Mora Garberg Bushcraft Knife Morakniv Review 2017/01/11
The Mora Garberg takes a new path for Morakniv. As a result
the Mora Garberg is seeming to be the truest realisation of
this new direction. It all started with the Mora Robust Pro and
continued on to products such as the Mora Bushcraft Black. These are
both two very capable knives but both lacked full tangs and this is
where the Garberg comes in which offers great durability and a very
solid package overall. This is our full review on the Mora
Garberg.
Introduction
Before we start on the Mora Garberg here are some of the other Mora
(Morakniv) knives we have reviewed.
The Mora Garberg takes a leap toward a
stronger, heavier and more premium feeling product. Consequently as
bushcraft becomes more popular the market is expanding. Customers with
an existing knife are perhaps looking for an upgrade and also to
make more of an investment on their critical outdoor gear.
The Garberg has a higher RRP (over
£100) but with an impressive feature list. Full tang construction, a
3.2mm thick stainless steel blade and exciting sheath options this price
does not seem so unfair. On the other hand a little uncompetitive
perhaps. This is completely subjective. Of course you can be perfectly
suited with an inexpensive Mora Clipper and it's up to the individual to
decide what model is the most appropriate for their adventure and end
use. For those longer more remote trips the Garberg comes into its own.
Pre Use
Before taking the Mora Garberg out into the field I decided to give it a
sharpen and see what the knife has to say before using it in earnest.
Sharpening it out the box, first using my water stones and then using a
SpyderCo Tri Angle Sharpmaker to reach that micro bevel. The knife gets
impressively sharp.
Handle
I noticed how I had to adjust my chest lever grip to accommodate the
handle shape, at first I was slightly put off by this however with time
I have come to prefer the shape of the Mora Garberg handle over some of
my other comfortable knives. So please give it time to get used to this
new shape, I found that putting my thumb length ways along the handle
seemed to work best. The grip material is synthetic with a texture
running on the palm swell. It's not a ‘sticky’ material and it can be
marked with a finger nail if you try hard enough. I didn’t notice the
grip being slippery when damp but it doesn’t excel in this field
either. I feel that Mora chose to make the Mora Garberg an all rounder
and the grip material is an example of this. A compromise between
durability and grip in the widest range of situations possible.
Use
Out into the field for a wood stove fire lighting demonstration and I
was battoning through seasoned hard wood for a couple of hours. The Mora
Garberg worked well at dealing with such hard material, the micro bevel
helps to protect the edge somewhat. After the session I inspected it and
noticed that it was still sharp. Fantastic news for those longer more
remote trips where edge damage is an issue but you may need to consider
taking multiple sharpening implements to fully sharpen both bevels on
the blade. That would mean taking another bit of equipment into the
field. The sheath I chose was the leather option, it does also come in a
plastic multi mount version which could be useful for people who want to
mount it on rucksacks, other equipment or vertically on the belt for
example. I went for the leather as I believe its longer lasting and
grips the knife better. I have a neck knife for when I’m in and out of a
canoe and I have also found vertical belt carry to be unconformable but
this is only personal preference.
Sheath
The leather sheath has a large flap with a solid popper button.
Resulting in a totally secured knife. This flap does take a lot of
getting used to when you come to put your knife back in the sheath. I
see the Garberg as a remote backcountry knife and so you are taking it
in and out of the sheath all the time and so I prefer the extra safety
that comes with the flap to say the convenience offered by always open
sheaths. For when Im instructing knife work I would have another
knife to hand to draw when I needed as opposed to using the Garberg.
Out and About
The Garberg's the spine is great for striking firesteels and also
preparing tinder. Being able to rough up many natural materials using
its ridgeground spine. The finishing on the spine is less than ideal as
mine was a little sharp in places. However you can flatten it with a
stone in no time at all. The knife also has a butt which has the
protruding tang to help reinforce its strength when striking hardened
materials this allows the knife to be a bit more of a handy survival
tool also.
Conclusion
The weight and feel of the knife are solid. I would certainly take it
with me on a longer trip where I would appreciate the durability of the
grind and sheath closure as it provides extra reassurance that you wont
lose your knife accidentally with it slipping out. The addition of that
micro bevel helps in protecting the edge from dings and being rolled.
Overall the Mora Garberg is a great knife and outdoor tool. My only
gripe is that for me the palm swell is just a tad too small. However to
be fair I have this complaint about most knives I use and with this
being a mass produced bit of kit is to be expected and its still
perfectly usable. Highly Recommended!
