Whether you call it a Mora, a
Mora Knife or my best attempt at the phonetically more correct
Morakniv, a Mora is an absolutely iconic budget knife.
We like to say that Mora stands for Mora Over Really Anything
because they're so good and so inexpensive that it's often hard
to justify recommending anything else. But can this icon be beat? Hey everyone, David C. Andersen
here coming at you from the KnifeCenter and welcome to this
episode of beat the icon where we take a look at the Morakniv.
Now, knives are being made in the Mora region of Sweden, which
is where these get their name from for over 400 years. But the
seeds for the modern company started in 1891. And there's
been various knife making companies in the more region
over the years but the last two big holdouts finished
consolidating only fairly recently, fully consolidated in
about 2016 to form the Morakniv company. This is the classic
number two kind of the classic old school style of a more a
knife. And the things that are great about this one low price
even though these aren't the lowest price versions anymore.
Bush crafters love the scandi grind on this knife, you can
kind of think of it as like a double plain chisel. It's great
for carving wood, especially some of the softer European wood
spirit wood species out there. It just works fantastically. But
it's also just the general purpose grind that Scandinavian
knives would come with in order to do everything. And for that
reason, even today, they're great for just about anything.
Some of them are priced low enough. They make great beater
knives that don't feel like cheap knives, even though they
are inexpensive, and he can do just about anything, you can put
them about just about anywhere. And you can use them for just
about anything. Now the question comes now, for doing this beat
the icon series. How do we come up with some representative
models? Because we're not talking about just one model? In
this video, we're talking about, you know, the more as a brand.
So what are the representative models here? What about the
Garberg? Some of you may already be saying, well, the Garber is
undoubtedly a very durable, very high performing knife and it's
something that more enthusiast have been clamoring over for
years. You've got a full length Tang, you've got great blade
shape, great ergonomics. But the reason moras are iconic, in my
mind is not because of what the Garber is, you know, the more is
iconic, because they make knives that are so inexpensive, that
don't feel cheap, that they outperform their price range,
far beyond what you would expect. And the garbage doesn't
quite do that. So great knife. Not we're what we're going to
talk about. We do have to talk about the classic style of the
number two right here. These come in right now these days
about $36. So not the cheapest more is out there. The classic
wood handles here take a little bit more time a little bit more
cost, but they feel great. They work in a ton of different
grips. They come with a carbon steel blade, some old versions
were even triple laminated. I don't think you can get
stainless on any of these versions currently. But the
carbon steel is roughly equivalent to 1095 if they're
still using the same stuff I'm familiar with sheath is simple
and lightweight and compact injection molded with a leather
flap here on the back for your belt loop. We also have to take
a look at the companion which in my mind is kind of the
quintessential modern Mora injection molded handle partial
Tang but a pretty robust Tang going on there and the start at
about 16 or $17 depending on which version you get. You can
get a version with Sandvik 12 C 27 stainless steel or their C
100 carbon steel which is roughly 1095 equivalent as
mentioned, you can get thicker versions heavy duty versions as
well to add a few dollars. But these things feel great. You've
got a just over four inch blade. In fact on both of these knives,
you're dealing with about a four inch blade just over four inches
on the number two actually. Great ergos great in a lot of
different grips feel way more premium than $17 that this
particular orange accented version goes for and they come
with a very hearty injection molded sheath again compact
lightweight, comes with a clip here on the back that with a J
hook on the bottom that'll help secure it to your belt and you
can use hanging off of some of the other accessories as well.
Fantastic value knife. And this right here is why more over
really anything is a thing because it's so nice and so
inexpensive. One more we're going to look at as we look at
the competition, the bushcraft black before the Garberg came
out this was the go to for folks who wanted a more a knife that
was affordable and was built incredible leat robustly it is
not a full tank here, but you do have a pretty robust pretty long
tank underneath the injection molded handles, the blade is a
little bit thicker 3.2 millimeters. It comes with the
bush crafters favorite feature the crisp spine, so you can
scrape with it, you can strike a fire steel, and it just feels
very good as well sheath on this one. There are a few different
sheath options available. This one has injection molding, and
you can either throw a clip or a belt loop on the back here, both
are included in the package of this one, and the start about 46
bucks right now, all three of these knives make great options.
