If you’ve hung around the knife or outdoor community for more than a second, you’ve likely heard of the Morakniv knife brand. After quite a few years of using their knives and an extensive amount of research, here are my thoughts on Morakniv and whether they are a good brand or not.
Morakniv is a very well-respected knife brand. In fact, many consider Morakniv to make some of the best outdoor knives for the money. Knives made by Morakniv have a reputation for being durable while remaining budget-friendly. The company has won many awards and has been around for over 125 years.
One of the first knives that I ever owned was a Morakniv Companion, and it was one of the significant catalysts that got me into knives and the fantastic community that comes with them.
There is quite a lot to cover on Morakniv to assess whether they are a good and trustworthy brand, so let’s quit wasting time and get right into the in-depth analysis.
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Is Morakniv a Good Knife Brand?
Overall, the Morakniv brand seems to be a trustworthy and reliable company that makes some pretty impressive and budget-friendly knives.
I often thought that cheaper knives were always garbage and useless for actual jobs, but Morakniv is a stark example of the complete opposite. Morakniv has found, created, and fuels an excellent market for cheap and accessible knives that are actually reliable and well made.
Before we continue, if you’re looking to get a Morakniv knife for yourself but are unsure which are full or partial tang, I wrote this helpful guide to help you out. Enjoy!
Morakniv As a Company
From its time with ten employees managed by Frost-Erik Erson to the world-renowned and respected company it is today, Morakniv has been around for a long time. Morakniv has a very intriguing and lengthy history, with roots going all the way back to the 1800s.
In 1988, two knife companies (Frost of Mora and KJ Eriksson) joined forces and became what we know and love today as Mora of Sweden, also known as Morakniv. Morakniv has been around for well over 125 years.
From all of my research, it is impossible to find anything substantially wrong or off with Morakniv. The company seems to have an immaculate record. In fact, there hasn’t been A SINGLE major controversy surrounding the company or its products in the recent past.
Overall, Morakniv as a company is very well-liked and respected in the outdoor community. None of my research brings up anything significant regarding the company that should make you pause or be wary when considering one of their knives.
Morakniv Products
As I have already said many times, Morakniv products are very durable, affordable, and well designed. I’m not just saying this either; I’ve owned many Morakniv knives, put them through a ton of extensive use, and they hold up amazingly well.
Morakniv has a pretty extensive lineup of knives and tools, and they all seem to be very high quality and reliable.
Morakniv makes all of their knives in Mora, Sweden. Morakniv has always made their knives in Sweden, which doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon. As outlined in their production process, Morakniv puts a ton of emphasis on the quality of their products.
Overall, the general consensus of Morakniv products is exceptionally positive. I have used and owned many Morakniv products and have yet to be let down, disappointed, or had something break that was the company’s fault.
Morakniv’s Key Strengths
Morakniv is doing many things right when it comes to making knives and building a brand, and they have a few key strengths that really set them apart from the competition.
Make sure to check out my article on the reasons why Mora knives are so good and popular. There is a ton of really great information in there, and it’ll definitely get you hooked on Mora knives if you aren’t already!
In the next few sections, I’ll take a look at a few of the strengths that Morakniv has in their company and products. There are obviously MANY more reasons than those listed below that point to Morakniv being a reliable and good company, but these are just their most prominent strengths as a brand.
Affordability
One of the key ingredients to the success and popularity of Morakniv and the products they make is their affordability.
When you’re looking for a good and reliable new knife, the vast majority of the truly good ones out there come with a very hefty price tag. The thing that initially got my attention and made me first get a Morakniv knife was the low entry barrier due to their budget-friendly pricing.
While calling Morakniv knives “premium” may be a bit of a stretch, the bang for the buck that you get is very impressive.
From all of my research, I have been hard-pressed to find a company making such good knives at such cheap prices (in fact, I haven’t found any). The affordability of Morakniv’s products is undoubtedly one of the company’s strengths, and it sets them apart from a lot of the noise in the busy knife industry.
