Heavy-duty knives can be expensive and the cheaper models are often of poor quality and a waste of your money. The Morakniv Companion is the exception as this is one of the best all-around outdoor knives out there that comes for a more than reasonable price.
Morakniv is a company in Sweden that has a long history of building knives that stretches back to 1891. The company name comes from the valley “Mora” in Sweden.
The valley has several different factories that produce knives with a history of knife making going back some 400 years. All knives that are made in this area will be marked, with ‘Mora’ and/or ‘Sweden’ on the blade, and with every Morakniv knife comes a royal lifetime limited warrant granted by the King of Sweden!
Table of Contents
Morakniv Companion Specs
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Pros
- Great quality & performance for the price.
- Ideal for wood carving
- Good for some heavy duty tasks
- Good edge retention and easy to re-sharpen
Cons
- Poor quality sheath
Size and Weight
The Morakniv Companion has a total length of 8.5” and is build with 3/4 length tang construction. It is just big enough to wear comfortably on a belt. The knife is quite lightweight, 4.1 ounces, a tad on the light side for me, but it is well balanced in all the right places.
Handle
The solid handle of the Morakniv Companion has a simple, smooth classic design. The handle offers a solid grip and good maneuverability. It has a removable pommel, which is really nice. The handle is comfortable to hold and it doesn’t tire the wrist after long use.
The material used for the handle of the Morakniv Companion is polymer, which is a strong high-density plastic material. Polymer handles do not demand such care as handles made of wood or steel. However, the downside of knives with plastic-type handles is that can become slippery when they get wet. An upside is they are totally water-resistant.
To prevent slippage the handle has a high-friction TPE rubber finish. The handle might lack the aesthetics of wood-handled knives, but the rubber finish enables you to hold the knife more safely and securely.
Blade
The Morakniv Companion features a 4” long blade that is just 0.1″ thick. The knife has a remarkably thin plain cutting edge and a slim clip point tip. It has a good looking smokey mirror finish.
You can choose between a stainless steel version and a high carbon steel model. The high carbon steel model is sharper but more vulnerable to oxidation.
High carbon blades are also very reactive to chemicals and oxygen. So they can corrode and rust very, very fast. It takes extra care to keep a Mora in good condition.
I went with the stainless steel version for this review. Mainly because the high-quality Swedish Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel is less vulnerable to corrosion. The steel provides excellent edge performance and it is razor-sharp. The steel is hardened to 57-8 Rc.
The edge is ground in the razor-sharp Scandi fashion, at a 22-25 degree angle. The Scandi grind is a traditional element of Scandinavian knife culture. Scandi grinds are renowned for their woodworking ability.
A blade with a Scandi grind dulls faster than other knife grinds but is much more easily sharpened, especially in the field. A downside of a Scande grind is that the grind and polish on the spine won’t draw sparks which would enable you to start a fire.
The blade keeps its edge relatively long and it is incredibly easy to sharpen which makes this knife a great pick for beginners. It is also a reliable pick for more seasoned knife users.
Sheath
The Morakniv Companion comes with a plain, simple color-matching sheath. You can choose between nine colors. The sheath is a nice secure fit and it makes a satisfying click when holstering the knife. It has a belt clip so that the knife can be attached to your rucksack or belt.
The sheath has a drainage hole at the bottom and it features a thumb ramp on the corner of the sheath. You can push off it with your thumb to disengage the knife from the sheath. Overall it is a decent sheath taking into account the low price.
Performance
The Morakniv Companion can compete with much more expensive knives, especially when one uses a knife for which it is made: cutting. The Morakniv Companion is also very versatile it can be used for various outdoor tasks and it is an ideal secondary hunting knife. It is also a fine knife for and filleting.
The Morakniv Companion is not a heavy knife, as it is only 4.8 ounces but it is still fit for some heavy-duty tasks. I tried out different techniques for making firewood.
I used it to cut through small branches, chopping, and even batoning was no problem with reasonably small diameter woods. It is perfect to cut tinder.
Verdict
The Morakniv Companion has outstanding quality and it comes razor sharp out of the box. The quality and price point of the Morakniv is hard to beat, for this price point, you are getting an excellent all-around knife, from a legendary Scandinavian knife maker. It is easy to see why they are so popular.
There are a wide range of colors available, I went with the orange one myself. The quality stainless steel blade with the historic Scandi grind is really sharp and holds an edge longer. The plastic sheath is not made of the greatest material out there but it is well designed and durable.
I am very impressed that such a quality knife comes for such a cheap price. I highly recommend picking one up if you are looking for a cheap but great heavy-duty outdoors knife or you might be looking for a cheap secondary knife. The price is practically a steal considering how well this knife is put together.
You can check out this article to find out what we found to be the 5 best mora knives in 2020