They do things a little bit differently. But what else is
out there, what can hold a candle to these if anything I'm
going to show you and you're going to let me know, let's
start with some of the something that might compare favorably to
the classic style more. There's actually not a lot out there in
this price range. And price range is important when we're
talking about this that bushcraft black, there's like 46
bucks. So anything on this table, nothing's gonna be over
$50 Today in the 2024 pricing scheme anyway, classic more is
about 36 books, we can check out a Finnish brand Marttiini, this
is the Lynx 131, four and a quarter inch blade $45. So not
quite $10 more than the number two, but you can definitely see
a lot of the same nice things going on. We've got a stainless
steel blade here with a more aggressive clip point. I'm not
actually sure the exact makeup of the steel, but they are
pretty well respected. The handles definitely feel a little
bit nicer. You've got curly birch, a little bit of a flair
on the end, definitely a bit more of that finished puukko
style of influence feels great, too. So the question of this
versus the number two is, does it feel $9 more premium than
that you do get at say a more premium sheath stitched leather
all around instead of the injection molding. bit more of a
even more of a classic feel, I should say. The only other thing
that we carry that I felt really could compete in terms of kind
of classic vintage feel, is this next knife it has been
definitely more of an American style flavor than a Scandinavian
style flavor. And that would be the old hickory fish and small
game Kephart style knife 26 bucks and some change. You've
got a four inch blade of carbon steel 1075, I believe, and
hardwood handles full tang in this case. So maybe a little bit
more robust. Still feels quite good even though it is a bit of
a blockier handle. Here it is compared to the number two right
there. What do you folks think the sheath on this is also a
little bit nicer, you've got leather all around simple belt
loop on the back, nothing complex. It's still quite nice.
Alright, let's move on now to some potential competitors to
the companion and in my opinion, this is a real hard knife to
beat. There's a few few options here for you to take a look at
though. The first is cheaper, actually, it's about $1 less
expensive. From Marttiini again, this is the Condor timberjack
starting at about $16.03 and three quarter inch carbon steel
blade more rustic vibes as opposed to the the more speaking
span style look of the Mora but overall length is about the same
so you get more handle. Although it doesn't feel like more
handle, they kind of feel about the same, slightly less blade.
Still nice and sharp. And I should say that's actually a
huge more benefit factory edges on them are absolutely
phenomenal. You've got more of a finger guard on this knife, but
it does kind of constrict my grip just a little bit. It's
going to depend on your finger size, how that's going to feel
and the sheath injection molded, not quite as nice. The plastic
flap here on the back is definitely not as sturdy feeling
as the clip on the Mora but it offers a different style with a
similar price and performance on this should also be quite
excellent. Beyond that cold steel actually makes a few
options that make I think compelling companion
alternatives. The first one is the Finn Hawk right here. You
can see it's definitely got similar info influences as the
more and you know, fin in the name, it leans into the puukko
aspects a little bit more of the kind of Finnish heritage it is a
little bit more expensive than your companions. This is about
$23 So value for dollar is not quite as good and maybe feels
just a tiny bit nicer fit and finish wise. There's less of the
factory grind left on the Scandi portion of the Finn Hawk but
it's a minor difference quite honestly. feels quite
comfortable. You've got 4116 stainless steel, a
German composition, four inch blade nice and sharp, nice and
comfy feels straightening out reverse grip too, and she is
very, very more inspired. injection molded with the same
style of clip and hanger on the back feels really good and if
the ergonomics of this feel like it might be a little better for
you, it's hard to tell without holding it in hand quite
honestly but very good knife, but as I said more expensive. So
let's bring the price down a couple bucks, the Finn Bear $21
Same kind of steel here that 4116 Very similar sheath as you
can see right there and very puukko inspired again, not a
Scandi ground blade on this. As you can see you actually have a
secondary bevel so if the Scandi is what matters to you, this
isn't going to deliver if not another sturdy, everyday knife.
