What is the ULTIMATE Knife? Probably not what you think...

Designing the ultimate knife is tougher than you may think. In my opinion its the hardest part of knife making. Especially when you are designing a knife around a certain set of parameters, and those parameters contradict each other. Whats most important, light weight, edge retention, blade length, handle comfort, usability, toughness? The list goes on..
About⬇️
Hi, Im Alex, im a knife maker and KZbinr, based out of southern Pennsylvania and my youtube channel is Outdoors55. This channel started as an outdoor backpacking channel, but quickly grew into a knife/ knife making channel. Everything I do on my channel is family friendly. I primarily focus on knife / knife making videos but occasionally throw in something different. Thank you for watching!😀
#knifemaking #knife #knifemaker #outdoors55
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[@strangeravenoutdoors4650]

My knife is probably the last place I'd personally choose to save on weight. I want a knife I can chop down a tree with. But the video was interesting. One thing that came to mind to me was that you could probably save some weight by using flared tubing as oppose to loveless bolts. You'd still have a mechanical connection due to the flare, but it would be a lot less material than loveless bolts.

[@beentheredonethat5908]

I'm a fan of monster knives and have literally hundreds of amazing big blades. With that Said, over the kast few years I've learned I can do 90 percent of the same work with smaller, easier to sharpen blades, that are much lighter. Now I carry a martinni as my edc , and i do have some moras, I think they are great smaller lighter blades, but the style and craftsmanship of the martinni from finnland wins my favorite knife award, well for lighter knives, I do love my bowies. I'm a big man, work in the woods and live in the mouatins , weight doesn't bother me while hiking, I'm always walking and carrying stuff lol, but my kids and wife don't have that same strength, my sons will, but not yet, so these knives are perfect for them, razor sharp, tough as hell for the size and they are great for craving when your bored or need something made quickly or for fun.

[@scottdunbar4898]

I do a ridiculous amount of hiking in the mountains of Western Maine and NH and the single most significant and noticeable weight change I've ever experienced was when I went to lighter......shoes. I still applaud your quest for a light durable fixed blade and I can't wait to see what you create.

[@Trickydickysticky]

what shoes do you prefer? and how durable are they? i wear boots 24/7 and have always been happy with the protection, stability and durability. im genuinely curious as to what your experience has been.

[@krknfmkr8919]

I live in the Rocky's, I don't know about where you are but when I was in Missouri (Fort Leonard Wood) what they called mountains (Ozarks) we call foothills

[@krknfmkr8919]

@@Trickydickysticky I hear ya. 20+ years sheet metal worker, I wear Caterpillar steel toe boots every day.

[@Trickydickysticky]

@@krknfmkr8919 yeah, i started wearing boots fulltime when i was 14 on my first construction jobsite. never felt the need for anything different outside of football cleats. im 25 now and haven't skipped a day haha. still it makes sense that weight on your feet lilely drains more energy then weight on your back, bigger tires kill your fuel economy and such... i cant shake the idea that boots are the right place to "spend" the weight. people definately take their feet for granted. also, one of my favorite sayings is "a man should spend good money on 2 things, his boots and his bed. because if hes not in one hes in the other."

[@ViezePoeperd]

There's a Dutch company called 'Haix', they make some of the best boots out there.

[@onementality9781]

I’ve advertised for Mora knives for years, I’m a barber and a customer told me he was skinning a bear next to a buddy and he said he had to sharpen his knife 3-4 times but his buddy never stopped skinning so my customer is a believer now! Lol Swedish metal is very good

[@scottyj6226]

Is Mora the same company that makes ice augers? Because thier auger blades are scary sharp.

[@TingTingalingy]

@@scottyj6226 that makes me wonder now since they are very far north and needing to drill in ice is not rare for them. And Mora makes more cutting tools than about everyone.

[@BobSmith-kd6lq]

I have a Mora cheapo and it's a great knife and I dare say the best knife you can buy for the money. I paid $10 for mine.

[@Danielson1818]

@@BobSmith-kd6lq I've searched for years. Have never found anything that competes with a Mora basic for the money. So now I collect them, and make customs for friends and customers.

[@BobSmith-kd6lq]

@@Danielson1818 Nice

[@Universal_Craftsman]

"200 g is too much, I have to cut that in half for backpacking." Me, probably 30 kg (60 lbs) overweight: Oh, I have a problem.

