Garberg BlackBlade with Survival Kit (C)

Nice knife for the price! Very sturdy knife with a solid sheath. The fire starter comes off if it's not wanted. This knife is razor sharp right out of the package! Sold carry for backwoods adventures!

This was a well thought out design. The knife has a great feel to it. Solid, comfortable, sharp, truely the perfect outdoor tool at it's price point. The sheath having the fero rod and diamond sharpener incorporated into it, makes this an all around great tool. I own many different knives from a lot of manufacturers, some very high end. That said, this is truely a great setup. If I had to get rid of all of them and trust this to get me by, I would not hesitate. No, its not a chopper but it will do just about anything you need it to. This does not feel like your average Mora because its not, it's so much more. Long story short, this is an OUTSTANDING set up, Solid, well designed, comfortable knife/sheath/sharpener/fero rod.

What can I say? Amazing knife. Well known and reputable company. Full tang blade Easy grip handle is comfortable Thick blade ( batoning, shearing branches Sharp 90* on spine to use with a ferro rod Multi position sheath for assortment of mounting style Blade length is long enough for bushcraft work, but not too long for delicate carving Carbon blade holds edge well Best blade I've owned for general purpose utility uses and not worry about breaking Price was great for complete kit I definitely recommend and would buy from Moraknife again!

This is a great survival knife. I have it on my hunting pack, and I take it with me every time I go camping. I also carry a ziplock bag of cotton swabs mashed in vaseline. I'm very easily able to start a fire, and I live in Portland, Oregon, a very wet place during much of the year. I just pull the cotton apart, toss a spark on, and off we go. With the knife, I'm able to easily process wood. It's a good size knife - not HUGE like a machete, but not small and flimsy either. I can baton and feather wood easily. This is my go-to knife for survival, and I've tried other things like the Leatherman Signal (which does more things but isn't particularly great at any of them, and has useless tools not worth the weight on foot), and machete-type things (too big and heavy without the ability to finely control them). I would recommend this, the survival edition specifically, to anyone who spends a lot of time in the outdoors. It's a great tool to fulfill your Ten Essentials. Aside from that, I just love using it. It's well made and easy on the eyes, and a delight in the hands.

The Mora Garberg is an exceptional piece of craftsmanship that truly stands out in the world of outdoor knives. Its full-tang carbon steel blade is incredibly durable and holds an edge well, making it perfect for a wide range of tasks, from wood carving to food prep. The handle is ergonomically designed, providing a comfortable and secure grip, even in wet conditions. The knife's robust construction and versatile design make it an ideal companion for any outdoor enthusiast. Plus, its sleek and minimalist aesthetic is a bonus! Overall, the Mora Garberg is a reliable blade and pairs well with my Victorinox Venture Pro.

Love this knife. Holds an edge well. Easy to sharpen when needed. 90 degree spine for a fero rod. Just an excellent all around knife. Not a huge fan of MORA’s sheaths but a leather replacement solved that.

