLOW?!

Oh the humanity!

 

[hso]

You could always paint it like plastic lawn furniture!

 

[Dirty Bob]

Spine is already ground for the fire steel application.

No stoning needed.

Cool! Overall, it sounds like a useful thing, rather than a gimmicky toy. If I didn't already have several Scandinavian knives, I'd definitely buy one.

This thread reminds me that I need to pick up some extra fire steels. My favorite of the "old school" Swedish knives is the one that Ragnar (www.ragweedforge.com) calls a Mora #2. It's a plain, carbon steel blade and a hardwood handle, with a plastic sheath shaped like the traditional leather ones. Square up a bit of the spine, and it can be used as a fire steel scraper. Ragnar is a source for the Fire Knife, BTW. Although someone else may have a lower price, his site is always informative, and his service is very good.

Regards,
Dirty Bob

 

[Jaymo]

If y'all keep drawing attention to Mora knives, somebody's going to realize how much we like them and jack up the price.

 

[Ryden]

It's people like you that are the reason I have to pay $20 for these nowadays:banghead:

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Got to Amazon you get them for under 12 bucks all day.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Demand

It's people like you that are the reason I have to pay $20 for these nowadays :banghead:

Well, I suppose that in a way you're right.

On the other hand, look what's happened to EKA.

They made the Swede and Nordic line for years and years. They made the original EKA Kombi, an awesome innovative design. They didn't attract enough attention and felt like they had to partner up with Outdoor Edge to get market penetration, and that led to Chinese-made Swedish knives. They stopped manufacturing the Swede 92/82, Swede S8, and Swede 60, along with a couple of other patterns.

They've evidently pulled back from that made-in-China thing (although Outdoor Edge still seems to retain their licensing agreement, and the Swing Blade (and Swing Blaze) -- directly derived from the Kombi -- are still being made in China.

There has been some increased demand for the Swede 92 and some other patterns, and EKA seems to be bringing them back (though the new ones are subtly different), but the damage has been done and certain US retailers who carried their line before are apparently unwilling to re-stock, though they won't commit to a reason.


So, on the one hand you can have increased demand, leading to some increases in the cost of the made-in-Sweden lines of knives or, alternatively, you can have decreased demand and a company has to chose between closing its doors, selling its brand, or partnering up in a way that cheapens the brand. A distasteful set of choices.

I realize that I'm paying more now for my Moras and Puukkos, but I can tolerate that if it means I continue to get my Swedish knives made in Sweden and my Finnish knives made in Finland.


I wish I had discovered EKA sooner and pushed their products more. Perhaps some of the icky compromises of the last few years could have been avoided. (Oh, and as soon as their new green Swede 92 becomes available, I will have one of those. And maybe one in birch, too.)

In green:

. . . and in birch

If a little more demand means that I'll still be able to buy my knives from that same company in ten years, then more demand it is.

 

[Ryden]

Yeah, EKA made some fine knives. I have a box full of old Eskilstuna folders somewhere, I have a Super Swede in my boat that's virtually indestructible but it won't retain a good edge.
And the $20 was a typo, it's more like $10 ($10.91).

But there has been a significant decrease in the blade quality in the lower price range in the Mora knives, they chip much more easily than they used to do. I still have a batch of old laminated Mora blades I got from my dad that I use for making knives and they are superb.

I just find it a bit amusing that you guys cherish your Mora knives so much, over here they are very much a low status knife. It's the kind of knife you use to remove rusted barbed wire from rotten fence posts

 

[Ryden]

As for the Light My Fire knife.
I think I would get this one instead, the Bushcraft Survival.

I'm a bit weary about handles with things inside.
I prefer a solid handle plus you get a bit of diamond sharpener as well.

 

[BCCL]

Any word on if they will offer replacement firesteels as a separate item?

Since it's integrated into the handle, once you use it up..........