[@boobrowsky]

Yes

[@taitrunkl7086]

109 is too much because we need 85 brugh who will notice that while carrying a whole backpack.

[@Universal_Craftsman]

@@taitrunkl7086 I am not an expert, but at the military the Sargeant told us that in a long march you notice every gram, it was because one of us wore his big gold Diesel watch before going on a march, and he said if this would be a 40 km march his arm would probably fall off, but it just was a 10 km march so it wasn't that bad. The next thing is that everything too much sums up quickly, depending on what you do you have a lot of stuff on you, and if everything is even slightly too heavy it can sum up to a point where you strongly notice it after a while.

[@taitrunkl7086]

@@Universal_Craftsman Ye but it's still a pair of socks weight we're talking about, I don't doubt that on a long march you should have the least amount of weight on you as possible, but paying another (over) $50 for lighter scales and other lighter steel when you literally already have a great knife just grams over your "limited wight" that was based on feeling not calculations or anything doesn't seem worth to me. I'm not saying he did anything wrong, I mean it's his youtube and his money and it's probably worth it to get 3 episodes out of 1 if he went with that knife, but for real life I don't think it's necessary, with that orange knife he'd be just fine.

[@Universal_Craftsman]

@@taitrunkl7086 Your point makes sense off course.

[@GrottoGroveGroves]

personally, i'm not concerned with the weight of my knife. love that knife ! cool concept though, wish you success.

[@herbertgearing1702]

I used to go backpacking for around a month more or less every summer. However I definitely didn't hike 15+miles every day, I didn't even hike every day. When I found a nice spot near a nice trout hole or a waterfall swimming hole I would spend 2-4 days enjoying that place and that was the best thing about having no schedule, phone, or companions for the trip. That 25-30 days of relaxing, solitary, self reliance and freedom made the rest of the year much more tolerable and kept me in a much better place mentally. Anyway people who spend their vacation behaving like a drill instructor was barking at them make me confused and suspicious.

[@doak4886]

Couldn’t you save the $50, give it to your buddy and have him carry your backbreaking knife for you? Problem solved. You have a nice knife to use, you’re 3.5 ounces lighter and not just a fraction of an ounce, and your buddy is richer and in better shape. I’m really good at problem solving.

[@OUTDOORS55]

My buddies are on to that😂

[@garrycollins3415]

He can't have his buddies carry his knife. This is a 'hold my beer' moment.

[@steveprice9133]

Lol!

[@williamprendergast6510]

@@garrycollins3415 brilliant comments.Lol.

[@ollie7070]

Lol taking off your jacket and leaving it would save more weight

[@antasosam8486]

That's very true. Mora basic carbon is the knife. Got them three.

[@ahmedshakir6967]

How about you just befriend a beaver? You won't have to carry it, just attach a leash. It can fulfill all your wood processing requirements!

[@BigHesh81]

Up here (In Canada), we simply call this "Proving your citizenship." Plus, if your pet Polar Bear gets lonely, he has a buddy to play with. Aaand if he gets hungry...

[@davidduffy9806]

I had thought the presenter was Ukrainian. I had no idea Beavers even lived in the Ukrainian

[@ahmedshakir6967]

@@davidduffy9806 Hmmm yeah I get your point... Nobody likes paying for shipping

[@kanehunter23]

@@ahmedshakir6967 Not a good idea I personally have had many Beavers as friends/companions and it always the same thing, lets go shopping, buy me stuff,where are you taking me for dinner, I want a ring, my mother said....Wholly crap ! You are better off NOT getting Beavers involved in anything.

[@ahmedshakir6967]

@@kanehunter23 What about a platypus?

