ABOUT MORA

Without a shadow of doubt in my mind, Mora knives are among the best field knives in the world and, when one considers the modest prices for the quality on offer, they are World Beaters.

I obtained my first Mora some thirty-five years ago and was startled by just how sharp it was straight out of the box. It was the first knife I had ever owned that I could shave with without sharpening and stropping it first. It has seen use over the years and its carbon steel blade has withstood the tests of time. It's still razor sharp (I keep it that way ... almost religiously) and, over the years, I have added other Moras to the stable.


My first Mora celebrates its 35th birthday in 2020.

Knives have been made in the Mora region of Sweden for more than 400 years, so they have a bit of history. In 1891 a lumberjack called Frost-Erik Erson founded a timber sledge factory that manufactured sledges, trolleys, and knives and by 1904 the company were exclusively producing knives at  a rate of 19,000 per year. In 1912 an employee of Frosts left and started his own knife making company: Morakniv.

Today, Morakniv produce 7,000 knife blades per hour from carbon steel, stainless steel or laminated steel. The steel is treated to make it harder, tougher and increase edge resiliency using different hardening furnaces: one for stainless steel and one for carbon steel. The actual hardening process is a company secret, as that’s the factor which gives their knives the steel’s unique qualities – such as sharpness, strength and flexibility. Knives are sharpened and then polished to a razor sharp finish at a rate of 30,000 per day.

MY TOP MORA KNIVES

So here's my Top Picks of Mora knives in order:

MORA GARBERG (S)

 

This is a phenomenal piece of kit, but first, the specs:
 
OVERALL LENGTH  :   232 mm (9.13")
BLADE LENGTH  : 109 mm (4.29")
HANDLE LENGTH  : 123 mm (4.84")
BLADE THICKNESS  : 3.2 mm (0.13")
WEIGHT approx.  : 272 gr (9.59 oz)
TANG TYPE  : Full Tang
BLADE TYPE  : Drop Point
EDGE TYPE  : Scandi-grind
BLADE MATERIAL  : Stainless Steel :
Sandvik 14C28N [55-62 HRC]
HANDLE MATERIAL  : Impact Resistant Polyamide
SHEATH  : Multi-mount Plastic or Leather

 

 

BUY GARBERG
AT AMAZON

 


What do I like about the GARBERG? Well ... everything! For a start, it's the only full-tang knife that Mora make and with a thickness of 3.2mm it's Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel it's incredibly strong and can easily take on the most rugged batoning jobs - even on hard woods. Being thicker than most other Mora knives means that it splits the wood more efficiently. It also does a great job batoning across the grain to cut a piece of hard wood cleanly. The tang actually protrudes out of the back of the polyamine handle, so it can be used for hammering, grinding and cracking/breaking.

Being stainless makes maintenance of the knife simple and it holds a keen edge for far longer that a carbon steel knife and the bonus of not rusting just adds to its . Of course, it takes a little more work to sharpen it, but I reckon the pro's of stainless far outweigh the con's. I've also found that it is a nicely balanced knife, which makes working with it a treat.

The scandinavian grind means it does a great job of carving and producing feather sticks for fire lighting. I have used it to make everything from wooden spoons to figure-four deadfall traps with ease.

The spine is sharply ground at 90°, so throwing big sparks from a ferrorod is a doddle. One thing I've found is that even that protruding end of the tang is ground at 90° and I can throw even bigger sparks using that end. The sharp edges also make it a treat to rub down fine wood shavings for catching a spark.

The handle is symmetrical and has a rhombus pattern on its cheeks, which helps to make it nice and grippy, even when wet, and feels very comfortable in the hand even when using a reverse grip. It's made of high impact polyamide, which makes it practically unbreakable ... and I like that.

It is available with a very nice leather sheath with fold-over press stud flap or in a sturdy plastic sheath with the Mora Multi-Mount system (see further down the page) which is MOLLE compatible and makes it very versatile for attaching to a wide variety of packs, belts, slings, etc. The knife clicks very securely into the plastic sheath and I have never had it fall out.

I can't speak highly enough about this knife. I've been using it for over a year now and cnnot fault it. I can't claim that it's indestructible (I don't believe there is any knife that is), but it's close The bottom line is that if I were to only be able to take ONE knife with me into the woods then I would always choose the GARBERG hands down. For the money it can't be beaten.
 

MORA KANSBOL

 

Before I fell in love with the GARBERG my goto knife of choice was the Mora KANSBOL.
 
