Hunters need sharp, durable knives for many reasons. Hunters need them for skinning, fire starting, protection, and slicing up dinner by the fire. Over many years of hunting, I have used and abused many different knives. One knife company whose knives I had not used until 2020 is MORAKNIV out of Mora, Sweden. Known simply as MORA for many hardcore fans. For the last six months I have been using two knives made by MORA. The MORAKNIV Garberg (black) and Kansbol (in olive drab green) were sent to me to field test and give my honest, no-nonsense review of both. This is a review of the MORAKNIV Garberg.
The MORA Garberg is a beast of a knife. Lightweight it is not, it makes up for the weight in sheer durability. Also made of stainless steel with a full tang fixed blade, this knife also has a polyamide plastic handle. It also has a matching polyamide plastic sheath . The blade is 14C28N Sandvik stainless steel that is razor sharp and made for tough jobs. The backside of the Garber also has a 90-degree square blade spine ground especially for use with a fire starter.
Total length 9.0 inches (229 mm); blade length 4.3 inches (109 mm); blade thickness 0.13 inches (3.2 mm); weight 9.6 oz. (272 g)
Razor sharp right out of the box, this knife was different. It was heavy and you could tell it was built to work on tough jobs, but it was also balanced. I decided to cut my firewood with it and see if it could take a beating. It was able to take a beating, cut more wood, and it was still very sharp after. I cut enough wood for an evening fire using the knife and another small log that I could grip (to use as a hammer). The steel is very strong and I did everything I could to leave a dent or bend in it with the logs. Even hammering on it for a half hour left it looking new.
The handle on the MORAKNIV Garberg has a great pattern cut into it that caters to handling in wet conditions, which is great when handling a heavier knife in the rain. We don’t get a lot of rain in SoCal, but I was able to test this feature with a garden hose. The grip is easy to hold and allows you to hold the heavy duty knife well. Please keep in mind there is no protection should your hand slip, so use common sense.
The full tang extends out the handle has a butt that sticks out that can be used for many things. It can be a hammer, can be a tool to grind or crush (nuts, spices, rocks), and a blunt instrument to break glass (as an example).
Also on the Garberg is a lanyard hole where you can run your own lanyard. Personally, I don’t care to use a knife with a lanyard. They get in my way, but it’s there for those who do like that feature.
The Garberg blade is solid, incredibly sharp and strong. The knife is heavy duty, but is easy to use. This would make a great survival knife and skinning knife. I think for skinning, this would be better off used first as your hands will get tired from holding it after too long due to the weight. Honestly though, it’s not the heaviest knife I’ve ever used and would work great when skinning a feral pig with thick skin.
The MORAKNIV Garberg is a great heavy duty, survival, and bushcraft knife. Field testing was fun and this knife took a beating. Many of my minimalist, hiking buddies have told me for years to get a MORAKNIV. They were spot on! I figured this knife would be in the $150.00 range, but MSRP on the Garberg is $79.99 and that’s a steal in my opinion. For those looking for a tough as nails, back country blade that can withstand abuse in the field, the MORAKNIV Garberg is a great knife to have on you.
Be First to Comment