[@lsubslimed]

Tapering the tang will help, even a slight taper on the thinner stock you plan on using. If you want to keep the handle-pin attachment strength with the use of threaded pins, use some *aluminum* Corby bolts in a smaller diameter than 1/4" which is more than you need, 3/16 or even an 1/8" Corby bolt head should be fine. Or just get some carbon fiber pin stock. Sand blast and thoroughly clean you tang finishing with denatured alcohol because it doesn't leave any residue like acetone does. Proper epoxy preparation with a good slow curing epoxy (such a g-flex) can make all the difference between it merely being used as a sealant from moister and it being a good and strong bond. Always make sure to properly measure and throughly mix the epoxy for _at least_ a few minutes. These may seem not that important but it can really make a big difference in its overall bonding strength, then almost negating the need for any pins, and something like carbon fiber pins would be just fine when good quality epoxy is used to is full potential. Also, for the large cut out in the tang, I would make a cut out using some light poplar wood (or the like) to fit inside of there and then just drill a few holes in the wood for some epoxy rivets. That large hole requires a lot of epoxy to fill up, which can add some extra weight verses filling most of that room with a very light wood. Carbon fiber is light with regard to its strength to weight ratio versus steel, but it still isn't super lightweight in itself for a handle material. It may not be as indestructible as carbon fiber, but some curly Maple scales (or walnut) would also reduce the weight and still be pretty strong, you could even dye them orange for better visibility if you wanted lol. Maple and walnut have been used of guns for centuries.m some other lighter and yet strong synthetics would be neoprene rubber sheets, which apparently some hunters enjoy on their knives. Obviously some of these recommendations or a bit over the top, but since you're trying to shave a few grams here and there, then shave it in every single material you use on the knife. Looking forward to seeing your tests and the results. Take care :)

[@richard66754]

Moraknive sells blade blanks. I just ordered one and am going to make my own handle for it. No idea what kind of steel it is, but I just want to try and make the handle as my foray into knife making.

[@random_eskimo_in_the_rockies]

If it's stainless, it's 12C27. If it's carbon steel, it's UHB-20C which is a European version of 1095 with a bit of silicone added in which gives the knife a bit more flexibility.

[@random_eskimo_in_the_rockies]

@@benjaminb1319 Sorry, that "e" should not be at the end. Silicon, the element silicon with an atomic weight of 14.

[@random_eskimo_in_the_rockies]

@@benjaminb1319 Atomic number. Never expect me to make sense after I grade biographies of U.S. Presidents.

[@mikafoxx2717]

​@@random_eskimo_in_the_rockiesSilicone would add a whole lot of flexibility!

[@DaroffApFire]

I'm all for designing your own knife, and I know you'll do a fantastic job, but I myself personally wouldn't be able to tell or physically notice the difference of 5 ounces in my bag. I'd happily carry the larger knife no matter what kind of hiking or camping I'm doing.

[@everythingknife8763]

I sell some hiking stuff at my store and and the lengths people go to in order to save a gram of weight is astounding. Squirting toothpaste dollops onto wax paper then letting them dry. I guess all the water in the toothpaste is too heavy.

[@mikemcg3921]

I agree with you honestly but I think the idea is three items that are 5 ounces less is basically a pound --- so if you take 5 ounces off 9 items you've lost 3 pounds - and my pace is 64 steps per 100 meters--- so that is 3 pounds EVERY step or 192 for all the steps in just 100 meters. Again I DO agree I just carry the weight but then I just camp and do short hikes out to my locations in minimal mountainous terrain

[@TingTingalingy]

@@mikemcg3921 i had no idea people count paces and such. To me that's too serious, I'm not hating byt that is news to me.

[@oceanwaves83]

@@TingTingalingy I'm not sure he does count paces, lol. I was a surveyor for years and it takes me 36-37 steps to go 100 feet. That's about 115 steps for 100 meters. Accomplishing that in only 64 steps seems unrealistic, unless he is 10 foot tall.

[@oceanwaves83]

The online knife community is very obsessed with knife weight. They see very small knives like a Spyderco Native, para 3, and even the lil native or dragonfly as monstrously bulky weapons of war. I think they eventually want all knives to have hollow plastic handles and blade geometry like a box cutter razor. It's almost as if they despise durability. And of course, many of them believe that if the knife breaks for ANY reason it's because you were using it wrong. Lol

[@SondreGrneng]

Generally, I would say that "I want a knife that does a thing and meet a certain criteria, and it also happens to be an interesting engineering puzzle" is a good enough reason as any to make a knife.

[@JCGver]

Very true, that said you probably win more weight reduction by having a good shit being going on the hike.

