mora carbon vs stainless

Here I talk a little bit about the differences and my views on the mora knife in carbon and stainless.

[Wicklowwolf]

I use the carbon one. Bought the knife almost 3 years ago and use it a lot for "normal" outdoors tasks. I am living close to the East Coast of Ireland. Very wet climate over here. So far my carbon Mora is holding up very well. I can recommend Mora to anybody.

[theprophetez]

My new knives just came in today. I just unboxed my Mora Companion in stainless steel and I'm impressed. It will shave you right out of the box. This is, I believe, the first Mora I have ever seen other than on the Internet and it is actually a little beefier than what it appeared. For the price, functionality, and name, it was well worth it. I'm stoked.

[jamesaritchie]

The stainless really is not very much harder than the carbon.  They're within a point or so of each other on the Rockwell.  But the stainless has more abrasion resistance because of its chemistry, which makes it much harder to sharpen, so it seems harder to those who aren't familiar with steel composition and chemistry..

You're confusing hardiness with abrasion resistance.  1095 steel comes in several varieties, but can be just as hard as stainless.  Hardness comes from how the steel is tempered.  Some think bushcraft knives should be around 55 Rockwell, others want bushcraft knives that are around 59 Rockwell.  1095 can be either, according to how it's tempered. 

Abrasion resistance, which has nothing to do with hardness, comes from the composition chemistry of the steel.   A stainless knife that's 59 on he Rockwell scale will seem much harder than a carbon knife that's also 59 on the Rockwell because of this abrasion resistance, but they both have the same hardness. 

It doesn't matter where you live, there are a lot of rocks that will strike sparks.  And you only need one.   You can and should, of course, carry a ferro rod, and both knives will strike it, but get caught with only a knife, and it had better be made of carbon.

But the real advantage of 1095 carbon steel is that it has low abrasion resistance, which means that even if it's extremely hard,  it's still very easy to sharpen.  You can sharpen it to a razor edge on a river stone.  You can't do this with stainless, well, with quality stainless, because of it's high abrasion resistance.   If you ever get into a survival situation, you'll wish you had the carbon steel knife because you can keep it sharp, and even sharpen out a nicked edge.  If your stainless knife gets dull or chipped in an emergency, it may be the death of you.

This said, if you actually know what you're doing, you will never be caught n the wilderness without all the tools and gear on your belt and in your pockets that you need to survive.  Real tools and gear, no mini survival kits that aren't worth spit.  This includes at least two knives, one on your belt, and one in your pocket.  The one in your pocket should have at least two blades.   You should also have a backup belt knife, and a backup pocketknife, I your pack.  A  pocket size, quality sharpening stone should also be part of your gear.   When this is the case, you shouldn't have to worry about having a sharp knife in an emergency.

Good woodmen carry the Holy Trinity when going into the wild, and have for centuries.  The Holy Trinity is a knife, a saw, and an axe of some sort, whether the axe  is a well-designed tomahawk, a hatchet, a camp axe, or a full-size axe.   Which axe to carry is personal choice, along with the time of year, where you live, and what you intend to do in the wilderness.  Far more often than not, a tomahawk, assuming it's one made for work and not show, or a hatchet, is enough.

[Freedom]

I have the carbon companion and it’s a great knife for the money. Sharp as hell and easy to sharpen after a weekend in the bush with my son who is a survival specialist.

[jonathancaldwell]

Wash the blade then rub it down with alcohol and soak it for about 5 mins. In apple cider vinegar to give it a patina that significantly stops rust. Make sure it’s clean before soaking.

[theartshow]

I’ve used both for a while. I like to fish a lot so the stainless has really been my go to. Don’t know why people say stainless doesn’t hold an edge as long. I use it more than the carbon and I’ve found that it holds the same if not better. The carbon blades will rust over night if slightly neglected. The carbon definitely takes a keen edge though. I would still suggest the stainless over the carbon for any environment.

[RJT]

Huge fan of these. Most people eventually own one. The issue is that once you have to sharpen something on a miserably cold and wet day, the simplicity and workability of the Scandi grind will win you over. That's why it's the best bush edge. Sharpening a knife in the middle of nowhere on a river rock in the cold will make you think twice about anything else.