Even more than either of those two knives though I think
there's one knife and cold Steel's lineup that if you don't
care about the Scandi ground aspect, or maybe you do and you
don't want the scandi grind aspect. This knife is priced
right in line with the companions and feels very solid
as well. And that is the Pendleton light Hunter $18. So a
buck or two more than a companion you get that German
made steel. You get that nice finishing on here. The
horizontal grain going on makes it feel a little more premium.
nice comfy handle works in a lot of different styles of grips.
Obviously hunting is in the name but this is just a great general
purpose fixed blade for any kind of outdoor uses. And it comes
with a very more s sheath. Again, check that out. What do
y'all think? Next up, we're going to look at some
competition to the bushcraft black and here's where things
get a little interesting because the bushcraft black, in my mind
has always kind of had a little bit of a split personality.
Bushcraft is in the name yes, it does Bush crafty stuff quite
well. But the handle and the shape and everything does more
like it definitely feels like it is a compelling tactical option.
If you want an affordable knife that is sturdy and can serve
tactical rolls, this doesn't feel out of place. They're due
to the finger guard and the shape of the tip. It's got
enough belly to do hunting style tasks, or just again, just any
kind of outdoor uses. So what we're going to do with the
bushcraft black competition is actually split off those
different portions of the identity and look at the
competition. We'll start with bushcraft since it's in the
name. First up, the pterosaur from Condor Joe flowers designed
full length Tang on this, which some will say is superior and 47
bucks and some change are just under $48 For this, so a couple
of bucks more than a bushcraft black, but in some ways it
actually competes more favorably with the much more expensive
Gerberg in some ways anyway. But what do you got, you got just
over four inch blade here at 1095 carbon steel. So for the
carbon steel variants of that bushcraft black, you're dealing
with essentially the same material right there. You've got
the crisp spine, as mentioned, you've got a more neutral handle
and his slimmer handles a little more compact might fit some hand
sizes and hand shapes a little bit better. And then you've got
the protruding Tang at the back that you can use for scraping as
well as hammering on things but you're not going to get that out
of the the more as in this particular price range. sheaf is
also very favorably compared to the more it's actually
ambidextrous. So left or right it'll go in no problem which is
an advantage over the Mora sheets those are set up for
right hand use pretty much exclusively and you've got a
leather belt loop here attached to the slider which can be
removed if you want to just slip it into a pack without it. Next
up another Bushcrafter the United cutlery bushcraft
Explorer, we got to talk about this it's about $40 So undercuts
the the bushcraft black just a little bit, 1095 high carbon
steel. So same type of material, four and a quarter inch blade
and hardwood handles here just scream bushcraft This is a
classic bushcraft-y shape at this point, feels very
comfortable. You've got that full tang for rigidity. You've
got a really compelling sheath option right here. You can carry
it either horizontally or vertically on your belt. We've
got retention straps, Velcro on these. You've got a standard
belt loop there. Lots of knife for your money quite honestly,
the reason I think this is maybe not as popular as it could be
everything about this knife screams bushcraft, but it's
missing one key feature that most Bushcraft knives
specifically want to have and that's the scandi grind it may
look like it but you've actually got a hollow grind here with a
secondary bevel. Still an excellent feeling knife it's
still going to perform but it's not going to do necessarily that
bushcraft thing quite as well as a you know a Scandi grounded
knife might Your mileage may vary your use cases may vary. So
this is definitely an option worth taking a look at. All
right, next up What about some knives that can kind of, you
know, go after the hunting side of something like the bushcraft
black? Well, we've got a I've got a few here that are kind of
in between price wise between the companion and the bushcraft
black some might say they might compare more favorably to
something like the Kansbol and the Mora lineup. But I don't
have that on the table today. So we're gonna talk about some
hunters now the book light max to large hunter from a buck
knives so $32 us made knife and held up against the bushcraft