[@Arctic2Noob]

I've had a mora robust for a while and the only thing I would change about is adding just a little bit of length, looks like your ultimate knife is pretty much what I'd want out of mine as well

[@Danielson1818]

I love my Mora Robust. If all you want is slightly more length, then they also make a thicker version of the Mora Companion. It's called the Companion HD (heavy duty). Less than $25.

[@Spiritof48]

@@Danielson1818 Yep , the HD is no less than a fantastic knife , and it is plenty strong enough to baton on . In destruction tests it does as good or better than many much more expensive knives .

[@TheArtofCraftsmanship]

Man, I am super excited to see what comes of this project. I just finished my woodelore clone and the difference in weight to my previous backpacker is incredible. I can’t imagine a completely usable knife under 3oz. Good luck brother!

[@TingTingalingy]

I mean .... Throughout the indigenous world over, the tribal people usually carry 3 blades of varying sizes. Their life is in nature all times and they almost always carry a small knife. The western ideology of knives is silly at best.

[@jesuschristiskingandsavior461]

Hi, I see this is from 3 years ago. Do you still have the knife. Did you sell it? How big was it? Do you have a video on your channel about making it? I looked, but couldn't find one

[@RByrne]

MORA are amazing knives. When my Grandfather passed away i found one of the original ones in his basement while cleaning out his house. It had a lil cheap red plastic handle and thw bolster was loose. It had a flimsy plastic sheath, and want nearly as stout as the modern ones. But it only needed a lil cleaning as it had no rust, and a lil polishing to be an awesone knife.

[@joewamsley8004]

Idk... My 45 is a lot heavier and I happily carry that all the time.

[@johnwamsley1896]

Right, don't give us lame excuses about why you need a light knife with a solid handle, just tell us how to you'd make one.

[@joewamsley8004]

@@johnwamsley1896 It is funny how time makes a fool out of one... I started carrying my 22 cause it is lighter and has more rounds... I would take everything the lightest possible now...

[@petset77]

How well does it make a campfire? (like a good knife can) ...different priorities I guess.

[@dirtysouthbushcraftandmma9784]

Don't be scared homie!

[@petset77]

@@dirtysouthbushcraftandmma9784, BINGO!. The video is about making a knife that works for hiking and camping, not about being so afraid that one feels he needs a large caliber firearm at his side. ...thus my question about his big gun whittling wood into kindling. Some of us go hiking all the time and rarely carry a sidearm or long rifle.

[@Looey]

Go for it ! Make it SUPER Light !!!!!!!!!!!! To blazes with the price.... I'm one of those people who want a VERY light (in grammes) knife, as long as you retain your original parameters.

[@ukwan]

I love my Mora Basic, it's my favourite knife regardless of cost, since I'm a UK hunter which is basically just field dressing rabbits, pigeons, squirrels etc, I don't need to baton or start fires etc. So it's literally perfect.

[@benshamblin4407]

I really like this. Incredible attention to detail, copious amounts of knives, and you really know what you're talking about.

[@jacobsteel1142]

The ultimate knife is always going to be a custom made knife to suit your particular needs :P

[@fookyuunsa678]

Or a box of unopened moras

[@alphadawg81]

I absolutely love the first knife you've made!!!!....and it's orange!!

[@Simplelittlelife]

Great video man! Looking forward to seeing where you go with this 👍

[@OUTDOORS55]

Seems I ventured down a rabbit hole... this is turning out to be complicated 😂 Thanks for watching my friend 👊

[@arthurmernard5879]

@@OUTDOORS55 this is a pretty steezy vid thanks for sharing dude

[@alfons758]

The Mora typ of knifes are a staple in Swedish knife designs. Mora is a place in Sweden and my relatives used to farm there.

[@dwaynemeroin3101]

That Mora is awesome, I use them daily

[@MatoNupai]

I carried the Mora companion for years when I lived in the pacific North West.

[@backwoodsblades9280]

I really like the first test blade. Nice job.

[@asaholloway9139]

love the idea. sounds like a great knife. For me though, id rather save weight elsewhere over my knife. This is coming from a guy who carries a kukri though lol

[@awesomereviews1561]

Asa Holloway same here

[@pinkdaruma8942]

The kukri gives you a irl style bonus

[@stephenross5586]

One idea would be to scallop the blade material around where the handle goes. And if you REALLY wanted to go nuts with this, you should use a titanium nickel alloy. Also its obvious you havent rounded the handle material so that would cut some weight off too and give a slightly more comfortable grip

[@eddiemason4316]

Daniel Boone would laugh at the term "light weight gear".

