There's little else in life that will make you feel more powerful鈥攐r useful鈥攖han carrying an uber-sharp knife. The one I always take with me聽is the聽聽($30). Swedish Morakniv聽has been building high-quality,聽inexpensive knives since 1891, and the聽Eldris, which has become a staple of聽my camping, watersports, and everyday kits, lives up to that legacy.聽
All Moraknivs聽are made in Mora, Sweden, and feature steel blades, either聽, , or , and rounded, oversized plastic handles. The Eldris聽stands out because of its odd size; the 2.3-inch blade is actually shorter than聽the handle. Although it looks funny,聽I've found the short, fixed blade to be super useful. It allows me to put more pressure into a cut without feeling like the blade might break. I'm much more comfortable whittling hardwood with the Eldris than I am with knives five times its price. It works great for whittling shavings for a fire, grooming the perfect s'mores stick, or creating the occasional wood-carving.聽
The Eldris's stainless steel blade hasn't lost much bite after a year of consistent use. The flat,聽ground spine can be聽used as a striker for magnesium or fire steel, a handy聽feature to have on an adventure knife. The included plastic sheath does a good job protecting the knife in transport and gives a satisfying click when secured properly. If you spring for the聽, you get a neck kit, which includes a lanyard, fire steel, and a secondary聽silicone button lock聽for added security.聽