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Durability & Cost

The most basic fire steel produced by Light My Fire (LMF) is rated for about 3,000 strikes. Their heavy duty fire steel is rated for about 12,000.

Assuming that the one used in the fire knife is rated for 3,000 strikes, and assuming that you have to start three fires every day, the fire steel should last about [strike]eight[/strike] three years (or less if it takes you several strikes to start a fire). If your use of the fire steel is limited to, say, only a few months of the year -- let's be generous and presume you spend six months of the year outdoors -- then we're looking at more like [strike]fifteen or sixteen[/strike] six years. In other words, you're not likely to wear it out in normal use.

Considering that the knife + fire steel retails for about $30, and considering that the fire steel is about 30% of that cost . . . and considering that, after eight years of heavy use, even a Mora blade will have seen better days, I'm thinking that it would be cost effective to simply buy spare FireKnife combos.

LMF may make the fire steel available for replacements -- I haven't asked -- but it seems to me that the retail price of such a replacement is probably going to be half the price of the whole knife with steel. (I could be wrong of course; they might actually sell them for $10, but I'm not counting on that.)


If I were really worried about that issue, I'd probably just go with Ryden's suggestion of the Bushcraft Survival knife. Those sell for about $70, but the fire steel is sold separately for about $16, and a guy could have a few spares.

Of course now I've spent the $70 for the knife + steel (and a field sharpener), and let's say $32 for a couple of spare steels, so I'm up at $100 for the knife set and the spares.

Or I could just buy three FireKnife sets, and come in at about the same price, with $10 of wiggle room to pick up a diamond sharpener.

Hey, don't rush me, I'm thinking . . .

 

[danez71]

Assuming that the one used in the fire knife is rated for 3,000 strikes, and assuming that you have to start three fires every day, the fire steel should last about eight years (or less if it takes you several strikes to start a fire).

Not to be critical....

I think your math is a bit off.

365 days times 3 fires per day is 1095 strikes per yr. So roughly a 3 yr life span if used everyday.. 3 times a day and fire achieved on the 1st strike.


But your point is still well taken.

And would anyone really be making that their primary fire starting tool? Not likely. If they are, they are ill prepared.



I do want to say, Arfin, your posts and contribution are invaluable. And I particularly enjoy the way you write them. Knowledgeable with-out snooty.. very approachable. Thank you.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Calculator Fail

It was the calculator!

I swear!

It had nothing to do with the numbers I put in!



Oh, wait, I didn't use a calculator . . .

Thanks for catching that.

 

[danez71]

IMO.... I look at this in a few ways.

50 fires a yr @ 3 strikes per fire = 150 strikes / yr = 20 yrs!! Thats more fires than the average Joe Camper would make.

And if you were stranded on a deserted island... 3 fires a day x 3 strikes / fire = over a year to figure out how to make fire another way.... or keep 1 fire going for days by using the coals just like they do on Survivor (Ive actually done that)


I dont have any Moras and have been yearning for a Mora 2000 to replace my Army Surplus store bayonet bought 30 yrs ago for under $20 that gets used for 'whatever'.

Now that I see this one, I think I might get it (too) as blade and size is probably more versatile/appropriate for what I would typically use a knife for.

Maybe Santa will bring one... or both .....

 

[Lerk]

Darn it Arfin, I had been resisting getting one of these for my backpacking bag, but after all of your great posts about it I caved. O well, worst things in the world to spend money on.

But I do thank you for posting them up, otherwise I probably wouldn't have found it for another 4 months


On a different note, anyone using the Mora fillet knives? My old Marttiini Rapala fillet is just about on the end of its life, been going strong for 12 years so I think I got my money's worth. Kind of curious how those two compare.

 

[Ryden]

Well, I just couldn't resist. I went to the gun store to pick up a crate of shotshells for clays and there it was on the counter, I just heard myself say "and this one as well"
So I left with 500 shells, 400 clays and the ultimate Bushcraft Survival Mora knife
This is going to be a permanent attachment to my Scout master uniform.