Spotlight: Mora Garberg Multimount bushcraft knife

Immediately after its release in 2016 the Mora Garberg had quite the impact. Budget brand Morakniv introduces a £100 knife? 'The nerve...', is what most bushcraft enthusiasts thought. At least: until the first enthusiasts got a hold of one. It was love at first sight!

To understand why the Garberg was such a remarkable step for the Swedish brand you need to know which tools actually put Mora on the map. It were budget knives such as the Mora Companion. A simple and decent knife, perfect for bushcraft and hunting purposes, which will cost you no more than 20 pounds. Many bushcraft enthusiasts started their first fire with this knife. And even people who spend hundreds of pounds on outdoor knives, often own one or multiple Mora Companions. This fact alone tells you more about how beloved those knives are.

Morakniv Garberg

But Morakniv felt it could do better than the standard knives they had been producing for a while. It is exactly why the Garberg entered the stage. It took years before the final design was ready. Morakniv has done everything in their power to create the most durable Mora knife ever, perfect for those who only want to carry around one tool. Experts such as Dave Canterbury, known from the Discovery Channel, tested the Garberg in the field and gave feedback to make this knife even better. The product developers at Morakniv went to extremes and did everything in their power to make sure the Garberg was as good and strong as possible.

You need to be able to rely on an outdoor knife such as this. For that reason the construction of the Garberg is so great: no individual parts, no screws. Simply a steel blade with tang surrounded by a strong plastic handle. Different field tests have shown that the Garberg can handle quite a lot.

Morakniv Garberg Dala Red

This year, we added a special version of the Garberg to our range. The distinctive red colour of the handle is an ode to the Morakniv Classic collection. The red handle was chosen to give the knives a slightly more luxurious look. Originally, Morakniv intended to make the handles from mahogany, but this would make it too expensive for a knife meant to be used. That's why they chose to stain the birch wood to give it its red colour.

In terms of blade Mora worked with a type of modified clippoint. As a result the tip is perfectly positioned in relation to the handle. As you might already expect from Mora the Garberg is also enhanced with a scandi edge. Perfect for wood work and easy to sharpen.

Sandvik 14C28N steel

For the blade Mora selected a great type of stainless steel: Sandvik 14C28N. For Mora it was the first time they worked with this type of steel, but in the knife world 14C28N already proved its worth a million times over. Strong, abrasion-resistant and easy to sharpen. It also retains its sharpness well.

Carbon steel

A few years after the Morakniv Garberg with Sandvik-steel blade came out, a carbon steel version was released. Officially, Morakniv doesn't specify which type of carbon steel they used. We suspect that the carbon steel is UHB20C from Uddeholm. This steel is fairly similar to the famous 1095 carbon steel, but it's a little 'cleaner' in terms of components, and it has a slightly higher carbon content. This steel is incredibly tough and can handle its own. In addition, you can sharpen it with limited means. Corrosion resistance is something to keep in mind: the carbon-steel Garberg doesn't have it. That is why Morkaniv has added a coating to the blade of the Garberg Carbon. The edge still requires a little TLC. In terms of blade Mora worked with a type of modified clippoint. As a result the tip is perfectly positioned in relation to the handle. As you might already expect from Mora the Garberg is also enhanced with a scandi edge. Perfect for wood work and easy to sharpen.

Handle on the Mora Garberg

Mora selected polyamide for the handle. A strong type of plastic that can handle quite a lot. The plastic handle is completely wrapped around the tang of the blade. As a result your hand will never get into contact with the steel tang of the blade. Especially in very cold or very hot circumstances this is a massive advantage. Your hand won't freeze onto the tang when it is -20 degrees out. The round shape of the handle feels great in hand, even when you use it for a long period of time. The front and back have been enhanced with subtle protrusions that ensure you won't slip and end up on the blade. The way that the middle part is a little thicker than the end of the handle is called a 'palm swell'. As such the handle nicely fills your hand, making it perfect for both small and large hands. The full-tang blade protrudes from the back of the knife, perfect for scraping tasks or to use as a hammer.

Perfect for building fires

Many bushcraft enthusiasts feel that the Garberg is perfect for building fires. With its scandi edge splitting kindling and cutting feathersticks is child's play. But perhaps its most important asset it the way the spine of the blade is sharpened.

It is perfectly square and very sharp. Not so sharp you will cut yourself during use, but sharp enough to make sure you can effectively use a firesteel. In fact, we still need to find other knives that can do better than this. It is also perfect for scraping tinder from fatwood or birch bark. The end of the tang, the steel part that is sticking from the back of the handle is just as sharp. As such the Garberg is incredibly versatile in this respect.

Morakniv Garberg sheath

When you go out into the world you will also need a decent sheath. The basic version of the Garberg comes with a strong plastic sheath with belt loop. For those looking for a more comprehensive option, there's the multimount set or the survival kit. There's also a more luxurious version with a leather sheath.

The Multimount system is basically a plastic holder you use to secure the sheath. With the individual Velcro straps you can attach the mount to a MOLLE compatible web. You could also screw the plastic base on any surface where the knife might come in handy. The knife is nicely secured inside the sheath, however, for more security Morakniv also included a ring with a retention strap to make sure the knife will never leave the sheath when you don't want it to.

Conclusion

Initially, the Morakniv Garberg could count on some scepticism. However, by now the Mora Garberg has been embraced by the bushcraft community. The argument against the price of the Garberg is no longer relevant, simply because the quality and finish got so much better compared to the 'old' Mora knives. Exactly what Mora has been excelling at for years. Whichever version you choose, the Garberg is a knife you can enjoy for years to come.