“The knife is the balance point for survival in the bush. Without it, you have to stay on the move. With it you create the opportunity to rest.”
– Mors Kochanski
How do you get yourself ready for any situation when you are out and about in the lost world, exploring or diving around in rock pools, climbing mountains or trekking trails. What is your number one “go-to” thing that is always close at hand? To me it’s a proper piece of blade supported by a comfortable handle a.k.a. a good Knife. It can be the difference between getting a fire going or sleeping cold it can be the difference between getting a kill for dinner or going hungry, it can safe your life in so many ways it’s hard to fully comprehend the sheer functionality a good knife can offer you in the great outdoors.
Quite some time ago i have been given 3 knives to test out in all my adventures and traveling and i think its now safe to do a proper review about them as they have been working in different conditions and environments ultimately putting them to the South-African test!
The blades i received came from a little town called Mora, half-way across the world in Sweden. They have sent me 3 very unique knives each being better in its own way for its own purpose. My collection of Morakniv knives are now at a tally of 4 as I previously bought one of their other knives locally from the outdoor shop.
So the lineup they sent incl the one i had looked like this, the collection consists out of the Eldris neck Knife kit, Kansbol Multi-Mount, tactical survival black and the Companion knives respectively. Now these are not the typical knives you buy from a flea market or any backyard outdoor shop, they are the real deal and made from excellent Swedish traditions and i must say they lived up to their name in every sense!
The Eldris Neck Knife Kit:
Right off the bat i knew i Would have a soft spot for the Eldris as it is the smallest of the lot and would be the easiest for everyday carry (EDC). Its a super sturdy knife and comes with the piece of para-cord, a flint and clip latch as part of the Neck Knife kit or you can use the belt holder and then hip carry this little rascal. The blade is super sharp and robust and features a rigid top edge rather than the more traditional smoothed rounded off look, but this in turn helps for the use of the flint, as now you no longer have to use the cutting edge to strike your flint, you just flip the knife around and use the back bone edge to get the fire going, thus leaving your cutting edge sharp for longer.
This knife fits perfectly in my hands and it is really fun to use, it handles swift and on point and decently “clips” into the plastic sheath. I use this knife almost everyday, be it for chopping food or just cutting of some rope or frays from clothes. The Handle is made from a really tough plastic that provides great grip and it can really take a beating, I also prefer the plastic sheath as it adds to the robustness of the package, its not a sheath that will collect grass seeds sticking to it nor does it have the Velcro wearing out problems like most conventional knifes. All in all i think this is just a super knife! Most definitely a must for anyone looking for a knife that can handle anything you chuck at it, a knife that works hard and does so with ease with the 2 inch Stainless blade length. Since i Got the Knife i took off the piece of chord for hanging it around my neck as i personally feel its a little bit bulky to fully conceal beneath a shirt and it bounces around when its not tucked in behind your shirt when walking so i carry it in the inside top pocket of my German NATO Parka where its close at hand and always ready for any adventure.
Kansbol Multi-Mount:
The Next knife on my list is called the Kansbol Multi-Mount and it is also a really great knife for a bit more hardcore adventure and roving about, it weighs in at 231 grams with a multi-mount sheath its ready to be stuck on any piece of your adventure kit to head out and about and it is MOLLE ready. This knife is quite interesting and fun to use as the blade has its own unique shape where the front part of the blade has a hollow grind to form a taper towards the tip, making this knife super accurate and even a tad lighter in hand without sacrificing robustness. This knife will handle it all with ease and has enough back bone to carve away at thick pieces of wood to create some tinder for a fire or even should you wish to craft with it. the sheath can be used with the multi-mount bracket combined with some supplied Velcro straps or you can use it as a belt carry by slipping on the hip mount instead of the clip lock strap. The Picture above shows the sheath in the multi-Mount clip. The sheath is also a sturdy plastic as well as the knife handle, in my opinion this knife will last a couple of lifetimes over and still be handling what ever the situation requires, its a fun to use and great looking knife and attracts attention when whipped out to use in the field. I have strapped this bad boy to my camera bag for when i am out and about and might need a bigger blade than that of the Eldris, the Kansbol is never far away. The backbone of the blade itself is also a rigid edge to help with the use of a flint in the field, same like the Eldris you can strike a spark with the back of the blade rather than using your cutting edge, this is truly a knife to have and use especially if you are on a tight budget as you get a whole lot of knife for a great price!
Bushcraft Survival Black:
This is the real deal! The Bushcraft Survival Black is all about surviving the great outdoors should the zombie apocalypse hit the wold you know you will be ready for it if you own one of these!! The knife has a solid 3,2mm blade and not only that, this is a Carbon steel blade which means that the knife will keep its edge a lot better. But…all that glory comes at a cost, being carbon its more prone to be attacked by rust…BUT…before you get all worried, there is a simple yet effective solution to the “problem”, simply just wipe your knife down with a dry or oil cloth after extensive use in wet conditions and you will prolong the knife lifespan. In the above photo i had the knife in and around a lot of water and i just shoved it back in the sheath and left it in my camera bag for about a week or so before i took it out for the first time and believe it or not there was not even a single speck of rust present! I recon the black coating also acts as a protective layer to some extent.
This knife comes with an interesting sheath, its got a flint embedded that can be removed as well as a small pad of diamond coated sharpening that’s mounted on the side of the sheath. so…what does that all mean to you? well, when you are out and about you will not have to worry about losing your flint as it gently clicks into place on the sheath so you will be able to create a fire where ever you need to. In order to create a good fire you will most probably have to carve up some tinder or kindling for the prime fire starter thus using the knife and over time that may lead to a dull cutting edge but now you are in the position to be able to sharpen your knife on the piece that’s attached to the sheath, so you really have everything you might need to survive in the field.
The Grip is nice and solid and made more from a rubber compound than hard plastic and it feels of better quality in-hand and sits very comfortable even under tight grip, the rubber sees to a good grip in dry or wet conditions and it does not become sticky like rubber grips tend to doing. The blade is blacked out to minimize the reflection element in the field and i think it looks super bad ass!
I have this knife in my car so that i never forget it when i leave home, its close at hand and is not afraid of working hard to an almost brutal extent, this is my Go-To knife in the field as it is built to last!
The Verdict:
All in all i cannot find one thing to disappoint about these knives, they are very very VERY sharp, they seem to stay sharp for quite some time, the quality is Excellent (I expected nothing less from a Swedish made Blade). They feel good, they are user friendly and sturdy enough to last for a great deal of time even under extreme usage conditions. I am very happy to have them and i cannot wait to test out and use the rest of the lineup! watch this space to see more of their great products!
to see what Morakniv is all about and what they offer feel free to visit their website at : https://www.morakniv.se
