Here is a carving knife consisting of a Mora106 blade with a hand carved handle. In my eight years as a spoon carver, I have had lots of sloyd knives over that time. I carved many spoons with the “off the shelf” mass produced knives made by Mora (sometimes Morakniv). The Mora 106 sloyd is the industry’s best knife, produced by a company that has been making knives for generations. I have since progressed to buying hand forged knives, or making my own from purchased blades. As a result, I have many Mora 106 sloyd knives that are lightly used. I am refurbishing the blades and replacing the old handles with new, hand carved handles.
The blades have been reground with a flat over hollow grind. This allows for much easier sharpening and honing. They have a razor sharp edge that I inspect under magnification to ensure the best, smoothest cut possible. Mora knives are a laminate of a hard metal inside covered with a softer metal outside, resulting in a blade that is very easy to sharpen and will retain the edge. Some blades may have some imperfections in the grind, as I said, they are used. But never fear, they are incredibly sharp and will carve many, many more spoons.
In my opinion (and many others) while the blade of the Mora 106 is outstanding, the handles have much to be desired. The barrel shape never fits one’s hand quite right. The result is your hand gets fatigued much quicker than a handle that is more ergonomically designed. This is the reason I have started to make my own handles, carved to fit my hand naturally. The resulting shape is as comfortable as it is attractive. The handle is narrow at the blade, and wider and thicker at the end. The gentle curve puts the blade in a more natural position when the knife is in your hand. Each handle is carved by hand from quality hardwoods and have been burnished to a rock hard finish. Only a light coating of beeswax and walnut oil has been applied to the wood. This is to protect the wood from getting dirty. I prefer a natural patina that will occur over time and usage from the oil in your hand.
These knives are perfect for the beginner carver that would like to progress to a hand made knife without breaking the bank. They have all of the great qualities of the Mora blades that make them so popular, while adding an attractive and more ergonomically designed handle.
Each knife comes with a woven paper sheath that is actually quite functional and long lasting.
Knife specifics:
8.25” total length
Blade is 3.25” long, made by Morakniv
Handle is hand carved, 5” long, approx. 1.25” wide X 1.25” thick at the pommel end.
Handle material is cherry.