[@Rextrent]

Daniel Boone lived in a harsh reality and never laughed at terms. He never laughed, but might have lifted his eyebrows.

[@OfficialFedHater]

So... a big Esee Izula. I mean, I dig the design, but I have no problem packing out my BoB Overlander. But everyone sheds weight differently. I only carry a 1 liter pot and a small titanium cup when I go out. Other people bring like two pots, a pan, and an easy bake oven for brownies.

[@joshyingling]

I can send you a carbon fiber plate from the aircraft plant I used to work at, it's about 12x12x 1/4" thick

[@Skelstoolbox]

(just creamed pants)... (wishes it was sent to me...) yeah...

[@mikerisher1536]

Sign me up too

[@jimmyhaley727]

I would make you one and me one,,, ole fart Jimmy

[@shaneintegra]

@Toni Niemi the replacement blade knives are extremely awesome for that

[@Rextrent]

The reason you used to work there? Because they were coming up short on supplies?

[@KT-cz7rm]

Just found your channel. Learning alot! Just bought a mora for hiking. Checked those Spyder knives to but holy crap are they expensive.

[@semco72057]

I decided to reduce weight in my backpack by removing other items which I could do without and keep a decent knife on my utility belt and a decent bedding also.

[@kekelaward]

But, but....my snivel gear!

[@mikafoxx2717]

But.. but.. my cast iron skillet.

[@bushcraft_in_the_north]

g10 is super heavy. Here in Norway,we use birch wood it is super light and strong. why not use 1070 1075 steel,super tough and never breaks in the cold, or 5160 that is my winter knives here in the winter time because of toughness

[@nicolascancio1240]

What about a tapered tang? I'm also thinking about using a light wood. It would be a lot cheaper than carbon fiber and maybe even lighter.

[@ssunfish]

Balsa wood is light but can be dented with a bit of pressure with your fingernail so...

[@justinsane332]

@@ssunfish there are a ton of good choices for this. Balsa is not the wood to use for that regardless of weight. Don't understand why you even mentioned it

[@slaterfrei7665]

I was about to say something about tapering the tang but it would be harder to make a the scales though.

[@ABaumstumpf]

@@ssunfish There are tons of ways to just make a durable shell around the soft wood.

[@billycarr7446]

How ya gonna stop the tang from wallowing out the balsa internally?

[@trex283]

Im thinking that if you keep the width and just make it so the knife blade is less tall (e.g. from 1 inch to .75 inch), it would be more stabby like but still could cut. If you make one side hollow ground (sp) then it will decrease weight and increase sharpness. Maybe use al or titanium as part of a composite knife. Maybe consider, one part of your blade is designed for sharpness and another part of it for toughness. Really I don't know anything about knife making but find it fascinating. I love your design challenge and see why you have been thinking of it for so long.

[@jameshaulenbeek5931]

You can still skeletonize the handle after epoxy. Maybe 5/16" to 3/8" holes. Three or four would help drastically reduce the weight.

[@OUTDOORS55]

I have thought about that. I may use carbon fiber tubing to fill the holes. It would definitely cut a couple tenths😀👍👍

[@gundanium3126]

Watched before you mentioned paracord: Glue a strip of Grade 9/11 leather over a tang, then wrap it in paracord with the cord still in will make a comfortable handle i have one on a knife is about 2 pounds and no issues...their are a lot of other styles of Wrap get Paracord Knife Handle Wraps: The Complete Guide, from Tactical to Asian Styles to learn more.

[@proactivex]

I'm rooting for, and heckling you at the same time.

[@latheme1]

Go somewhere in between the 2 thicknesses. Can also take a small burr and further skeletonize the handle in spots.