OVERALL LENGTH  :   226 mm (8.90")
BLADE LENGTH  : 109 mm (4.29")
HANDLE LENGTH  : 117 mm (4.61")
BLADE THICKNESS  : 2.5 mm (0.10")
WEIGHT approx.  : 177 gr (6.24 oz)
TANG TYPE  : Partial Tang
BLADE TYPE  : Drop Point
EDGE TYPE  : Scandi-grind
BLADE MATERIAL  : Stainless Steel :
Sandvik 14C28N [55-62 HRC]
HANDLE MATERIAL  : Polypropylene
SHEATH  : Multi-mount Plastic

 

 

 

BUY KANSBOL
AT AMAZON

 


This is a lighter, thinner bladed knife than the GARBERG, but that's partly why I still like it. It's made using the same Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel, with all the benefits that I've already mentioned above. But it's almost 100 grams lighter and 0.7 mm thinner.

I used this knife for a good two years before I invested in the GARBERG and can attest to its utility.

Like the Garberg, its spine is sharply ground at 90°, so it's an excellent spark thrower and I've started many a fire with it.

If I'm travelling light then I have no problem carrying the KANSBOL over the GARBERG. So, if you're looking for something lighter and/or your pocket won't stretch to the Garberg then the Kansbol is an easy choice.

Also available with the Mora Multi-Mount system.

 

MORAKNIV MULTI-MOUNT

THE MORAKNIV MULTI-MOUNT
is a brilliant and extremely versatile mounting solution, allowing the knife to be mounted virtually anywhere you want.

It is fully compatible with the MOLLE standard mounting system and has strategically placed screw holes and slots for different types of straps.

The knife is kept secure in the mount with a velcro strap. It allows a secure mounting as well as a fast and easy attachment.

A quick video of how to use the Multi-Mount

Both the GARBERG and KANSBOL are available with the super Multi-Mount option.

 


BUY THE MULTI-MOUNT AT AMAZON 

MORA BUSHCRAFT SURVIVAL (sometimes sold as one of the Mora Outdoor knives)

 

The BUSHCRAFT SURVIVAL KNIFE was my choice before I bought my first KANSBOL
 
OVERALL LENGTH  :   232 mm (9.13")  
BLADE LENGTH  : 109 mm (4.29")
HANDLE LENGTH  : 117 mm (4.61")
BLADE THICKNESS  : 3.2 mm (0.125")
WEIGHT approx.  : 212 gr (7.5 oz)
TANG TYPE  : Partial Tang
BLADE TYPE  : Drop Point
EDGE TYPE  : Scandi-grind
 BLADE MATERIAL  : Stainless Steel :
Sandvik 14C28N [55-62 HRC]
HANDLE MATERIAL  : TPE Rubber
SHEATH  : Plastic with ferrorod and
diamond sharpener.

 

 

 

 

BUY
BUSHCRAFT SURVIVAL
AT AMAZON

 


This is a thicker bladed knife than the KANSBOL, making it ideal for more rugged tasks such as battoning. It's made using the same Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel, with all the benefits that I've already mentioned above. With the attached quality ferrorod and the spine sharply ground at 90° it makes fire starting a doddle.

You'll never get caught out with a blunt blade, as the attached diamond sharpener means that you can keep this knife at its razor best without having to carry extra sharpeniong equipment.

All this makes the BUSHCRAFT SURVIVAL an excellent one knife carry and will serve you well, no matter what the task ... and you'll never loose it in that hi-vis orange.

MORA OUTDOOR (sold as the Craftline Robust in USA)

 

 
 

The MORA OUTDOOR
 
OVERALL LENGTH  :   209 mm (8.25")  
BLADE LENGTH  : 91 mm (3.6)
HANDLE LENGTH  : 117 mm (4.61")
BLADE THICKNESS  : 3.2 mm (0.125")
WEIGHT approx.  : 140 gr (4.9 oz)
TANG TYPE  : Partial Tang
BLADE TYPE  : Drop Point
EDGE TYPE  : Scandi-grind
 BLADE MATERIAL  : Carbon Steel
HANDLE MATERIAL  : TPE Rubber
SHEATH  : Plastic

 

 

 

 

BUY
OUTDOOR
AT AMAZON

 


Another thicker bladed knife, just as useful for battoning but at a real budget price. But don't let the price fool you ... this is everybit a quality Mora knife. I bought one of these quite a few years ago (when it was sold under the name "Mora Robust" in the UK) and it served me well in ther field until I could afford a more expensive Mora.

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