Reddit reviews Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival

Here's the reason to take an axe on an extended trip.... It's safer. The longer the axe, the safer it is. The short arc of the hatchet means it'll hit your body before almost anything else, an axe however, has a better chance of hitting the ground before it hits your body.

Then pick yourself up a copy of Mors Kochanski's Bushcraft and see his diagrams and descriptions of it.

I say, get a boy's axe, one that if holding the head in your palm the handle fits into your armpit.

http://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-Outdoor-Skills-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1551051222/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1368375342&sr=8-2&keywords=kochanski

http://www.amazon.com/The-Outdoor-Survival-Handbook-Navigation/dp/0312093594/ref=pd_sim_b_5

http://www.amazon.com/Survive-Essential-Skills-Tactics-Anywhere/dp/0061373516/ref=pd_sim_b_22

http://www.amazon.com/Wildwood-Wisdom-Ellsworth-Jaeger/dp/0936070129/ref=la_B001K8CVQW_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368375505&sr=1-1

My Bible.

Bushcraft by Mors Kochanski: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bushcraft-Outdoor-Skills-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1551051222

Not only is it great read, if you take a good knife with you, you'll never be bored

I know I'm late to the game, but here's my contribution.

I do and have used a Mora, actually the same exact knife, essentially as my only fixed blade for about five years (with a backup when I go out alone); the first year as a student at a survival school and the next four as an instructor. My school sells and recommends Moras as well, so I've seen a lot of them and a lot of other knives and I've seen a lot of abuse. I've never seen a Mora break, but I've seen other knives break (Buck, specifically). Recently I've begun carrying another knife that someone made for me as well with my Mora as my backup. Here are my thoughts on your questions:

• The model I carry is the Bushcraft Triflex. It's carbon steel with a hardened spine. I've never carried a stainless steel knife, but we sell those too and I've never seen any rust, though we're in a pretty dry environment. I agree with XELBRUJOX's comments on stainless. Mora claims their stainless knives stay sharp longer, and I agree, but they also take more effort to sharpen.
  
• Any oil will work. When I have my choice I use mineral oil.
  
• Do an image search for "mora tang" and you'll get plenty of results, and add the specific model if you want to see that
  
• Other than me, Mors Kochanski and Cody Lundeen both carry or have carried Moras as their main knife. In Mors' book Bush Craft, he talks about his test for a good knife is that if you can burry it to the hilt in to a tree and stand on it, then it's a good knife. He does that with his Moras with no problem. Here's a video of his technique for cutting down a small tree with a Mora. Incidentally, I've batonned and billetted my Mora regularly for five years with no problem. I don't pry with it, but I'm never afraid to apply force in the same direction as the cutting edge.
  
• I've never used my spine with a ferro rod, but I do regularly throw sparks from chert and other hard rock (stainless won't work for that). I think flattening it would work for the ferro rod.
  
• I haven't used the #1, but Mors actually cuts the finger guards off of his knives that had one, and I think he preferred the #1. If you've never seen his book check it out, it's a great resource.
  
  Here are my other thoughts:
  
  
• The worst thing about Moras are the sheaths. They're cheap and won't last, so do yourself a favor and make one that works or get one made. I have seen people lose their knives because of shitty sheaths.
  
• My favorite thing about Moras is the grind. A Scandinavian grind is the most versatile bevel for what I find myself doing, like carving fire sets, splitting wood, cutting food, butchering large game (sheep, deer, elk), skinning, carving traps, etc. My second favorite thing is the steel. That said, there's nothing magical about a Mora, it's just that the majority of readily available knives have a steeper compound/double bevel that's harder to sharpen with a stone (for beginners) and doesn't work as well for fine carving, like for fire spindles. Mora knives do everything I need them to do in my environment. I don't carry a saw or axe, and don't feel like I need to, but you're requirements might be different.
  
  edit - formatting
  

• [BushCraft 101] (http://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-101-Field-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1440579776) by [Dave Canterbury] (https://www.youtube.com/user/wildernessoutfitters)
  
  
• [BushCraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival] (http://www.amazon.com/Bushcraft-Outdoor-Skills-Wilderness-Survival/dp/1551051222) by [Mors Kochanski] (https://www.youtube.com/user/morsKochanski)
  
  
• [Essential BushCraft] (http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Bushcraft-Ray-Mears/dp/0340829710/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425230789&sr=1-1&keywords=ray+mears) by [Ray Mears] (http://www.raymears.com/)
  
  *** EDIT: Adding
  
  
• [BushClass] (http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/forumdisplay.php/132-BushClass-USA) by BushCraftUSA

You should check out:

Cody Lundin 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive

Dave Canterbury Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Surviva

Mors kochanski Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills and Wilderness Survival

Lofty Wiseman SAS Survival Handbook: The Definitive Survival Guide

George Washington Sears Woodcraft

Horace Kephart The Book of Camping and Woodcraft: A Guidebook for Those who Travel in the Wilderness

Warren H. Miller The Sportsman's Workshop

I also compelled a list of youtube channels that are worth checking out for another thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bushcraft/comments/40e53a/field_dressing_game_rabbit_for_meat_fur/cytpjd5

And lastly the common sense answer go out and enjoy the wilderness.

I actually picked up a original style wooden Mora after reading this. You can still get the laminated carbon steel/wooden handle full tang Mora at Ragnar's.

It doesn't. If there was an economic meltdown then gold & silver would be as worthless as paper money, people can't eat or shoot with gold. If you are buying gold for an investment then wonderful but if you are looking to survive an economic colapse your money is much better spent on property and guns. Learn how to farm, Learn Bushcraft and buy a few months of food reserves.