[ianwoodland]

I enjoyed the video.

I also have both. Technically, the stainless one belongs to my wife. The carbon one is mine. We have the same colours as you do. 😁

The carbon is actually thinner than the stainless by half a millimetre. Doesn't sound a lot, but looks it.

The stainless blade is also finished in a much nicer way. The carbon spine is black and rolled. The stainless is chamfered and nice and shiny. Neither are good for striking a ferrocerium rod, but both can be ground at home with a file if your wish.

Personally, I'd take ease of sharpening in a survival situation over edge retention. A good hard knife will eventually chip or blunt, but a softer knife can be edge straightened on a brick, back side is a plate, top of a car window, or whatever. Soft steels roll, so the edge can just be corrected back. Hard steels chip and need to be actually sharpened.

The complete reverse is true if the end of the world is not nigh and you aren't running from zombies with nothing but a knife and the shirt on your back.

There are some soft stainless steels which are often considered crap, such as 420. These really are quite soft, but are very resistant to corrosion (low carbon, few chromium carbides, plenty of free chromium). They sharpen easily but obviously do loose their edge quickly. I have a folder which is probably 420 (but marked), and have got it shave sharp with nothing but a kitchen steel I kid you not. But you're putting an edge back on after every use for anything but tomatoes.

[mspencer]

If youre living in a tropical country like me youll choose stainless over carbon steel. The rain here is not rain its a damn downpour. And if its sunny the sun will bake you in 10mins.

[davidmorris]

Hey man thanks for the video. I live in north Georgia so I know what you mean about all the rain and moisture :) I've had the Mora Companion in carbon steel for a few years and just got one in stainless for use in coastal areas and the swamps of south Georgia. I like them both and I've found them both to be easy to sharpen.

[johnsonpink]

You can also look into forced patina to protect the carbon model

[dobypilgrim]

I live in the desert. I take two. Carbon for most work, and stainless for food prep and as an eating knife. At about 4 ounces, a Mora carries as well in a pack as on a belt

[TheArgos]

I usually rub a candle on my mora blade to give it some protection, either beeswax or just regular candle. And you can carry a small candle stub with you to touch it up with.

[MasterKTrainer]

Just a note, yes the stainless is a bit more work to sharpen and the carbon has the negative problem of imparting a metallic flavor to foods or may be rusty. Technically stainless blades do tend to be harder, not to be confused with toughness or resiliency.
The various carbon steel blades may be made hard and tough or softer, so that they absorb shock and are more malleable, meaning they can be bent or hammered back to shape. Thus as most who like blades know, machetes tend to be heavy or (More traditionally) they can be lighter and bend or flex rather than break.

I heard you use the word "Hard" and several people have argued which is harder, but knives can be tougher, softer, harder, brittle, and sharpness is a function of blade geometry, angles, the bevel and the users efforts (method, techniques, frequency) to keep it sharp.

Good video, you're easy to follow and spoke clearly.

[pjuiliano]

I would use the stainless steel one cause I do as much salt water fishing as I do fresh water, I have stainless knifes that are as sharp as my carbon blades

[marodriguezsr]

Good comparison. I have both & I have no preference. I like them both the same, great little knives for the money. Thanks for the vid bro.

[cristhomas]

The big difference between the clipper and companion I have is the length of the tang inside of the handle. My clipper is much shorter. The easiest way to tell is with a strong magnet.

[mtgreengarden]

They're so cheap, you should buy both. I have both, and like them both for different reasons. I love the look of natural patina, but love the carefree maintenance of stainless. I don't use either enough to even worry about which sharpens easier or holds a better edge. Both are very adequate.

[ncode]

Many people in the comments are puzzled at the hardness review. I haven't got these but have seen a couple other reviewers who found that in this particular knives, the stainless is harder than the carbon and retains its edge better. I'm just getting into this recently and am getting the stainless because my area is humid and the amount of effort to maintain a carbon steel knife would be annoying.

[redoak]

The Bahco version has a thinner blade than the Companion. The Bahco is a nice knife to put in a kit and leave it there without any attention.


As you point out, they both serve their purpose depending on the use and environmental conditions.