When people look into purchasing a Mora knife, they tend to go either ultra-modern with something like the Mora 2010 Bushcraft Forest, or they go old school with one of the Mora Classics. This leaves the Mora 2000 Outdoor Knife to be, in my opinion, one of the most underrated Mora knives out there. It’s a knife that bridges the gap between the benefits of modern materials (weather-resistance and not needing any maintenance are huge assets, unlike with the Mora Classics’ wooden handles) and the neutral grip profile of the Classics. For this reason, the Mora 2000 Outdoor is one of my absolute favourite Mora knives.
Mora Outdoor 2000 Fixed Blade Bushcraft Knife – Amazon / Blade HQ
The Mora 2000 is 100% plastic with the exception of the blade and belt loop. The plastic has an odd cracked-eggshell pattern that, while not particularly attractive, does function well as grip enhancement.
The balance point of the knife is similar to most Moras, being just a touch beneath the guard.
The blade is 2.5 mm in terms of stock thickness, but it does taper towards the tip, becoming around 1-1.5 mm.
The sheath is friction fit with a slight positive detent. Retention on the sheath is definitely above average.
The belt loop is excellent – much better than the modern plastic ones used on the Mora 2010 Bushcraft Forest Knife. The loop will fit the vast majority of belts, and the leather looks to be of good quality.
The Mora 2000 sheath has two drainage holes at the base. Overall, though the sheath is basic, it’s fully functional and above average in comparison to other Mora sheaths.
The 12C27 steel blade has a scalloped tip which aids in penetration. The scalloped tip also helps with detail cuts. Edge stability does not appear to have been affected by the scalloped tip, which was proven by subsequent testing.
The default sabre grip is extremely comfortable with this knife, which I would describe as essentially a synthetic Mora Classic.
The tacky rubber over-mold grips the palm of your hands extremely well. Even in adverse conditions, you won’t lose control of the Mora 2000 Outdoor.
Pinch gripping is perfectly doable, and in fact quite comfortable.
Of course, as is to be expected, the relatively thin Scandinavian grind makes woodwork a breeze. The Mora 2000 Outdoor Knife definitely excels in this area.
The scalloped tip also works really well if one wants to shave thin curls from wood.
For notching, however, I would stick to using the true Scandi grind portion of the blade.
Like with all the Moras I have tested, I don’t find batoning to be any problem for this blade. It is certainly strong enough to withstand almost all outdoor needs.
The Mora 2000 is a great outdoors knife with fantastic resilience against the elements.
It has a very neutral grip profile, which is extremely comfortable for all hand sizes: no matter your hand size this knife will fit it, and fit it well, so if that has ever been an issue for you, there is absolutely no worry with that here. The knife performs excellently at woodwork due to its Scandinavian grind, and can withstand batoning without breaking a sweat taking into account its relative size and weight.
Essentially, it’s the perfect union between the old and new Mora knives, and its sheath is definitely one of my favourites in terms of how well thought out its design and material have proven to be.
If you’re looking for an affordable all-use camping knife that’s both comfortable and easy to carry around, the Mora 2000 is definitely one for you.
Casey says
I was in the Southern Rocky Mountains, Ice Lakes Basin, as a late summer rain storm approached. I broke part of a tent pole while setting up in the wind and rain. I was glad to have my Mora 2000 as my hands were getting cold and wet. The repair was made with 550 cord, tape, and an improvised splint which I carved. The pole held for the druation of the trip. We caught some nice trout and prepared our meals with the Mora. I use other tools for heavy work, but this is a great knife.
Thomas Xavier says
Glad it worked out, sounds like you did hell of a job!
Jacob says
Currently serving in the Border Ranger Battalion in the Norwegian army, and this is one of 3 (4) knives issued to us. About half of us get this, and the other half get a crappy knife from Fiskars… Everybody also receives an 8″ Sami knife from the Norwegian knifemaker Strømeng, and a multitool (Victorinox or Leatherman ST300.
I agree with everything you say here, it truly is an underestimated blade!
Thomas Xavier says
That 8″ Sami looks cool based on photographs I have seen. I am surprised you all get issued one!
I wonder why half of you get the Fiskars, is it random?
Jacob says
Yes, it seems to be. Different parts of the army use different knives, but the Fiskars is the most common back-up blade. I believe our battalion is the only one getting a Mora, but since they already had a pile of Fiskars lying around they gave out both. Not sure of what will happen in the future, as I don’t think this model is being produced anymore, and it’s fairly common to bring that knife back home after service….