black you can see here, let me do this a different way you can
kind of see some fun similarities going on right
here. blade steel you're dealing with 420HC, Buck gets a lot of
performance out of that steel. The handle feels very locked in
works excellent in a pinch grip, especially thanks to the bevels
right there. And obviously this is made as a hunting knife so
it's makes sense that the grips would work well for those
bushcrafting grips. If you're doing like some of the carving
stuff, you know the aggressive finger groove here at front
you've got a peek right behind it gets in the way a little bit
of some of those grips, not so much that you can't use it but
it is something to keep in mind. Now the tang on this knife is
full length it doesn't protrude out the back but it does come
all the way back to just wear that rubber overmold the edge so
that's a nice feature. sheath on this knife is simple nylon with
a retention strap and a belt loop. Classic affordable gets
the job done without being too fancy. You've got a hollow grind
on that knife which is very, very hunting in its its nature
especially on this knife. Gerber makes a few knives that could
have made the table but I went with the spine because it felt
the most more alike in its presentation. 35 bucks for this
one 3.7 inch blade drop point with a full flat grind, great
hunting profile, great slicing profile, the handle drops and it
kind of reinforces the presentation of the belly of
this knife which is going to help in those hunting tasks. You
get grip from the rubber but you do have a full tang here. Now
the steel here, seven car series stainless the more options are
going to be seen as a little more desirable, a little more
premium seven car not going to hold an edge. for that long. It
is a fairly tough steel hover so this should be able to take some
abuse especially when you combine it with that full tank
there. One cool little feature about the handle just as an
aside it's got a bit of a pattern to it. That kind of
reminds me of some of the old like Scandinavian sweater
designs so that's kind of I don't know if that was
intentional or not but hey, it's their sheath on this is really a
bit more of a mask almost just kind of clips in to this
injection molded piece you got this long clip here on the side.
Throw that on a belt or in a pocket could work is a little
bit springy though. So keep that in mind if you like the looks of
this feels pretty good though. And the price about 35 bucks.
does it compare to a more you got to tell me All right, next
up a couple more hunting spy inspired things. We've got
another martini and the reason I say this feels more hunting as
opposed to more bushcraft is that hollow grind on this one as
well. 48 bucks for this you got to forage 420 series stainless
with a full tank and G 10 handles so it feels a bit more
elevated. Perhaps then your bushcraft black when you're
dealing with that injection molded handle. Take your pick
whatever you like, handle feels filling and yet neutral at the
same time. It's quite nice. It's going to work in those bushcraft
D grips even though I'm saying this is more of a hunting,
hunting survival type of knife. In some ways this kind of fits
some of those crossover rules similar to the bushcraft black I
would say sheath is quote unquote nicer you've got leather
going on right here with a kind of traditional style belt hanger
right here as opposed to a stitched loop on the back.
Definitely keeps that finish flavor to going on. feel super
solid for the money I gotta say. At this next knife one more
hunting inspired competitor feels least more like of the
things that are on the table. But due to its price and due to
what you could do with it. I think it deserves mentioned and
that is the Schrade 169 old timer heritage fixed blade. Most
Expensive knife on the table today 49.95 five inch D2 steel
blade not going to be as tough as the 1095 equivalent on the
bushcraft black, but it should hold an edge longer. So what do you want in your
outdoor fixed blade? You've got an option either way. So like is
it feels the least more like definitely feels fancier, more
premium style presentation that a more but you can see why that
I kind of say this has some some bushcraft black competition DNA
built into it they're the handles are laminated wood. So
you've got the look of wood dyed wood in this case, but more
stability it's not going to swell like a wood handle can on
some of these classic knives we've looked at. You've got the
integrated bolster and guard just feels super premium almost
a polished blade going on to very very nice sheath. Sorry I
haven't unpacked it but it's leather with a retention strap.
