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Mora Creates Lightweight, Floating Fixed Blade

June 25, 2018

Mora is giving the fishing industry a new tool with the Floating Serrated Knife. The company may be targeting a specific market but says the FSK’s lightweight cork construction is finding admirers outside of its intended audience.

Both the FSK’s handle shape and its 3.7-inch blade length recall the lines of the popular Mora Basic, albeit with a few important changes to adapt the design for mariners. Industrial fishermen can use the FSK with confidence that dropping it into the water doesn’t necessarily mean a lost knife. The knife gets its name from a layer of cork that encircles the polymer core handle, allowing the FSK to float if dropped in water. The stainless steel blade comes fully serrated to chew through netting and other fibrous material, and has also been de-pointed so it won’t accidentally puncture anything onboard.

Mora tells us that the only major trade off for the lightweight properties of the cork handle is a drop in durability. “It is of course less durable than our normal polymer handles when it comes to bending or putting it to any type of harder force,” says the company’s Björn Åkerblom. But he also notes the cork’s benefits go beyond its floating ability. “On the other hand it is very comfortable and provides a good grip in all conditions, including wet environments. And of course it’s extremely light.”

The FSK’s construction cuts the weight down to 3.07 oz. – a number which has caught the eye of users outside the fishing industry. Ultralight campers, backpackers, and hikers who measure every ounce of gear they carry have taken to the FSK. Åkerblom sees this demographic as a major market for the FSK, and suspects that others could follow. “The audience is actually quite large and versatile,” he says. “I am sure there will be other roles where the FSK will be very interesting, but that is yet to be discovered.”

Specialized knives help Mora achieve its desire to offer something for everyone. By catering to niche markets with models like the FSK and 2017’s Rookie, Mora draws in customers who may not otherwise turn toward a recognizable knife company. “Morakniv is active in more different segments and target groups that more or less any other knife company,” Åkerblom says.

Mora is hard at work bringing the FSK out worldwide, and it’s expected to arrive in the US later this year. Some are wondering if the FSK will be the first in a series of cork-handled knives, but no plans for that exist at this time. “We cannot say anything for sure about future models that may or may not be released,” Åkerblom explains. “What I can say is that of course it has crossed our minds, but at this time there are no ongoing projects around any other cork handle knives.”

Knife featured in image: Morakniv Floating Serrated Knife

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