[@John..18]

My Mora 2000 lives in my haversack, for day excursions, it's maybe just a packet of chewing gum heavier than your specifications. !! Lol,,, If you can nail down your parameters, I'll buy one, for sure,, (but only if it's stainless,, 12C27 ?), ha ha,, can't wait for the next installment,, cheers,,,,

[@monkeylovemagic3339]

I like the Mora 2000 a lot, best Morakniv IMO

[@d540vamartin9]

Skelotonize the grips. Drill different size holes and indentions +Grip -weight

[@runrin_]

excited for this project. you might want to consider leaving 1 or more diagonal pieces of metal in the center of the hollowed out handle to add some rigidity. like a truss bridge. contouring your handle even more than the prototype might help as well. my concern with thinner stock is that you want a wedge shape to separate the wood while batoning. a thin knife will have a tendency to get stuck. perhaps you can get away with a thicker stock knife that is less tall to save weight (meaning from cutting edge to spine). maybe with a scandi grind?

[@Fleato]

i have had a buck selkirk for the last few years as a work knife and such, man i fucking love this thing.... thing is jsut awesome looking and hiughly functional. plus the amazing quality of buck.

[@mikeh9037]

How much for the orange 1084 prototype?

[@lapicker1010]

Ahh geeky knife video…exactly what I was looking for!

[@dwightehowell8179]

Okay so I'm a lazy slob but a morakniv robust would seem to come close enough to me to meeting your standard and they are cheap.

[@chrissexton6634]

Have the 511 and love it... Ended up buying the kansbol great knife.

[@dwightehowell8179]

@@chrissexton6634 I agree it is a great all around knife.

[@hootenknives153]

love this video. I'm working with knife design myself so I love this challenge you set yourself

[@williamprendergast6510]

Excellent video my friend, that's food for thought or is it fool for thought.?Just buy a Mora companion knife that's all I use hunting or fishing or hiking and a black plastic sack and Butchers twine.I leave all my rifles and my huge knife collection in the gun room,i just subbed.Stay safe.

[@OUTDOORS55]

The companion doesn't fit the design parameters i set in the video. Its not about the mora. It's about designing a knife to fit a specific use and specifications. Hope this helps make sense of this video 🙂 Thanks for the comment! And the sub! It's always appreciated 👍👍👊

[@mrsaizo0000]

Ok, so for me there are two great (fixed blade) knifes that I do like: Karesuando & Morakniv. I once had a Morakniv, I had it for over 10 years, moved and lost it.. The Karesuando makes really good, durable knifes. However, they are pricey - they are hand made in a place called "Karesuando", with around 300 people living there, and it is way up north from where I live..

[@The.Alabama.Woodsman]

I have a chest full of knives. The MORA #1 was my EDC for a few years before I went to a multi tool. Shape as hell, cheap and worth it. I still use that MORA at least once a day.

[@jaredhouser9418]

That scenery with the rocks looks like Pa Appalachian trail

[@joelcruz9858]

Taper the handle to shave off a few grams of weight

[@dr.alkill5186]

Sameone wtf🤨

[@beautifulmeeses]

@Sameone that's super irrelevant. Why does your body shape have to do with how light you want your knife to be?

[@TheCooperman666]

@Sameone Weight moves weight.

[@ReasonAboveEverything]

TheCooperman666 actin and myosin fibers move weight. Fat is part of the weight that is moved.

[@ahschornjesus]

i do really love my mora, it - being a budget knife - is truly amazing. Now this knife you made... Want

[@CrudelyMade]

once you get your mars station knife figured out.. kickstart the sucker cuz I want one. ;-)

[@mkx200sx]

Is there any followup video on this project?

[@Stuie444]

I have been carrying the exact same knife for years - and I've had plenty of knife snobs make comment about it. The batoning is a legit drawback - but I have stopped doing that and begun making feather sticks instead. It works great for that, and I can even start fires with damp wood!

[@willybee3056]

Any knife that you have, and can use, is better than any knife that you don't have.

[@dillonkology346]

Hollow grind would take out more material than a convex

[@ahmedshakir6967]

Yea, I was thinking the same too

[@daveticino1]

...Not good for batoning

[@SamChaneyProductions]

Right, I have no clue why he says convex would shave off weight... It has more material than even a flat grind. The reason his convex is lighter is just because he also increased the primary bevel height up to the spine

[@Suger5zero]

I'm an aerospace engineer and I gotta tell you if you want to Baton with this thing and I want The handles not to crack don't use carbon fiber. It's really cool and it's super light but its impact resistance is poor especially compared to other conventional knife scale materials. You'd be better out with hollowed out aluminum scales

[@daveticino1]

Hollow carbon fiber pins are not expensive, and much lighter than your brass pins !