Design
Morakniv was one of the original companies to make the knife design known today as the Mora knife. While all authentic Mora knives are made in Mora, Sweden (Morakniv is the primary manufacturer of true Mora knives), other companies have taken elements of the original design and have made their own Mora knives.
The design for Mora knives originally came from traditional Scandinavian blade and tool design.
Mora knives are very simple and streamlined, yet very practical. It is this minimalistic design that makes Morakniv knives so truly amazing and wonderful to use.
Many brands add extra design features and elements to their knives which only clutter the design and sometimes take away the tool’s practicality. However, I haven’t seen any of that with Morakniv products due to their reliable and consistently minimalist design.
From one knife model to the next, Morakniv has improved and tweaked its design, but it has stayed very similar to the original throughout the years.
You can do a LOT of things right when making a knife, but if you don’t get the design right, you ruin the entire thing. Morakniv seems to have the balance just right and makes very well-designed knives.
Durability
The durability of a knife, or nearly any product for that matter, is hugely important. Morakniv has a bit of a reputation for making extremely durable and sturdy knives, which has become a defining characteristic of the brand.
I have owned a single Morakniv Companion for MANY years at this point, and not once has it chipped, bent, or broken in any way. And just to be clear, I have consistently used and beat up that knife, and it refuses to give out.
The advantages of a super durable knife reach beyond just a more prolonged time between needing to be replaced. A durable knife often means a more reliable knife, and that is what most people want (and need) from a blade.
To say that Moarkniv has the durability of their blades and products down may be a bit of an understatement. Morakniv knives are so durable that they often compare with the durability of knives many times the price. The durability of their products is defining characteristic and critical strength of the Morakniv product line.
Morakniv’s Critical Weaknesses
Every brand cannot only have upsides and strengths, and Morakniv is no exception. There are very few things that Morakniv is terrible at, but I’ve worked hard to identify the two most significant things.
And to be honest, none of the critical weaknesses mentioned below should be a deal-breaker when deciding which brand your next knife should be. I have used and continue to love Morakniv, and none of these weaknesses have bothered me too much throughout my time using their products.
But these weaknesses and downsides to Morakniv are there, so it’s only fair to point them out so you can have a more thorough understanding of the company and its products.
Plastic Sheaths
I would not be the first to say the sheaths that come with some Morakniv knives are less than stellar.
By no stretch of the imagination are all Morakniv sheaths and accessories all terrible, but there are a few bad apples among the crop. The main offender is the plastic sheath that comes with many Morakniv knives, such as the Morakniv Companion.
I’ve definitely seen worse sheaths, but it just doesn’t stand up and match the stellar quality of the knife that it accompanies. It’s quite simple to either make a new sheath for your Morakniv knife or purchase a better quality one, but it is a bit of a letdown.
You are primarily purchasing the actual knife when you buy a Morakniv knife, so you can’t complain too much. Just keep your expectations of Morakniv sheaths in check, and you should be fine.
Select friends and people I’ve talked to actually like the Morakniv plastic sheaths, so there is a chance you will too. But objectively, it is a pretty poorly designed plastic sheath with a shallow clip that does not live up to the quality and design of the knives it often accompanies.
Brand Recognition
While Morakniv has become better at it over the last few years, the branding and brand recognition of Morakniv is pretty poor. To be fair, I am speaking for their advertising and branding in the U.S. (I don’t know how it is in Sweden or other places around the world).
Unless you are somewhat active in the knife or outdoors community, Morakniv is not a very well-known name. It is also quite confusing to know which name Morakniv goes by due to their knives being branded as “Morakniv,” their company being called Mora of Sweden, and their company also being referred to Morakniv AB.
It’s just a bit of a mess and can be quite confusing to an outsider looking in.
Besides only a few gripes and weaknesses, Morakniv as a company is a good brand that makes stellar knives and products. Below are a few of my favorite Morakniv knives of all time, so make sure to check them out if you’re interested!