My group are probably the last recruits to receive the Sami knife, as we were told they were replacing them with a few extra Bacho Laplander saws in each squad (from todays 2 saws for 14 men to 4-5 saws). Big mistake in my opinion.
Other knives I know of that our forces use are:
Fällknifen A1bz/F1(b)z
SOG GovTac
Sog Pentagon
Other variations of the Sami knife
HK-416 Bayonet
These are ones that I know have been issued to different groups the last years, but most people end up using a private knife brought from home, often a traditional Norwegian knife like Helle, Brusletto or Strømeng. I on the other hand got a Böker Vox Rold on my belt, and an old CS Trailmaster Stag with CarbonV in my locker, for the heavier work :)
Thomas Xavier says
Man, getting a Fallkniven issued must feel like winning the lottery- do you get to keep the knives after your service?
Super interesting stuff Jacob, thanks for sharing!
Jacob says
We are not supposed to, but some people tend to “loose” parts of the gear they like, and suddenly having a similar piece at home. They have to pay up to around 75% of what the army/navy/airforce/home guard is bying it for, but it is still way cheaper than buing it from any shop. It’s a kind of “expected and unofficially approved but not technically okay” situation.
I already own the knives my battalion are issued, so I won’t have to do that. But as they say, time will show :)
Most sergeants here carry a Fällkniven F1z, but they bought it themselves.
After my first leave I brougth up some new steel, and so I currently got my trusty CS SRK in carbonV as my main field knife, with an Ontario kukri for the heavier work. In camp I usually carry either a Fällkniven F1 in a custom kydex sheath made by me, or a CS Master Hunter in 3V (I think you would like that knife, it cuts great!) as my fixed blade edc. Either one is coupled with my issued Victorinox multitool and a folding knife (which for the moment is the CS Finn Wolf, but will be switched with CS Recon 1 tanto and the Spyderco Manix 2 soon). Also got ca 10-12 ft of paracord and a ferro rod as my key chain (fairly common practice here).
I used to run a sharpening service back home, and made some custom knives once in a while. A few people up here use me for sharpening quite often now, and a some guys have ordered some knives as well. A sergeant is waiting for a 9″ beast of a seax, which I can’t wait to start working on. I’m just waiting for him to get me some reindeer antler!
Might also make one more of these for another guy here, if I only can find time…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKCESQNjLSK/?taken-by=jacobaskeladd
Thomas Xavier says
Thanks for answering mate, very interesting. Glad to hear you have a set up that works for you. I love my Cold Steel SRK- one hell of a high value knife. Those custom knives look like Finnish Leuku right? Very cool, I always liked the lack of a guard (allows choking up for detailed work) and simplicity of these blades.
Jacob says
Leuku is just the Finnish name for the larger, broader Sami knives found all over northern Norway, Sweden and Finland. There are minor variations of course, depending on the maker and the region, such as thickness of the handle, materials (Finns tends to use more reindeer antler, while birch and brass is more common in Norway) and decorations. The Finnish knives also tend to be more ornate.
Smaller Norwegian knives, such as the “tollekniv” (“carving knife”, better known by the Finnish name puuko)are pretty much also the only ones to traditionally use laminated steel, which you don’t really find on traditional knives in Finland or Sweden.
Most Scandinavian knives don’t have guards, and traditonally they have fairly short handles. That is so you can choke down on the handle and place your pinky under the pommel (four finger grip with one curled up underneath) for piercing cuts / chopping, while still being close to the blade for detail work. It works surprisingly well.
Knives have generally been a necessity for life here, historically speaking, and it is still a part of our national costumes. Those knives are very ornate though, yet still perfectly functional. Google “bunadskniv” to see what they are like.
It is also not uncommon for a child’s first gift to be a knife. We even have an old saying: Knivlaus er livlaus (A knifeless man is a lifeless man)
Thomas Xavier says
Thanks for sharing all that information Jacob. Sorry about the commenting system making replying such a pain- nothing I can do about it! Check out our forum (link on the top of the site)- we would love to have you around!
Knivlaus er livlaus – I love it! I have written that down for posterity. ;)
R. L. Jiner says
The 2000 arrived today, and I am pretty impressed after all. I am an expert at finding things to complain about, and I really can’t say too much. A friend who knows absolutely everything about knives and guns explained a few of the finer points to me, and what seemed stupid at first now makes sense. I recommend this knife!
R. L. Jiner says
I appreciate your review! It does address a lot of issues about which I had been wondering. I ordered a 2000 a couple days ago for another shark fishing expedition. Last time, I realized that I needed better than what I had, and decided on this.