Long review. If you’re pressed for time (or have the patience or reading skills of a second grader, skip to the end). I have a few Garbergs and lots of Moras (I give them away all the time). The Garberg is a great knife, well finished and sturdy. All mine (stainless and carbon) have come with sharp edges and even grinds. Functionally, I have no complaints with this knife. At first I questioned why others think it’s overpriced. Sure, you can get their other models for under $50, most under $20, some under $10. I used to agree with others, “Hey, it’s better steel, thicker, more sturdy, and you can even get more sheath options!” Well… Yes, it’s thicker steel, but the increase in material doesn’t really justify such an increase in price. Yes, it’s full tang. See above. Same for it being longer. (Most of the cost is in manufacturing work, company income, marketing and logistics of distribution plus retail.) Yes, you finally have a leather sheath option. But it costs more. Marginally. Definitely worth it (if you want leather). But more. The tactical/molle version of the plastic is innovative but, again, maybe a little overpriced. It’s a great knife. But it’s still just a basic tool with a basic grind, pretty basic (but admittedly good) steel, basic thermorun handle in a basic, typically “Mora” plastic sheath. You may not know this, but quite a bit of manufacturing cost is in the handle and sheath of a knife, especially when using basic steel. Even mass produced micarta handle scales are much more expensive than plastic. Scandinavian cutlery companies kill two birds with one stone with these types of handles: 1) protect the hand from the cold steel on protruding tang edges in subarctic environments in winter and 2) save a boatload of cash. Ask Fallkniven. Cheap handle scales and sheaths are also the biggest complaint about Kabar’s Becker series. They are saving a ton, and then sell you expensive micarta scales afterwards. But hey, at least you have the option. With the Garberg, you don’t. Back to the steel. I find it’s great for scandi grinds (I know, I know, the Garberg doesn’t have a true scandi grind, yada yada yada - more on that in a minute). This is a great steel for this style of grind (full scandi). If you’ve sharpened a scandi knife, a true scandi, you know how much steel you need to remove. We’re not talking touch-up, we’re talking full resharpening or even reprofiling. Try that with a super steel. See you in 6 months. This steel is not bad in this regard. Why do you think custom knifemakers use O1 or basic carbon steel on their scandi models? Cheap steel for a $400+ knife? And you have to wait for over a year? There’s a reason. But I digress. This steel works for this knife. Why not a true scandi grind for the Garberg? This is somewhat of a beginner’s tool. Many people are purchasing it for rougher use and don’t have a lot of experience with using a scandi grind for this purpose (I know I’m heavily generalizing, but take the manufacturer’s perspective). The microbevel gives the knife a significantly stronger edge, albeit less capable working with wood. True scandi grinds eat wood, all other things being equal. This steel is relatively a good balance of ease of sharpening, edge-holding and corrosion resistance. Which means you can reprofile it to a true scandi grind fairly easily compared to many other steels. The stainless version isn’t bad either, but admittedly won’t strike a spark with natural flint. So, in conclusion, it’s a great knife. When you compare what’s out there from other reputable companies (not chicom), though, there’s some fierce competition! Joker out of Spain produces some amazing tools in this price range, using the same or similar steels with really nice higher end hand-formed scales in a choice of micarta colors and hardwoods, with different grind choices as well, on a number of models. Check it all out. For really cold temperatures, you may want a fully wrapped handle on your full tang. If so, then this is an excellent choice. At $50-60 this would be more recommended. Right now, at current prices, I think a choice from someone like Joker is a better one for most people. YMMV. Hope this helps!

Perspective context: I'm an amateur collector of cheaper, but good quality knives, generally of a value of under $75. I prefer carbon steel, and I love to get them hair-splitting sharp. I've got a variety of Moras, including three of their carving knives. This is a great, smaller bushcraft knife. It's not as robust as its larger, more expensive cousins, but will do the job for most of your basic knife duties, including moderate batoning. It's pretty sharp out of the box, but of course I felt the need to do a little stone, ceramic and stropping magic. It's now stupid sharp. I love the heft and length of this knife. I've always felt more confidence with heavier, full-tang blades, and this is no exception. The 90° spine is perfect for sparking ferro rods, and the carbon steel is easy to keep super sharp, even if may not retain an edge as well as the more brittle stainless. I find it able to take an edge better on average. The grip feels good in the hand. Drawbacks are few. On the knife itself, I wish there was a sharpening choil. The blade has a coating right to the edge that will help preserve it from rust, but which is easily scratched and removed if your sharpening is careless. The grip has a small to moderate bolster, which will protect your index finger for most work, but may not be adequate enough with heavy point-forward use like drilling, punching or stabbing. On the plastic sheath, I got the "survival" kit with the sharpener and the ferro rod. Unless my blade needs extreme edge repair, I will never use the super-coarse diamond sharpener. That might be better for an axe blade. This blade needs a 400 to 1000 grit stone, some ceramic honing, and then a leather strop to make it awesome. A 150-grit diamond strip is just too aggressive and will quickly ruin the edge back quite a ways. The ferro rod is small but works fine. All in all, this is a great knife for the average camper, outdoorsman and basic bushcrafter. Unless you're a reenactor, a serious bushcrafter/YouTuber with something to prove, or someone who uses a knife to pry tent stakes out of the ground, you're probably not going to need anything beyond this knife. Enjoy!