Today we’re going to be taking a look at one of Moraknivs most popular knives, the Bushcraft Black.
The Bushcraft Black is a step up from the cheaper knives Mora is known for, such as the Companion or Companion Heavy Duty. At the same time, it’s also more affordable than some of their high-end knives like the Kansbol or the Garberg, both of which are some of my favourite knives.
Throughout our Mora Bushcraft Black review, we’ll be taking a hands-on look at what this knife is really about, and whether or not it can live up to its reputation.
Lets get to it.
Morakniv Bushcraft Black Specifications
Before we dig into the juicy details, it’s probably worth taking a second to go over the knifes specifications, which are listed below.
- Blade Material: 12C27 Stainless Steel
- Blade Thickness: 0.1 inch (2.5 mm)
- Flex Grade: Stiff
- Blade Length: 4.3 inch (109 mm)
- Total Length: 9.8 inch (250mm)
- Weight: 0.3 lb (134g)
- Handle Material: TPE-Rubber
- Grind: Scandi
Morakniv Bushcraft Black Review
Handle
Let’s start off our review of the Bushcraft Black by discussing its handle, which in my opinion, is one of the best designs Mora has come up with.
For me, the best aspect of the handle is its ergonomic design. It fits extremely well in my hand, which for reference, is about medium in size. That said, there’s plenty of room for those of you with larger hands out there, is probably most of you.
The handle shape makes holding the knife very comfortable and allows you to get to work for long periods of time without having any hand cramp or discomfort.
I also love the finger protection that Mora has incorporated into the Bushcraft Black, which is one issue I had with the Garberg. This finger protection is especially useful when performing strenuous tasks, where your hand could easily slip onto the blade.
Mora has also used a TPE-Rubber material for the handle, which I think is a very good choice. This material is textured in a way to provide extra traction between the handle itself and your hand. This makes using the knife much easier in wet or dirty conditions, which let’s be honest, is most of the time in bushcraft.
I also like the overall feel of this material, it’s not too firm, nor is it too soft. Mora seems to have found just the right amount of firmness in the handle, with little to no hot spots after prolonged use.
All in all, this is probably my favorite handle of any Mora knife that I’ve owned to date.
Blade Material
Ok, moving onto the blade itself, which is made from carbon steel. This material is extremely hard, providing great edge retention, and allows the knife to perform tasks under significant force.
It’s also worth mentioning that the blade has been DLC (diamond-like carbon) coated. This provides even more durability to the blade, and I believe is what causes the blade to look black. This coating should help to prevent from any scratches forming on the blade.
It also helps to prevent the blade from being overly reflective. This can be useful if you’re out working in extremely sunny conditions, however this isn’t normally a massive issue.
Blade Design
Grind
As with a lot of Moras outdoor knives, the Bushcraft Black makes use of a scandi grind. This grind, as the name suggests, has long been used in Scandinavia, which is where Mora is located (Sweden).
I love the Scandi grind for one main reason – how easy it is to sharpen. Yes, it requires a bit of finesse, but if you’re out in the woods and need to sharpen your knife, it’s very easy to do. Compare this to some of the more conventional grinds, and that really isn’t the case unless you know what you’re doing.
The grind itself also makes the Bushcraft Black ideal for intricate woodworking tasks such as feather sticking and making shavings, which the knife really excels at. When you pair this grind with the blade’s thin design, the Bushcraft Black is nothing short of amazing when it comes to fire prep.
That’s not to say the blade isn’t great for other woodworking tasks such as creating a notch, which it does easily.
To sum it up, any kind of cutting or slicing (other than food), the Bushcraft Black is up to the task.
Spine
I’ll quickly touch the on the spine of the blade, which is a 90-degree sharp ground spine. This thing absolutely flies sparks off a farro rod, almost like a firework display. You’ll have absolutely no trouble starting a fire with a Bushcraft Black in your hands.
Partial Tang/ Three-Quarter Tang
Mora has used a three-quarter tang for the Bushcraft Black. This means that the blade runs about three-quarters of the way through the handle.
While not as durable as a full-tang blade, such as the Mora Garberg, this is definitely strong enough to perform any task you’d need to with a blade this size.
Plus, it makes the knife a bit lighter, which is great if you’re planning on bringing a lot of gear with you on your trip and want to minimize the amount of weight you’re carrying.
Length & Thickness
The Morakniv Bushcraft Black falls right in line with most other Mora blades when it comes to length and thickness.