This feels on the table today probably the most knife for the
money. Is it a bushcraft black competitor is it a more a
competitor? Again, you gotta tell me down in the comments let
me know. Alright, last but not least, what about some
competitors to like the tactical side of the bushcraft black the
first knife here I think does a good job of splitting
personalities like the bushcraft Black does but it mostly feels
like it firstly I should say feels like a tactical knife.
That's the cold steel SRK compact This is a $33 knife so
undercuts the bushcraft black here the two are next to each
other. You got a five inch SK5 carbon steel blade should be a
tiny bit tougher than the C 100. The bushcraft black maybe won't
hold an edge quite as long however, five inches straight
clip point flat grind on this knife just a very versatile
shape overall injection molded handle here full length Tang on
it feels really nice thickness compared to the bushcraft black
it's a Scotia thicker. That might be the the blade coating
in this case, however, doesn't feel quite as nice as the
bushcraft black, but it feels just as capable to my mind. The
sheath is maybe a little bit nicer. No Maybe about it. The
sheath is a little more versatile. Certainly secure-ex,
it clicks in quite nicely. You've got a lea- er, a nylon
drop loop here on the back with some attachment options and
versatility in the sheet that you can rig up all kinds of
aftermarket solutions as well without having to get a new
sheet. 33 bucks, what do you think? Two more the Schrade SCHF
31 drop point fixed blade definitely feels tactical. First
and foremost is the $29 knife. However, you've got 8CR Series
stainless steel with a four and a half inch blade and a hollow
grind. You've got rubbery handles, very aggressive
texturing on it to keep it in your grip. Here it is next to
that bushcraft black, you can see the why I make the
comparison between these two, you could definitely press it
into other roles as well. Like the book we looked at earlier,
however, the aggressive peek here behind the index finger
area is going to impede certain grips. If you do any of that
chest lever stuff where you're twisting the knife in your hand
to get the angle you want. Those are going to be affected if not
has a lot going for it for sure. Like the cold steel, we've got a
pretty versatile sheath going on. It is a single piece loop
here on the back. So if you wanted to do some aftermarket
stuff on here, you would have to kind of cut that off, but it is
an option if you want to 8CR steel, again, not seen as as
desirable as the Steel's you're going to find in the Mora range.
fairly tough, fairly okay on this edge retention again for a
$30 knife, but does it beat the icon? That's the question. And
last but not least, I actually wanted to talk about the Ontario
SP five. We didn't have one on our shelf when we wanted to film
so I have the SP one here which is basically just a longer
version the SP two is a five and a half inch blade compared to
the seven inch blade on this one. And it also has a Sawback
but this has you know the tactical side of things
definitely nailed down in terms of your your bushcraft black
alternative, but in my mind this also is kind of always had that
you know, use it for anything, vibe to it. Great beater knife,
carbon steel blade, but like I said five and a half inches
about $45 for it full length Tang. The sheath on these is
nylon, they're ambidextrous, this retention strap can go
either side. So that is a nice option with the sheep sheath.
You've got Molle compatibility as well. Is this to tactical to
be like a Mora competitor? If you're thinking of a more as
just a straight up bushcraft knife, I would definitely agree
with you. But in terms of a knife that's just you can use it
indiscriminately starts to make a little more sense. But anyway,
as I said at the beginning, I'm going to show you the
competition you have to tell me in the comments. What of these
if anything, beats the icon, what can take the fight to the
Mora and when is it any of these knives? Do you know anything
else that might qualify for that? If so, drop those in the
comments as well. And last but not least, to get your hands on
any of these things you see in front of me right now. Click the
links in the description that will take you to
KnifeCenter.com. While you're there, don't forget about our
long running knife rewards program because the least thing
we can do when you buy one of our knives today is give you
some free money to spend on your next one. I'm David C. Andersen
from the KnifeCenter signing off. See you next time.
