Morakniv Companion Heavy Duty Knife Review

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Is the Mora Companion Heavy Duty really a good AND cheap knife? Can such a thing even exist? Today we review this knife and find out ourselves.

Today we’re going to review the Mora companion heavy duty knife.

As you might guess, the Mora companion heavy duty is an upgrade from the standard Mora companion.

The heavy duty version features a 4″ long, 1/8″ thick carbon steel blade with a 27 degree edge angle. This is a little bit less acute than the standard Mora edge angle of 23 degrees. According to Mora this is supposed to give you better edge longevity.

It also has a slightly larger handle than the standard. The overall length is 8 3/4″ versus 8 1/2″ for the standard, so it’s about a quarter inch longer. It weighs in at about 4.76 oz.

It comes with a standard Mora plastic sheath and the street price on this knife is less than $20.

Morakniv Companion Heavy Duty Knife Review

Morakniv Companion Heavy Duty Review

Not only is the overall length a little longer in the Morakniv Companion Heavy Duty, but the handle is also a little larger. The handle has a more pronounced swell, and the blade is definitely thicker too.

The heavy duty’s blade is 0.125 thick (1/8″) compared to the standard with a 0.100 thick blade. The heavy duty weighs in at 4.76 oz versus a little over 3.75oz for the standard. The heavy duty costs around $19.50 and the standard is about $12.50.

They both have Mora’s famously sharp edge and Scandinavian grind and a very similar plastic sheath.

One big difference is the standard companion has a 23 degree edge angle and the heavy duty has a 27 degree edge angle, so it’s a little less acute which should give you a little better edge retention.

Sharpening

Thanks to the 27 degree edge angle it’s incredibly easy to sharpen. If you’ve never sharpened a knife in your life you could very easily sharpen this knife with no problems.

Most knives have a small grind angle surface and you just have to learn how to hold your hand to get it right, but the Morakniv Companion Heavy Duty’s grind surface is almost 1/2″ wide so it will physically lay on your whetstone at the proper angle.

All you have to do is lay it down so the grind surface is flat with your stone and stroke it through. Incredibly easy.

The Back Edge

One negative, that is common with most Mora knives, is the edge of the spine is slightly rounded and not a sharp 90 degrees. This makes getting a big spark from a fire steel a little more difficult because it doesn’t scrape as hard.

You can file it flat yourself in about a minute or two, and it’s a common modification for Mora’s, but I wish Mora would do this for us.

Handle and Tang

As with all Mora’s, it has a very comfortable handle. this thing really fits your hand nicely. It’s a little bulkier than the standard but in a good way, and the heavy duty has a little larger pommel than the standard.

If you have really small hands (like a small framed woman or a teenager) the standard companion might be a better fit, but I think most people will find it fits perfectly.

It’s not a full tang, but rather it’s a rat tail tang. That might worry you, but I can tell you that I have beat the heck out of mine. I have batoned 2″ – 3″ wood with no problems whatsoever for almost a year now.

The Sheath

The hard plastic sheath has a little open clip that slips down over your belt and a drain hole the bottom.

The knife snaps into the sheath nicely, but it’s my experience that after a while they get loose.

Pro Tip!

Has your hard plastic Mora sheath loosened up over the years? Take a hair dryer and heat the sheath up and squeeze it back together to tighten it back up again.

Batoning Wood

Batoning wood (see the video below if you don’t know what that is) is one of the hardest things we will ever do to our knives.

I baton a lot of wood when I’m building a fire to break it up in smaller pieces and when it’s wet to get dry wood. It’s a lot easier for me to do it with a knife than to grab a hatchet.

As I said, I have batoned 2″ – 3″ wood for over a year with this Morakniv Companion Heavy Duty with no problems. No chips, no cracks, no bending, no excess dulling, nothing. It holds up like a champ.

That said, if you’re going to beat on your knife in a survival situation you need to understand how to do it. Don’t do anything crazy or go beyond the capabilities of your knife.

As long as you use a drop of common sense it will perform the job wonderfully. Here’s a video demonstrating how to baton wood.

The Downsides

The biggest drawback for this knife is that it does not have a 90 degrees spine. You’ll have to put a little more effort in to get a big spark from your fire steel or ferrorod. Luckily you can fix this by taking a file or a dremel tool and carefully putting a flat spot on the back.

I wish it was full tang, but with my experience with this knife and knowing what I’ve put it through, and the thousands and thousands of reviews all over the internet stating the same, I feel very confident with this knife.

And while the handle fits my hands perfectly, if you have really small hands the standard companion might be a better fit for you.

Conclusion

For carving or general camp use this knife is an excellent choice. Honestly it’s a steal in the sub $20 price range, an absolute steal.

It loses a couple of points for the back edge and not being full tang but really this knife will last you a long time, likely the rest of your life if you take care of it and it simply cuts better than any other knife I’ve ever owned.

It’s incredibly easy to sharpen thanks to the large and straight grind angle. Even if you’ve never sharpened a knife in your life you could sharpen this knife with no problems.

It’s heavier than a regular Mora but it’s still lightweight and very well balanced.

If you’re looking for a great knife to throw in your pack, put on your belt, or to have for all around camp use then this it.

While it’s not a full tang, it still makes a great survival knife. It’s just a no brainer at this price.

If you don’t know if it’s worth the extra seven bucks for the heavy-duty companion versus the regular Mora, I say go for it. This is a lifetime purchase so spend the extra.

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