Cutting Tool Review: The Mora HQ Robust Knife

Mora HQ Robust

A year ago I had gotten a Mora HQ Robust Knife for my step-son Sean.  I gave it to him on the Baxter State Park Trip.  I wanted him to have a Scandinavian ground knife that was sturdy, and easy to sharpen.  I wanted the knife to have a high carbon steel blade.  I did not trust Sean to keep the high carbon steel blade blade oiled to prevent rusting so the knife needed to be inexpensive.  The taking care of the knife was a valid concern, because Sean lost it about three months later.  My family not having the knife anymore is the reason I am using stock pictures of the Mora HQ Robust from the Internet.  I have always wanted to try a Mora knife myself, because they are a polarizing knife in the outdoor community.  People seem to either love or hate them.  All of the previously mentioned criteria made getting Sean a Mora an easy choice. 

My impressions about the Mora HQ Robust Knife were all positive.

The blade thickness at the spine is twice as thick as the Mora Companion, one of Mora's most popular knives.  The picture on the right shows the Robust on the left, and the Companion on the left.  The spine was about as thick as my Enzo Trapper.  The spine had a nice 90 degree angle which makes it good for striking sparks off a ferrocerium road, and scrapping tasks like gathering cedar bark for tinder.  The high carbon steel blade threw sparks when I struck it with a piece of quartz.  Enough sparks that if I had a piece of charred cloth I would have another combustion device.  Maine does not have any naturally occurring flint or chert, so quartz was my only choice.   You can usually get one or two good strikes off Quartz before it crumbles.  The blade was sharp, and stayed sharp for quite a while.  It batoned, and then made feather sticks for the fire with ease.  It never really dulled on me.  It just needed a touch up on a Japanese water stone like a month later. 

The handle was comfortable, being of some kind of rubber coated
plastic.  The handle felt ergonomic, and did not fatigue the hand.  It provided for a good grip even when my hands were sweaty, or wet.  Inside the handle is a rat tail tang that runs the 3/4 length of the handle.  A lot of Mora's detractors criticize this feature of the knife, thinking it makes for a weak knife.   This tang is reinforced by plastic.  I have had no issues with it bending or breaking, and I did some extensive batoning with it.

Note the 3/4 Rat Tail Tang

The sheath was a rigid friction fit plastic.  The sheath is something Mora's detractors criticize, but to me it was an asset.  I have always been a fan of the hollow handled survival knifes ability to carry things in the handle,  but hated they were weak due to no tang.   Using Ranger Bands (inner tube used as rubber bands) I was able to secure a button compass, needles, hooks, sinkers, mono-filament line, snare wire, a whistle, can opener, and a ferrocerium rod.  People who call the sheath cheap are just not looking at its full potential.  If you look at the photo on the right you can see all the stuff that was carried on the sheath.  The whistle, can opener, button compass, and fishing/sewing kit were secured under a four inch long ranger band.  The snare wire and ferrocerium rod were secured with two one inch pieces of Ranger Band, over the four in piece of Ranger Band.

A Lost Opportunity the Mora 511

The knife cost was about twenty dollars when I bought it from Amazon.  Now it is going for $13.50 from Amazon.  The price point alone makes this a pretty darn good knife.  My first exposure to Mora knives was when my Uncle Wes showed me "bait knives" that were about eight dollars a knife.   He said, "you could just get a half dozen of these, and throw them away"  This was about ten or more years ago, and had not heard of Mora knives yet.  These were the knives he was talking about in the picture on the right.  They were Mora 511 knives in stainless steel.  Mora knives are inexpensive, priced like they are disposable, but they are a good quality knife built to last.  Looking back I wish I had bought a half dozen.   Live and learn.

I love Mora knives, and feel a lot of the people who hate them are probably knife snobs.  I did not want to admit I liked this $20 dollar knife as much as I like my $100 Enzo Trapper, but it was the truth.  My recommendation is give them a try, and keep an open mind.  This would not be my first choice for a one tool option,  but this, and hatchet or Bahco Laplander saw would be an awesome combination.  Until next time keep your knives harp and your powder dry.