The blade itself is approximately 4.3-inches (109mm), which is great for your everyday camp and bushcraft tasks. This is just about the right size, it’s not too long, nor is it too short. With a thickness of 0.13-inches (3.2mm), this is a relatively thin blade, however, is still more than durable enough to stand up to most bushcraft tasks you can throw at it.
Let’s take a moment to discuss the weight of the Bushcraft Black, which comes in at around 5.4oz when sheathed. This is fairly lightweight, which is both a good and a bad thing. For one, it’s easy to carry and won’t be a burden on a hike.
On the other hand, the blade doesn’t have enough mass behind it to chop anything substantially thick, so you’ll need a larger wilderness knife or axe for that.
When it comes to batoning, the Bushcraft Black will definitely be up to the task. Again, it would struggle to get through anything bigger than your wrist, but hey, that’s what axes are for right?
Sheath
The sheath is an interesting one. When it comes to buying the Mora Bushcraft Black, you’ll find that there are two sheath options – the molle mount sheath and the plastic sheath. I opted for the plastic sheath as I like to wear the knife attached to my belt, plus it was a good bit cheaper as well.
With the plastic sheath, you’ve got a couple of options when it comes to attaching it to your waist. You can either use the plastic clip, which you may be familiar with if you’ve ever used the Mora Companion knife. Or you can swap this out for a belt loop, which I prefer.
This is a really cool design by Mora, as it gives you a bit of flexibility on how you wear the sheath. The clip itself stays attached well, however, I prefer the belt loop as I know for certain that it’s not going to come off whilst I’m carrying out different tasks and moving around.
Price
There’s no two ways about this, the Mora Bushcraft Black is insane value for money, and what I believe to be the best value for money bushcraft knife out there. Yes, it’s a bit more expensive than the Companion range, but it’s worlds above what they have to offer.
It’s still cheaper than a lot of the high-end blades out there, but it can definitely hold its own and will always find a place in one of my kit bags.
Morakniv Bushcraft Black Pros & Cons
Before we round off our review with a verdict, let’s take a moment to assess the knives pros and cons.
PROS
- Great sheath that allows you to attach the knife to your waist in a couple of different ways. This is really unique and a great idea by Mora.
- Great grip that is comfortable to use for long periods of time.
- Good finger protection unlike a lot of other Mora knives.
- Excels when it comes to fire prep, from creating shaves to fire starting, this knife is now my go-to.
- Amazon value for money.
CONS
- Slightly more expensive than what I’m used to paying for Mora knives, but worth every penny.
- Not great for food prep, will need another knife for that.
- Will struggle to chop/ batton thicker pieces of wood, but that’s true of most (if not all) knives this size.
Mora Bushcraft Black Review: The Verdict
Ok then, is the Mora Bushcraft black worth getting?
Absolutely. This is a phenomenal blade, especially when you consider the cost. This blade does everything you need it to when it comes to bushcraft.
The only downside is the fact it’s not full tang, but that’s definitely not a deal-breaker by any means.
Combine the Bushcraft Black with a larger wilderness knife or an axe, and you’ll be good to go for most, if not all bushcraft tasks in the great outdoors.
If you’d like to check out the price of the Morakniv Bushcraft Black, click here.
Morakniv Bushcraft Black Alternatives
Below are a couple of great alternatives to the Bushcraft black.
Morakniv Garberg
Specifications:
- Blade Material: Sandvik 14C28N Stainless Steel
- Blade Thickness: 0.12 inches (3.2mm)
- Flex Grade: Stiff
- Blade Length: 4.3inches (109mm)
- Total Length: 9.8 inches (248mm)
- Weight: 0.6lb (272g)
- Handle Material: Polyamide
- Grind: Scandi
Morakniv Kansbol
Specifications:
- Blade Material: 12C27 Stainless Steel
- Blade Thickness: 0.1 inch (2.5 mm)
- Flex Grade: Stiff
- Blade Length: 4.3 inch (109 mm)
- Total Length: 9.8 inch (250mm)
- Weight: 0.3 lb (134g)
- Handle Material: TPE-Rubber
- Grind: Scandi
You can read our full Morakniv Kansbol review here.
Final Thoughts
Thanks for taking the time to read out Mora Bushcraft Black review. I hope that you’ve found it helpful!
If you’ve got any questions, or would like to add anything to our review, please feel free to drop a comment in the section down below.