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

Try a hidden tang design with a stacked birch bark/epoxy handle. Weight issue done. Strong enough to baton with and warm in grip too.

[@mildyproductive9726]

Yeah, this is how the original versions of this knife were traditionally made. Well, all but the epoxy. If they were strong enough with w/e steel they had in the 1300's, they should be pretty ok with modern steel. I know modern hikers have pressing needs that folks in the 1300's didn't have, of course. Like your knife has to withstand crazy batonning else you have to eat your pre-packaged food cold, lol. Back then, people just travelled across the world in row boats with no phones or GPS. And they traded people. So much easier back then.

[@devonsanterre8449]

Take a look at the construction of the scales on the dpx hest original, they're slightly smaller than the tang itself (surprisingly comfortable) and they've been hollowed out for storage. Could shave a bit of weight that way. And I've seen some designs where the tang tapers off towards the back, likely for balancing but also would shave some grams. Good luck with your diet!

[@dman3d]

with more dimension/depth to the handle I would buy one for sure

[@joescott803]

Make a walking stick knife. Then the weight won’t be a issue. When hiking or in the woods you can’t skimp in a good knife and pistol

[@kekipark77]

nice. i actually like heavier knives, but thats prolly cuz i dont go backpacking. i do go hiking to get to a desired camping spot, but thats not backpacking.

[@m005kennedy]

Good point about needing to use the paracord.

[@RockyMountainBear]

I like the extra weight. It keeps me grounded.

[@TimWatsonOutdoors]

**heavy breathing and watching with interest**

[@OUTDOORS55]

Lol😂 i will make one under 3oz, i will!!😂

[@paulwin9036]

You should make a Scandinavian Pukko

[@davidaxman]

I few ideas came to me watching this! Taper the tang, use carbon fibre or aluminium pins and maybe wood is a lighter handle material? I was thinking about beech or birch for handle scales.

[@dbtest117]

Wood can be one of the lightest and strongest materials for your handle. E.g. a wooden glider is stronger and lighter than a fiberglass glider. They are however much more difficult to build. I still think a properly selected wood would be the best choice for your handle.

[@calebg7682]

Happy to hear of your plan to go much thinner! I just bought a knife from a small, up-and-coming custom maker. It's 0.072'' thick CruWear with a scandi grind. Even thinner than a Mora basic. I haven't used it much yet, but I'm really excited to try it out. Seems perfect for my normal hiking/backpacking use. I hear excellent things about the toughness of CPM 1V. Maybe look into that?

[@waynedxjc6614]

Should have done a titanium blade with carbon fiber scales. It would be very expensive but I bet it would be around the 2 oz mark

[@elijahf111]

@outdoors55 can I have the prototype 😐

[@richardpowell4281]

IKR, some of us ain't as worried about that 1 ounce 😂

[@oddsavage]

Where you at? That scenery is super familiar to my old (3-7 years ago) camping grounds. I'm guessing between N. PA and N.VA. This vid is awesome, btw.

[@MikeUman]

Okay, you have my full attention. 😲 This is something I've thought about before, so, can't wait for the next installment! 👍

[@ssunfish]

Same here. Im already dreading the wait or missing it when it comes out

[@tomcat-68]

I personally would recommend the „TiNy“ from UG-Tools with a 3D printed Titanium Handle and a MagnaCut blade (64-65 hrc)? It‘s lightweight (ca. 80 g) and sturdy. You can absolutely baton with it. The DBK boys have tested it. I have one with the „Floe“ Handle and I like it a lot! 🖖🏼

[@The1Rausch]

sure. we 3d print titanium now (rofl) furthermore ... for what hes doing i would not recommend magnacut at all. you 100%missed the point here. its not about the mclaren f1 being faster. its about the vw jetta as a daily.

[@richardcranium6554]

Eat your Wheaties. And hike with dehydrated water in your canteen. Ha.

[@ssunfish]

Steven Wright: " I was going to buy some dehydrated water, but I didn't know what to add...."

[@vikingbrowski3718]

you could put a fuller in the blade along with jimping.

