Every so often people here recommend for a person to get a mora knife. They usually push for the clipper/companion or one of the classics. The clipper is actually my go to knife for most outdoor tasks and I have also worked over a few deer with one, but I wanted to throw some attention towards the mora Robust. The robust helps address two issues that people have with the mora knives: the blade thickness and the lack of a full tang.
The blade thickness of the clippers/companions are .079 inches. This gives them a little flex and makes people question their durability. The robust is .126 inches thick and definitely feels stout (or maybe I should say robust). To me this a great compromise on blade thickness. I could see where some would shy away from a thin blade, but many like myself dislike the "sharpened pry bar" approach that some knife manufacturers use. I used my robust to do a little wood carving, baton some wood, and even used it to baton down a hardwood tree that was a little over 3 inches in diameter with no damage.
While the mora robust does not have a full tang, it does extend about 3/4 of the way through the handle. Also, as others have pointed out in other threads the integrity of the tang has more to do with the thickness of the tang rather than the width. Increasing the thickness of the tang from .079 to .126 decreases the likelihood of a weakness in the tang allowing a crack to expand and cause tang breakage.
Here's a thickness shot comparing a .188 thick bk7, .126 robust, and a .079 companion.
A shot of the handles. BK7, robust, then companion. The robust has a slightly thicker handle than the clipper/companions with a more pronounced swell to the belly of the handle. My small handed wife has a little trouble with it, but it suits me fine enough.
A overall shot. The BK7 has a 7 inch blade and the moras have 4 inch blades. The robust has an added button to the front of the sheath so you can attach another knife to the front of it. I'm not fond of the idea and will probably cut it off.
Most moras come with a rough, ugly spine from the factory like the companion in the photos. It only takes a little time with a file to clean it up. The spine of the robust comes polished, but it has rounded corners making it unusable with a fire steel. If you don't use a fire-steel it's an improvement. If you do, you'll still have to pull out the old file.
No, the robust probably won't hold up to the abuse that an ESEE, F1 or other hard use knife could survive. At less than $15 apiece, however, you could buy 7 robusts instead of just one of the above. In my personal opinion, this a great all around outdoor use knife.
John
The blade thickness of the clippers/companions are .079 inches. This gives them a little flex and makes people question their durability. The robust is .126 inches thick and definitely feels stout (or maybe I should say robust). To me this a great compromise on blade thickness. I could see where some would shy away from a thin blade, but many like myself dislike the "sharpened pry bar" approach that some knife manufacturers use. I used my robust to do a little wood carving, baton some wood, and even used it to baton down a hardwood tree that was a little over 3 inches in diameter with no damage.
While the mora robust does not have a full tang, it does extend about 3/4 of the way through the handle. Also, as others have pointed out in other threads the integrity of the tang has more to do with the thickness of the tang rather than the width. Increasing the thickness of the tang from .079 to .126 decreases the likelihood of a weakness in the tang allowing a crack to expand and cause tang breakage.
Here's a thickness shot comparing a .188 thick bk7, .126 robust, and a .079 companion.
A shot of the handles. BK7, robust, then companion. The robust has a slightly thicker handle than the clipper/companions with a more pronounced swell to the belly of the handle. My small handed wife has a little trouble with it, but it suits me fine enough.
A overall shot. The BK7 has a 7 inch blade and the moras have 4 inch blades. The robust has an added button to the front of the sheath so you can attach another knife to the front of it. I'm not fond of the idea and will probably cut it off.
Most moras come with a rough, ugly spine from the factory like the companion in the photos. It only takes a little time with a file to clean it up. The spine of the robust comes polished, but it has rounded corners making it unusable with a fire steel. If you don't use a fire-steel it's an improvement. If you do, you'll still have to pull out the old file.
No, the robust probably won't hold up to the abuse that an ESEE, F1 or other hard use knife could survive. At less than $15 apiece, however, you could buy 7 robusts instead of just one of the above. In my personal opinion, this a great all around outdoor use knife.
John
