The Ferrum Forge Mordax Pocketknife: The Full Nick Shabazz Review

The Ferrum Forge Mordax is a big, beefy, and damned-near-medieval EDC knife, with lots of great details and a great feel in the hand. Although it's hampered by a very thick blade, a free-spinning pivot, a mis-placed clip, and the nagging feeling that this was meant to kill Orcs, it's an excellent knife and represents some excellent knifemaking. So, even if it's not for me, if you've got an Orc problem (or want to pretend you do), I do recommend the knife any day of the week.

[@eplane]

Hey, Nick. Great review. It's worth noting that FF have come a long way since the Mordax. I have a Septer which is beautiful with amazing tolerances and some of the weaknesses you mention have been addressed. My pivot doesn't free spin, for instance. Chris and Elliott have got better and better. Keep up the great work.

[@shockey49]

ok Nick, after watching a boat load of your reviews i finally purchased the Delica. listening to you bolster over this knife i purchased it. I must say its a little Gem!!! I have a collection of over 40 knifes, benchmade, microtech, spides a few Medfords and some zts i must say this little guy carries great!! thanks and keep up the videos i look forward to them!!!!

[@fatshadow2062]

I've been really close to picking up a couple different FF blades, but it's never happened. I like the minimalist tendencies, with single-color ano they do on a lot of their scales. Another excellent review, Nick. That pocket clip placement and merry-go-round pivot are both head-scratchers on a knife that seems so thoughtfully produced.

[@jamesn.phares6749]

I think you probably had a custom shop Mordax. I looked up this video after seeing the Mordax on (Mass)drop. Theirs are FF designed, aluminum-handled button locks with deep carry clips, manufactured by Pro-Tech with CPM-20CV blades. It looks like their flipper tab now has a little jimping, and they're coming in at less than 4 ounces and at about half the price of yours, so it appears that they addressed some of your issues.

[@Lack_of_response]

that dial-a-detent is the hoback Rolling Detent.

[@RowdyRory]

Thanks for the review. It does seem a little chunky. But I love the elegant simplicity of the design. I wonder what would be a slimmed down version of this, presumably a little less expensive too. More wizard, less barbarian in your lingo. Again thanks.

[@listenup455]

"I go wizard not barbarian" LOVE IT!

[@NoOne-ki3bm]

"If you're trying to level up your barbarian." Love the one liners..

[@wongkonpow111]

Love the wizard not barbarian analogy. Brilliant review

[@johnkusky4398]

looks like custom material men. thx for showing. we in germany say “absolut geil“ to this one. have a nice day.

[@Mr_Tovarish]

Did I just found out Nick Shabazz is almost as nerdy as me? When you said you roll Wizard and not Barbarian I looked at my jewel-like Olamic Compact and I was like 'that's a total Wizard knife' lol.

[@NickShabazz]

+Tovarish Works Absolutely. Although "almost"? Pffft.

[@Mr_Tovarish]

Nick Shabazz I'm fairly confident it's almost. You don't know that half of it. I'll concede to 'equals' though if that works better for you ;P

[@Mr_Tovarish]

Not sure why on mobile it wrote in your name and will only let me reply to my own comment.

[@kookamunga4714]

i think he hit the nerd funny bone when he talked about "leveling up" your barbarian

[@miyamotoclan5054]

Lockbar force is too strong on you thumb when closing the knife. The Sebenza 25 was the same way until CRK reduced the force and now the 25 is perfect. The nipple pivot on the backside is also a hassle when dissembling the knife. The memory of the clip doesn't hold; hence the clip warps easily without returning to its original shape. Furthermore, some of these Mordaxs have a few centering problems. I still liked the knife overall though. The centering problems and strong lockbar ruined it for me though.

[@bluntroad]

Hey buddy, great vid as alway! I believe FF is using the Hoback Rolling Detent (under license).

[@BigThumpr1]

Ghost of a Werewolf no they are not using the Hoback Rolling Detent anymore. They went to there own in house designed Rolling Detent with a ceramic ball. Jake's uses a Stainless ball in his Detent system.

[@SavgSith]

I like how yur voice has literally changed since than. Yur such a good actor 😉

[@Superbus753]

Neon still sticking around? I thought you said in one video that you sold it. By the way would you advise to get the Shirogorov Neon in M390 or the Neon Lite in S30V?