[@williamprendergast6510]

I've got it a Bladeless knife without a handle.No,no don't thank me your welcome.

[@McGowanForge]

I don't know if it's just me but I could carry a big knife around on a belt sheath or in my bag, but I can barely feel the difference, I remember I went camping one time and on had my knife a usmc kabar ( yes I know it's not a Camping knife but I enjoy carrying it and cause I don't have any other kydex sheath knives) on my belt , and I went to lay in my hammock and completely forgot about my knife cause I didn't feel it, like I said maybe it's just me? I don't know but I like the shape of this knife alex don't get me wrong all knives have a purpose (except stupid ones)

[@robot7759]

All depends on intended use, there is no ultimate universal knife.

[@sloanIrrigation]

I used a sledge hammer on of those mora handles. A big sledge hammer. It took some time and alot of work to separate it from the blade

[@OUTDOORS55]

I hit one twice with a stick and it fell apart.

[@sloanIrrigation]

OUTDOORS55 That's amazing to me but I believe you. Maybe that was a fluke. As many as they make, it would stand to reason there would be "bad" ones in the mix. My collection of knives is pretty large and I have more Moras than any other single brand. 12 or so. It's the knife I grab when I walk out the door since its light, hooks right onto my belt, tough. And I don't worry about since it's cheap. I have some custom knives I'm ashamed to say how much I paid for. I've chipped some mora blades and I snapped a blade once due to misuse but I still have and use the first Mora I ever owned which was also my very first knife. A gift from my Dad 42 years ago. I love the knife you made here and would love to own one. Also, I have to say I think your info is the best and I've noticed the improvements in your equipment and skill. Its my opinion that you have the best tutorial on KZbin. My favorite knife is The Old One and I agree the facets on the handle should have been left. Thank you and keep up the fine work

[@adityatiwary5106]

First comment. Nice vid Alex. Can you do a vid where you show how to convert a v edge into a convex? Thx

[@McGowanForge]

3:30 "A giant knife like this" *me looking over at my knives* If that's giant then my blades are gargantuan

[@kenkl5204]

I'm carrying a good size knife at all times. Guess I just get stronger. Lol

[@landonjones3723]

mkay, so some quick maths I did from a class I took over two years ago now, but work (as a unit) from what I remember is something like mass moved over a distance (kilograms*meters?) so basically with his estimate of needing less than a 200 gram knife and a 20 mile daily hike (52 kilometers or 52000 meters) times the average* knife goal mass of 150g (.150kg) it works out to being 7800 work units. to put that in perspective, my backpack (for school mind you) weighs about 3 kilos, making it so I need to move it a distance of 2.6 kilometers or roughly a single mile to make up that same amount of work to move mass. Basically 50 grams isn't going to be the straw to break the camels back even over 20 miles. (please don't be too mean actual engineers, take this comment with a grain of salt, because this is all off the top of my head [who needs fact checking anyways] and from a high school class I took 2 years ago.)

[@gregwarner3753]

The best knife is the one you have with you have with you when you need it.

[@MichaelTessin]

congratulations on this entertaining video. you are getting better every time. i am a big fan.

[@rgrimund2468]

Run a fuller down the flat of the first attempt, helps maintain strength and loses weight. Did you try flutting the scales and playing around hot spots?

[@jordanhulsey4130]

Makes me think of the story of the guy who was the first guy to make it across the Atlantic Ocean and he cut PARTS OF HIS MAP OFF TO SAVE ON WEIGHT

[@vasky22]

Necropost - The Izula by ESEE fits, except for length. Your parameters for battoning may be a bit much for simple fuzzsticks.

[@rcsendandblast1579]

Ya I’m here. Still to the end. 👊😀 Longevity YA

[@xqiuvmah]

If you want to carry extra cordage without taking up a ton of space, wrap your canteen with paracord.

[@281covfefe5]

Interesting Looking forward 2 c what the end result is 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@inkman6964]

Try cork or balsa wood the softest hardwood and crazy light

[@WLS_Churchill]

I have more than fifty personnal knives, my Mora never quit my backpack, cheap and do his job everywhere

[@abadibi]

Dont go with carbonfiber. Its strength will depends on how it has been woven, and for your use, you could easily use fiberglass as a handle.

[@tdd4art]

I always felt the same regarding paracord wrap