Morakniv is a knife company that has grown in popularity in the past few years. It is a company that is starting to take over the knife company because of the fact that they offer knives at a very affordable price. In this article, we will look at Morakniv in-depth to see just how good their knives are, if they actually make good knives or if it is all just marketing hype. 

Here is the short answer:

For the price, Morakniv knives are very good. However, compared to more expensive knives, such as those by Benchmade, Spyderco, or Buck, the knives offered by Morakniv don’t hold up nearly as well. 

Now that we have looked at the short answer, we can look closer at the company, their knives, and a general comparison to other companies.

Morakniv history 

Morakniv, a Swedish company with a rich heritage dating back to 1891, is renowned worldwide for producing knives at very affordable costs. They manufacture all of their products in the town of Mora, Sweden. For over 130 years, they have honed the Swedish way of knife-making and even hand-assemble all of their wooden-handled knives.  

Morakniv knives overview 

Materials: Morakniv knives are crafted from a variety of materials, mostly stainless steel and carbon steel, but they don’t often specify the type of steel, for the blades. They also use everything from Ash to injection molded plastic to polymer for their handles. Generally, they use middle-of-the-road materials, nothing too reliable but nothing that will fall apart after the first couple uses. 

Scandinavian Grind: One of the more notable features of Morakniv knives is the Scandinavian grind. This grind, characterized by a bevel that extends from the spine to the edge. This increases the edge retention of the knives. However, this will make the edge more prone to chipping. 

Design: Morakniv knives are designed with functionality in mind. The knives are often very comfortable in the hand and the blades are just the right length for a multitude of tasks from bushcraft to hunting and fishing. 

Affordability: Morakniv knives are usually extremely affordable. This makes them accessible to a wide range of users. This is also one of the reasons they are so popular. Most of their knives range from 15-30 dollars, so anyone can get one. 

Reliability: Morakniv knives are not known for being very reliable. They are not something you would want to entrust your life with, but if you are just out for a day hike or a small bushcraft adventure, they will do the trick.

Downsides to Morakniv knives 

Now that we have looked at the details of Morakniv, we can look at the downsides to their knives.

Sheath: While Morakniv offers a range of sheaths for their knives, their sheaths are often not the best quality. They are usually made of plastics and don’t hold up well to heavy force. 

Tang design: Because most Morakniv knives have a stick tang, they are a lot less likely to hold up to heavy forces such as batoning or other chopping. 

Stainless Steel Variants: While Morakniv offers both stainless steel and carbon steel options in their knives, some users may prefer the performance characteristics of carbon steel, such as better edge retention. However, these carbon steels rust and stain extremely easily and require a lot of maintenance. 

Best Morakniv knives 

Now that we have looked at the ins and outs of Morakniv, we can look at the best knives that they offer. 

Morakniv Craftline  

The Craftline is an extremely affordable fixed-blade knife that offers good performance and is extremely versatile while being simple in design. It has a 3.6-inch blade, is 8.1-inches overall, weighs 3.9 ounces, and has an injected molded sheath. If you want an overall versatile fixed blade knife that is good for fishing and hunting, this is a good knife to look at. 

Morakniv Garberg 

The Garberg is one of Morakniv’s more expensive knives that is built for survival. It has a full tang 12C27 4.3-inch blade, is 9 inches overall, the sheath has a feral rod, a built in diamond sharpener, and reflective paracord. Because this knife has a full tang, it is going to be far better for bushcraft as it will hold up better to heavier cutting tasks such as chopping and batoning. 

Conclusion 

In essence, Morakniv knives present a balance between performance, reliability, and value. They have been around for over 130 years, and once you get your hands on one of their knives you’ll see why. Even though they have their downsides- like their limited durability and being susceptible to corrosion-they still have their place in every outdoor man’s or woman’s hand.