Swanky stalking knives - what am I missing?

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I’ve always been happy with my mora knives - they’ve done me well for many, many deer and I don’t lose any sleep on the odd occasion I’ve left one behind.

However, I’ve seen an increasing number of folk are using knives costing several hundred pounds. So what am I missing? I could have a box of 20 mora knives for the cost of one of these swanky knives - is it really worth it?

Ps. This isn’t a cynical post - I genuinely want to be convinced!!
 
Got fair few hand made blades some that could buy me a nice dayboat for fishing all are one off's and one that is a one of one as the guy is dead . Iv
got one that was made from Saddam's big gun steel no proof :doh: but I just see it being cut off after testing :norty: I have so many but for field use its the £10 orange jobs all day long .
 
Used to use mora, hultafors etc but Was gralloching a pair of fallow with a friend who was using an emberleaf and I was utterly convinced so much so I’ve got three now

They are mustard. Expensive but absolutely worth every penny
 

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I've used a $9 dollar knife for stalking that i bought in 1978. Its done hundreds upon hundreds of deer. For my 65th i bought a Stewart Mitchell knife, amazingly sharp and i only use it when I'm doing boar. I have a couple of safe queens that will never see a drop of blood. I bought them because i could and i like the workmanship. Buy what ever floats your boat.
 
I’ve always been happy with my mora knives - they’ve done me well for many, many deer and I don’t lose any sleep on the odd occasion I’ve left one behind.

However, I’ve seen an increasing number of folk are using knives costing several hundred pounds. So what am I missing? I could have a box of 20 mora knives for the cost of one of these swanky knives - is it really worth it?

Ps. This isn’t a cynical post - I genuinely want to be convinced!!

I totally agree
 
If I could afford a really 'swanky' knife, I would buy one. I can never see the beauty in a so called 'work of art' ie, paintings etc. but I look at some knives,
and I really could just look at them forever.

I am saving at the moment, to buy a 'swanky' knife, and like Jagare, it will probably never see blood - a bit of a waste of a knife maybe, but then, some people buy expensive rifles and are then scared to take them out in the field, or others buy paintings and then lock them away.
 
Got fair few hand made blades some that could buy me a nice dayboat for fishing all are one off's and one that is a one of one as the guy is dead . Iv
got one that was made from Saddam's big gun steel no proof :doh: but I just see it being cut off after testing :norty: I have so many but for field use its the £10 orange jobs all day long .

The testing of the steel would have been a sample from the batch used in the big gun, not the actual gun as a finished item. I know the bloke that tested it when Walter Somers tried to pass it off as a pipeline.
 
I have one from James Sponaugle, five from George Trout, two of which are my design from scratch, some will never be used as Georges can only increase in value. But my first Trout bought for £75 at a small Norfolk game show 10 years ago, was a small copy of a Loveless, in damasteel and ivory scales and some of the others I've had made also follow Bob's design, some with a finger groove added. Its my money and I'll spend it how I want, all have increased in value. I will carry on using some, and the others will got to my four grandchildren. I also have had some blades made for me by a great up and coming English maker that I will put the scales etc myself on. I like knives, and have spent my money wisely, and all the above are now worth much more than when I bought them. deerwarden
 
Interesting thread. To me, it all seems to be about how you 'see' quality. As far as a knife is concerned, I've always seen them as a tool. As long as they will take and keep a good edge, that's fine. I've used the same Kershaw for thirty years - it fits my hand, and it stays sharp. I have a couple of Moras as well - they're absolute razors and fantastic value for money, but I find them too light and finicky, so they're 'special ops' blades only.

I've seen and handled the Emberleaf knives - serious kit! To be honest, I'd like one - the engineering is beautiful and goodness, they are sharp and they fit the hand and have that bit of weight that the Mora doesn't have. If I lose my old Kershaw...perhaps.

I liked deerstalker.308's comment about the Casio vs the Rolex.....the Casio that you bought in 1973 for a tenner, may still be worth a tenner today. But....the Rolex Submariner that was bought in 1973 for £240, is worth £5000 today.