For myself, I would appreciate some kind of guard. Slimy things and knives without guards do not go well together. Also, I would like to see some provision for a lanyard on the knife (a simple hole in the handle), and another hole in the sheath for survival stuff.
I would assume Mora at least gave these issues a passing thought, and maybe they just didn’t think them necessary. In a perfect world, the knife would also float. The world, however, is far from perfect. I assume Mora knows what they are about, and intend no modifications.
Thomas Xavier says
To be honest, I like the lack of a guard. Its like a modernised Mora Classic and very neutral to hold.
That said, my Mora 740 has a guard and I also love it too so who knows!
JT says
i have this fun fact to contribute with: Mora 2000’s funny looking tips,was actually made as a request for hunters,for spreading butter on there sandwiches when they where out hunting. (at least my friend at Mora Company said so)
Thomas Xavier says
Interesting fact- so what I thought was a pseudo tactical flourish is in fact a butter spreader. Hilarious!
Thanks for sharing JT!
Tony Dong says
Hello Thomas. I wanna ask you question. Does mora 2000 work with fire steel well? What about mora 511 basic or mora champion? Does Hultafors Heavy Duty GK work well with fire steel? I need a mora or Hultafors knife which is more fit fire steel.
Thomas Xavier says
All of the listed knives work with a fire steel should you use the edge of the knife (not recommended but in a survival situation its perfectly acceptable).
Some of them (the Mora 2000 for example) have a rounded spine so if you want them to work with a fire steel (using the spine and not the edge) you will need to file a section to a straight/90 degree angle. Not hard at all and definitely worth it.
André says
Hello!
Very nice review! I´ve used Mora 2000 for at least 15 years. Both as a hunting/fishing knife and as a all purpose knife. When I was a cadet at the Swedish Military Academy the Mora 2000 was my choice as a EDC. Mora Bushcraft series was not available at that point. As a cadet it´s up to you what knife you want to use. The Mora knives it´s not considered to be very cool or tactical by most military personal in Sweden. Most likely because they are very cheap. They prefer more tactical brands like Gerber or Fallkniven. My own experience is that these brands do not have anything that I can´t do without. Mora knives is a good knife for most uses and holds a great edge. They are really easy to re-sharpen as well. At least for people that have that skill set.
My family has used Mora knives for a very long time for very various uses. I have tried different brands but always returned to Mora knives, the Mora 2000, Companion (called Clipper before) and now the Bushcraft Black. But I do like the Buck 112 as a back up blade.
When I was at survival training in my basic training I also used a Mora 2000, there was nothing I could not to do with that knife. I still have it, as a reminder of those days. The swedish survival society (Svenska Överlevnadssällskapet) also recommends Mora knives as a good knife for there survival training.
Anyway, I enjoyed reading your review! I will check your other articles. Be well!
Thomas Xavier says
Thank you for your feedback André! I consider the Mora 2000 to be equal in practical use to the Fallkniven F1 and other heavier, more “heavy-duty” survival knives.
I can’t think of anything the Mora 2000 could not handle in the real world!
What other knives do Scandinavians regularly use in the military?
André says
Hi!
The standard knife for the soldiers is either the Mora 511 or the companion with carbon steel. At some regiments they give the soldiers the Mora 2000. But because the 2000 is more expensive this is not very common.
If a soldier or a non-commissioned officer/officer want’s a knife of there own they can choose whatever they want. The pay this out of there own pocket.
Fallkniven, like the F1 or the S1 is fairly popular. Some choose the smaller wm1. My own experience is that these knives have a kind of grind I don’t like. And that they are pretty hard to re-sharpen in the field, because of the hardness of the steel. Those that own the skills to re-sharpen cutting tools don’t buy Fallkniven knives, at least that is my experience from the armed forces.
Thomas Xavier says
Very interesting, I have always loved the aesthetics of the WM1 but as of yet I haven’t owned a Fallkniven. Gotta give them a real test one of these days!
How strict are the regiment codes with regards to bringing your own knives? Size limits?
André says
There is no official size limit for knives. But if the soldiers want’s to use a knife of there own choosing, they are told to show the knife to their commanding officer. If it’s not to big they can choose to use it as a all-purpose blade. So it’s pretty much up to decide for the commanding officer. But most soldiers use a Mora knife, most likely because that they have to pay themselves for any other knife.
Be well/André
Really helpful! says
Hey Thomas, wanted to thank you for this! Very detailed review and nice helpful pictures! Ordering this knife later tonight.
Thank you!
Thomas Xavier says
You’re welcome. Enjoy your new shiny!