Morakniv Eldris

The Eldris from Morakniv is the answer to requests for a pocket knife made by Mora. However, they said, they have no experience in folding knives, but instead came up with this little neck knife.

With a blade length of just under 6 cm, it is a very small tool that just does not look like a "real" knife but instead like a toy.

The truth is, it is a very capable tool for finer tasks such as carving and big enough for most other tasks like food preparation. Just don't expect it to be good for slicing big loafes of bread. :)

All in all it is well suited for most tasks I have out in the woods except for fire preparation. For that, I need a slightly larger tool. But the Eldris is not designed to baton wood anyway.

Having a knife on me feels natural. I am carrying knives every day since about 20+ years when I first joined the scouts and have had few days since without one on me. Obviously in the city I don't carry a 3-4 inch blade with me, but mainly pocket knives. However, decent folding knives are not to be legally carried in Germany anymore, and I had to resort to either a knife without a locking mechanism (no way!) or a fixed blade.

So I carried folding knives for the most part of my life, but had to resort to small fixed blades. I've carried several and was not always happy. Have had the great Fallkniven WM1, a Spyderco Street Beat, an ESEE Izula II, a RAT3, a Böker Bud Nealy, amongst others.

All these had one thing in common: The handle was far from perfect for working, since they are designed to be slim. Also they look more like a small weapon than a proper cutting tool. The Eldris is different. It is designed to be a tool and everyone seeing it, instantly knows: This is a tool, not a weapon.

Out in the woods I have carried a wide selection of knives. Fallkniven F1/S1, Benchmade Bushcrafter, Muela Kodiak, Martini Lappland, Mora Bushcraft Black, Mora 2000, Mora Classic, Mora Companion, BRKT Bravo 1, Enzo Trapper, and a few more.

I prefer to carry at least two knives, when I'm out. A small neck knife and a larger utility knife.

The blade is quite short, but therefore very controllable. The handle fills my hand well and is not only controllable but very comfortable. I've been carving with it for a few hours and have not had a sore hand nor hotspots.

I've been carrying it inside my pocket since I got it. It is quite bulky for this application, but it fits neatly next to my purse. Great EDC! I work in the IT business and a knife is nothing you might need all the time. But when I get it out, my colleagues are not scared but actually find the Eldris cute.

In the woods, I carry it as a neck knife. Readily available, just one short grab away, it comes into play much more often than my belt knife. It is a very convenient way to carry a tool and the locking mechanism of the sheath works very well. I am not sure how well it will hold over time with wear and tear, but for now it just works and won't get into your way.  

A plastic sheath, a firesteel, paracord and an additional lid to secure the knife is what I got with it. I don't know yet, what exactly will be in the package, if you buy the full set for 43 €, but that should be roughly it.

• The sheath, as already mentioned, works great. It is ambidextrous and simply works. Featuring two drainage holes that also double as a loop for the cord to carry it around the neck, it is not beautiful but practical.
• The firesteel is about my only pain point. It is a very soft one, so you'll have to strike a longer distance to get sparks off. While that might be okay with bigger firesteels, the one provided simply is too short. It works if you grab the cordage attached to it, but I would have had preferred a harder one, like the great Light My Fire rods.
• The additional lid to secure the knife is nice for people who want the extra security. For me, it gets in the way if I want to put my knife back. So I have no need for that one.

According to Morakniv the Eldris will be available in the end of August 2016.
Price will be 27 € for the knife and sheath; 43 € for the whole set.

In my opinion that is quite expensive for a Morakniv if you compare it to a Mora Robust, a Mora Classic or the Mora Companion. However, if I ignore that and simply judge the value of the knife to me and ask myself: Is it worth 27 €, the answer is a huge YES!

Is the firesteel, the length of paracord and the other accessories worth another 16 €? Maybe. It is a nice little package. I would rather carry a bigger firesteel like a Light My Fire Scout attached to my trousers, but that is just preference.

In fact it is a little early for real conclusions. However, I'll draw some anyway.

I really, really love the knife! The handle size, the texture, the grip of the rubberized edges, the sheath. I simply love it and will get a few more of them. Right now, I have one in red and my girlfriend has a yellow one. But we'll get blue and green as well for sure. :)

In the past weeks the Eldris was a great companion in the woods and often enough I reached out for it instead of my trusted belt knife. 

Would I choose the Eldris over my Izula II or my Fallkniven WM1 to carry as a neck knife in the woods? Every time! Well done Morakniv, good job!