[@subroc4]

Tarquinius Superbus nick doesn't make his videos live in chronological order. This video could be weeks or months old. He's been promising a review of that archbishop for ages and I'm pretty sure he's shot it ages ago. It's probably sitting in a queue somewhere waiting for a slow news day

[@future_phonk]

Love the lines of the knife!

[@eplane]

Btw...the clip issue has been sorted too...

[@jimm244]

Thanks Nick! I've been thinking about one of these on the secondary; thanks for saving me some money. This knife is almost great, but like other commenters, the pivot and n690 are show stoppers for me at this price point.

[@brucedanieliii]

I'm not sure I agree about the precision at the top of the lockbar. It looks crooked to me. Also, are you sure that pivot is cool and not garish? Looks like every other maker who thinks that making triangles and dots is so unique. The pivot being a different color than the other screws is also bothersome to my eye. I do like that bladeshape.

[@threesons270]

Not a fan of acid wash. Nick didn't you knock the Nirvana for that? Is the polishing the kicker. Never been a fan of Ferrum nothing grabs me. You can grab a Olamic which IMO has almost perfect fit and finish. Honestly the Chinese will take these guys market share easily because they give you more. Then again they have a great following

[@NickShabazz]

+N weezy The polish is the difference here. But every Ferrum review from here out is going to be knocked for their bad blade finishes. :)

[@tyroneshoelaces9742]

If I was to go 500 dineros on an "Overbuilt," I would probably pick up a Chaves 228 Redencion Midtech. They are on sale for 450 now. But I think if I was going to spend upwards of a few hundred bucks, my next grab would be the Olamic Wayfarer 247. But. Who the hell am I .. Ha ha ha. Nice vid as always.

[@reeverfalls2069]

Hey Nick I just wanted to say I absolutely love your channel. I saw your cold steel epserza I think it's called and I died laughing. Anyways I was wondering if you, or anyone else who wants to chime in, could tell me where to get a grimsmo Norseman I'd be forever in your debt. Or maybe a knife like it. Price isn't to much of an issue as long as it's not over $1200.

[@thomaslanders1162]

That adjustable detent ball is just trouble waiting to happen. The pivot system sucks too.. I'm so glad I'm one of the few that doesn't like flippers..Saves me a lot of money. Doesn't stop me from getting a BM 940 that must have been sharpened by a moron that fell asleep. Going back to BM..

[@unnaturalone]

Pffft. Every wizard worth his salt carries a dagger. The Mordax is perfect.

[@sour7786]

I'd just like to point out jamming your finger into the scales to see if you can cut yourself is very stupid imo. Just for the fact that if you cut yourself by jaming your finger into the scales and moving on the blade is stupid.

[@sour7786]

To me that's like saying I don't want automatic windows cause if you hold this switch up and put your hand in the glass it'll close on your hand....... well don't do that!

[@NickShabazz]

I do it on purpose to see if you could do it accidentally. But you're the Reviewer Reviewer.

[@knifebitten1613]

lol 14:53 😃😃😃

[@nupersoob]

You have to be shitting me: KZbin won't play any of Nick's videos with audio, but literally every other video I click on plays with audio. What even is this. This is absolutely not cool

[@fuzzuck]

That pivot is the same one that shows up on what seems like every custom, one of Steve Kelly's off the shelf Ti pivots, from AKS. There's a variant or two, but it's used way too often on custom knives selling for retarded fucking sums. Worst of all, FF only use one side, with that cheap shitty nipple on the lockside. The nipple comes loose if you actually use the fucking thing, and then you don't even have the option of using one torx to hold it in place while another torx tightens. Terrible pivot design. Great videos though. :) EDIT: I see you did call out the stupid fucking nipple, nice. It fails with ease. Until FF get a clue and quit cheaping out with a terrible half-assed pivot, they rate as fails.

[@azraelsblade]

In twain*

[@HikikomoriZone]

azraelsblade 'in two' and 'in twain' mean the same thing. Neither is wrong.

[@anthonywolfe5304]

$450.00

[@yeaman992]

I want to like Ferrum Forge so much, but their knives aren't worth it. Also N690? Really? How stupid. They are nice guys though.

[@lanehoward8612]

Not worth the $

[@VomitYou]

I saw the neon! I miss it.