The 4 Best Mora Knives on the Market – Reviews 2023

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Photo by Mattias / CC BY

There are many who say that the Scandinavian Mora (named for a town in Sweden) set the standard for woodcraft knives when it first came to prominence about a thousand years ago … and continues to do so today.

But does that mean that you can just go ahead and purchase any Mora knife and think that you’re good to go? Not exactly. There are still certain guidelines to follow when choosing a Mora knife just as you would any other survival knife (these guidelines we go into in detail toward the latter half of this article).

First, though, here’s our review of the 4 best Mora knives on the market:

Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife

The Morakniv Companion knife is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. The stainless steel blade, which has a length of just over four inches and a thickness of 0.1 inch, is highly resistant to corrosion and will have a long service life. But the real stand out of this knife is the grip. It’s a high-friction, patterned design that is not only very comfortable to handle but won’t easily slip out of your hand. A slippery gripped knife is the last thing you want because it can cause a blade-related injury, but that’s averted with the grip of the Companion. Morakniv sells the Companion with a limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty and makes it right out of Sweden.

Bacho 2444 Carpenter Mora Multi Purpose Knife

There are few knives that are equally at home on a fishing trip, on a hunting expedition, or at home in the garden. But the Mora design of knife is definitely one of those few, and the Bacho 2444 Knife delivers everything you would want in one. Granted, it’s not a Morakniv (which is easily the biggest and most reputable Mora knife company out there), but the Bacho still sports a number of neat features on its own that rival the quality Morakniv puts out there. The plastic sheath secures to your belt thanks to a clip, and the blade is made out of a high quality and well polished stainless steel. Total length of the knife is nine inches and the grip is also exceptionally comfortable. If you’re on a budget, this is likely the best Mora knife for the money.

Morakniv Classic No 3 Utility Knife

This is the longest Mora knife out of the options presented on this list, but maybe a longer blade length (6 inches in this case) is something that you want. Like other Morakniv products, the Classic No 3 comes with the company’s limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty and also is made right out of Sweden. The sheath is plastic and comes with a belt clip. The handle on this knife, however, is more traditional and made out of wood, specifically a red ochre birch. Finally, the blade itself is made of a higher quality than stainless steel, being made out of an even stronger and sharper carbon steel.

Morakniv Bushcraft Carbon Steel Survival Knife

Mora knives have and always will be true multi-purpose knives, but if there’s a Mora knife that’s to be used for survival purposes, this one should be your first choice. Immediately, you’ll notice how the blade (which measures 4.3 inches) is black rather than silver. This is because it’s a carbon-steel blade (see full specs) with a dark coating that is anti-corrosive.

The sheath also comes equipped with important survival items, such as a diamond sharpener and a fires tarter. The fire starter will work for over seven thousand strikes and produce a three thousand degree spark with each strike, and it even works when it is wet.

Last but certainly not least, the rubber handle is also high-friction and very ergonomic, so you’ll always feel that you are in control of the knife and your work will be made more enjoyable in the process. Like other Morakniv knives, the Bushcraft is made in Sweden and ships with a limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty. No ifs and buts, this is arguably the best Mora knife period.

Black Scout Reviews - Mora Bushcraft Survival Black Knife

How to Select a Quality Mora Knife

The Mora is a type of knife that will be able to handle all of the things that you will require it to out in the wilderness. Are there any other good knives out there that can also do whatever you ask them to do as well? Absolutely, but there’s no denying that the Mora gets the job done at a very economical value. Let’s talk about the criteria you should consider for choosing a quality Mora knife.

The first thing to consider with a Mora knife is how well its size will fit your needs. Mora knives come in all different kinds of sizes, but if you want one for general purpose work, you will want a blade between four to six inches. This way it is small enough to do typical camp work such as cleaning game or setting traps, while also being long enough for heavy duty tasks such as splitting smaller sized logs.

The next thing to consider is the type of steel that is used for the blade. Stainless steel is more resistant to rust but it can also be a little more difficult to sharpen in comparison to carbon steel. In contrast to this, carbon steel is a little tougher. If you want a Mora knife to be used for heavier duty work such as splitting wood, carbon steel is the better bet. But if it’s to be used extensively, stainless is better because it’s easier to maintain.

Equally as important as the blade is the grip. What good is the blade of any knife if it’s just going to slip out of your hands and cause you to cut yourself? While there’s no denying that wood grips look the most beautiful (which is why we did include one wood gripped, classic looking Mora knife in our article), if you want something that can give you a stronger grip, rubber is definitely the safer option.

Finally, price is the final criteria to consider. Luckily, even the best Mora knives are noteworthy for being economically priced. Not everyone can afford a knife that costs a boatload, and you would most certainly be unwise to spend anywhere near that much on a Mora. Stick with a quality blade that sells for a reasonable value. Good luck!

  • Owner of Reloaderaddict.com, Boyd Smith is a major handgun enthusiast, and although he owns Glocks, he prefers the revolving wheel type. His go-to guns are a Smith & Wesson 642 Performance Center for carry and a Ruger GP100 in the nightstand biometric safe (he has kids). He loads both revolvers with old-school 148-grain Federal Gold Medal .38 wadcutters. It’s OK if you think he’s a wimp. Email him.

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4 responses

  1. The Bahco 2444 IS a Mora Companion, but rebranded! The difference in price between the two blades in this article is because you picked the stainless steel variety of the Companion rather than the carbon steel version, whereas the Bahco is carbon steel. So it doesn’t “rival the quality Morakniv puts out there”, it is the exact same thing.

    • Jeroen: You’re incorrect. The Bahco 2444 is stainless steel. Furthermore, it has a thinner blade than the Companion.

      • Bahco 2444 is an OEM version of the (now discontinued) Frost’s 860 “Clipper” model with Bahco logo and colours. The model 860 “Clipper” is a predecessor of the modern Morakniv “Companion” model. They slightly differ in sheath, handle and blade thickness (Clipper has 2 mm vs 2.5 mm of Companion; the last blade also has polished spine). Bahco 2444 is made on the same Morakniv factory.

  2. I have a Mora Pro S, and am amazed at how much I like it. The blade is a little shorter than the Companion, but that’s not a problem for me. I really like the rubber grip, and the balance is great. It will make a great camp knife, and for carving it’s good for roughing out. I have a Mora 120 for detail work.

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