Don't get me started on rifles.....:lol:
 
I like well designed sharp effective tools. My trade. A carpenter. You cant beat sharp, the Mora can be made sharp but it wont stay sharp, quality steel shaped in a good design with an effective practical handel, some knives look pretty good, some dont but they may still be good knives, by the way i shoot a Blaser, again great design practical plastic.
 
I like well designed sharp effective tools. My trade. A carpenter. You cant beat sharp, the Mora can be made sharp but it wont stay sharp, quality steel shaped in a good design with an effective practical handel, some knives look pretty good, some dont but they may still be good knives, by the way i shoot a Blaser, again great design practical plastic.

Exactly this. I have to use a fair few sharp tools in my job and steel quality matters. Horses for courses. I have 3 Moras which do every day duties and unlike some, when they dull (which is often) they get sharpened and re-used, not thrown away for a new one. I also have a fair few Sandvik/Chrome Vanadium steel blades and they are heavier and take a razor sharp edge which they hold way longer than any mora.

Last deer I shot was completely skinned and butchered using one of these knives that had been used constantly for a year with nothing more than an occasional wipe on a fine ceramic honing rod and a leather strop. It's still razor sharp. By contrast, my Moras need re-sharpening on water stones several times over the same period of use. That, and their lack of heft are the main differences. If you do your research on steels and blade profiles/edges, you'll soon learn that they all differ and there's some better suited than others for specific tasks, hence part of the reason for my own collection.

However...hold onto your checkbook because one of the secrets where knives are concerned is that a top notch "professional" kitchen utility knife at a fraction of a boutique knife will alto use top notch steel and do the job fine, staying sharp longer than your Moras. One such find was the Pro-cook damascus utility knife made from Aus10 damascus (and not V10 as earlier ads claim as they changed the steel used on these). I have one of these and it's razor sharp, dishwasher safe and makes a great gralloching knife. £49 and a bargain at that. The only downside is that you need to take care as there's little protection from your hand slipping onto the blade but a bolster is easy enough to make up:

7731_Lifestyle1.jpg
 
I have a Stuart Mitchell handmade knife and would say that it does stay sharp a lot longer than some of my other knives. Also have some mora knives but always need sharpening after being used. We're the Mitchell can do three or four muntjac before needing stroping.
 
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Thanks folks. I'm definitely in the camp of seeing a knife as a tool rather than a work of art. But if it's a tool that holds it's edge longer and is more comfortable to use than a mora, than that was the sort of info I was interested in.

I wore a casio digital watch for years but see the analogy with a Rolex as entirely different. If I do get an emberleaf or similar, it would be because it was a pleasure to use and it would likely only ever be seen by me. Rather than an expensive piece of metal that I could wear on my wrist as reflection of my wealth or some sort of status symbol :lol:
 
I would love a Toor Knife, which are hand made in America by an ex marine but as they in excess of $400 I’ll stick with the 3 I have: S&W folding knife (£18) Mora, and a letterman.
 
I've worn Casio watches for years & the watches themselves last really well. Unfortunately the "plastic" strap breaks without fail after about 2 years (you can almost set your watch by it - sorry, couldn't resist it). Replacement straps for that model aren't available from Casio so it's a new watch every couple of years even although the original is supposed to last 10 years.
Buying cheap knives falls into the same category.
Although I don't own a custom knife & have no intentions in doing so I appreciate their beauty, quality & the workmanship involved.

Like the OP, I would be scared of losing something so valuable, therefore get by with a cheaper alternative. The cheaper alternative may require more frequent sharpening, but I find this a pleasant chore.

victor
 
its quite soft as steel go's but holds an edge if not used too hard ,skin flesh are ok hit a bone hard its gone . A guy I know that works for the mod test section next to the one I was working at had a large section of tube to test then had the job to have it cut it up for scrap. He also is a blacksmith that makes armour and that kind of war tools for guys who dress up on weekends as knights and such like, so the steel is good for dressing up but not to use .

The testing of the steel would have been a sample from the batch used in the big gun, not the actual gun as a finished item. I know the bloke that tested it when Walter Somers tried to pass it off as a pipeline.
 
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