Part 1: Will A Mora Companion Survive Hard Use Testing?

I was always wondering how much hard use a Mora Companion could take before it broke...I had never tested that concept...until today! Take a look as I give my Mora Companion carbon steel blade a really tough time to see if it can survive hard use. Hint...it breaks.

[TheTerryMarsh]

Worth mentioning that this was the standard Mora Companion knife you were testing, not the thicker Heavy Duty version.
It was impressive that this knife stood up to far more than might be expected.

[WinStunSmith]

How you removed the knife from the log when it got stuck is exactly THE WRONG WAY to do it. If a knife gets stuck while batoning, don’t try to pound it out. Just wedge another piece of wood into the cut and pound the wedge in a bit. The log will wedge open and you can slide the knife right out, easy as pie, and without destroying your blade.

Also, I understand this is a torture test, but a Mora can EASILY be used to baton ANY wood, ANY size, and not fail. When batoning a larger piece of wood (with a diameter wider than the knife is long), don’t start off by trying to pound the knife through the center of the log. Instead, place the edge of the knife close to the edge of the log. Baton off a thin slice of the log, turn the log and baton off another thin slice. Repeat until the log has shrunk in diameter enough to baton through the center.

ALSO, there is NEVER NEVER NEVER a reason why someone would need to baton through an entire log. Worst case scenario, you start batoning through a log an inch or so. Then, you shape another hefty piece of wood into a wedge. Insert the wedge into the cut you have started with the knife, pound on the wedge a couple of times until you can free the knife, then pound on your wooden wedge again until the log splits.

Now, you still have your knife, you have split the log, and all is well.

These tests I see (a lot of people do them) are just not realistic. They teach people to expect things from their knives that are just absurd, and get them into some really bad habits. A knife is meant for cutting/slicing. That’s it. In an emergency, sure, baton with it. But do it smart, and you can use a $12 Mora your entire life and NEVER worry about it failing.

In these tests, it’s not the knives that fail, it’s the failure of people to understand how to use a knife properly, and a really silly trend of people expecting way to much out of their knives. You wouldn’t jump into a Volvo and try to jump sand dunes with it, and then consider the car a failure if you tried and it broke down, would you? Of course not. You use the correct tool for the job. In a pinch, you may have to push a tool a LITTLE past its designed limits, but you do it easy, and do it smart, and it won’t fail.

[ElgonOfold]

Definitely an extreme abuse test. It's good to see how well your old mora stud up. If anyone abused their knife like this in a survival situation, they would deserve the outcome.
It would be interesting to see it put against another knife of the same value .

[rocketskids]

There is no such thing as broken knives, only smaller knives. Grind yourself a new tang, put it in a handle, and presto! Mini Mora!

[theprophetez]

That is still an outstanding knife for the price. I have a Companion too and it has taken abuse on some occasions, but I never try to overdue it. This video was good to show that that little sucker can really take some abuse, I feel better now, THANKS.

[boiledegg]

Perfect for light batoning and nice basic tasks! I'm sold!

[CommonCentsOutdoorsman]

Mora... the little knife that could! Love those things.

[patriotrob]

Thanks for the video! I finally bought a couple of Mora's the Robust pro and the companion HD.
I'll admit I was kind of a knife snob. With my bark river's and full custom bushcraft knives like my Jacklore!!. Anyway I'm unbelievably impressed with the morakniv and would recommend them to anyone just starting out or a seasoned bushcrafter .

[MrBadVlad]

Very informative! My personal conclusion is that thin knives are for cutting only. Thank you!

[PowerMadHeadBanger]

The good thing about a fixed blade is that even if it breaks it doesn't closes on your fingers like a folder.

[adammcguinness]

I so much prefer reviews like this. Much better than desk top reviews.

[stevenrobertson]

Great test Eric. It's always useful to know just how far you can push your knife. Looking forward to part 2.

[airwolf]

Hey! Thank you for this video, your money, your knife, showing us what the knife will take. Thank You

[tbrew]

That is the wealest hold of the handle. You basically had it in a vise and beat the handle outward from the blade. It STILL kept goin though

[theartshow]

Some people will say the knife failed. Others will say YOU failed to to use your knife correctly. In the end, I still enjoy watching videos of people breaking knives for fun. So please don’t stop.

[Idoitfortheskonkas]

AWESOME testing 👌 well done sir. Your review made a significant impact on my purchase choices.

[steverose]

Don't feel bad, my Fiskar scissors
won't cut through steel rebar.
My bolt cutters
don't slice vegetables either.
Maybe they're unreliable or defective.

[dwaynerobertson]

I own one and just ordered another - I have the stainless steel Companion, and the other is a carbon Clipper 840. Personally, I'd like to baton, saw and chop as little as possible. Shave enough dry kindling into hairs to get a fire going, and start adding larger pieces of fuel accordingly. For a woodstove in your house you want 4 or 5 months worth of well seasoned split wood to get through a winter. Out camping and bushcrafting? Sawing and splitting/batoning aren't even necessary, unless everything is completely soaking wet; in that scenario batoning is absolutely required to get at dry wood. You did prove these knives are super tough. Way beyond their intended capacity, and that is great. That's some hard wood you were pounding on. You just convinced me these two knives are going to last me for life. Thanks man!!

[frisb.]

You should have used the Heavy Duty companion as it's made for batoning.

[nixter]

Cut the knife handle in half length wise, weld the tang back together, epoxy the handle back on around the tang and get back to the test with the same knife. Rinse and repeat until there is nothing left of the mora.