The Morkniv Kansbol and survival kit makes for a great piece of bushcraft gear.
There is a saying among outdoor enthusiasts when it comes to gear. You get what you pay for. And usually, this holds true. The more you pay for a product, the better quality it is going to be. Which is why it is such a joy when we find a new product that is both affordable and functional.
Enter the new Morakniv Kansbol with Survival Kit. The Sweden knifemaker packaged their popular Kansbol fixed blade knife with a fire starter and diamond sharpener to turn it into one nifty bushcraft tool perfect for hikers, hunters, and backpackers.
After a few months of playing around with this knife, I came away quite impressed with the Morakniv Kansbol survival knife's capabilities.
Light and Capable: The Morakniv Kansbol
Travis Smola
This bushcraft knife is nothing new to the market. You can find them for sale almost everywhere at this point. Let us talk about the blade first. Mora made this knife with Swedish 12C27 stainless steel, just like their floating knife which I have previously tested. You will hear a lot of comparisons to Chinese-made 8Cr13MoV steel with 12C27, none of which I believe are entirely fair except maybe the price point. The 12C27 stainless is by far, a superior steel in terms of corrosion resistance, hardness, and edge retention.
At the same time, it sharpens easily with the included diamond sharpener of the survival kit. Anyone can sharpen this knife quickly and easily. The blade length is 4.3 inches, which seems perfect for most bushcraft applications. With the handle the total length is 8.9 inches. Not exactly an edc type of knife, but perfect for anyone who spends a lot of time in the outdoors. The blade effortlessly slices through paracord, plastic, and takes the bark off tree branches with ease. This would be the perfect blade for someone who likes to do wood carving while they are camping. The blade thickness is 2.5mm according to Morakniv's website. It gives the blade a quite solid feel. Oh, just like the floating Mora knife, it came out of the package razor sharp and ready to work. Morakniv puts a Scandi grind on these blades before they leave the factory and it cuts incredibly well.
About the only knock I have against the blade itself is the fact that it is not a full tang. However, I do not think the Mora Kansbol needs it. Mostly because of how well balanced this knife is with the Polyamide plastic handle. Pictures do not do the quality of the handle justice. It is extremely durable and ergonomic. It is difficult to explain the feel of using it, but it is one of those knives where it just feels right in the hand.
Morakniv also packages this knife with a nice polymer sheath with a belt loop. The blade locks into the sheath with a satisfying click that keeps it secure. At the same time, it is not so much tension that the thick blade is difficult to pull from the sheath. Oh, and did we mention the weight? This knife weighs only 4.7 ounces. We like this knife as an option for backcountry campers and hunters for a little extra piece of mind without weighing you down on those high altitude trails.
Morakniv Survival Kit
Travis Smola
While the Kansbol survival green and burnt orange offerings have been out for some time, the survival kit is a new addition to their line. One thing we can appreciate right off the bat is that the company sells this accessory either package with the knife or separately for current Kansbol owners. In additional bit of kudos to the company, they also made this kit compatible with the higher grade Morakniv Garberg knife. We do appreciate a company that can build an accessory that works for multiple product lines.
The survival kit packages perfectly with the blade since Mora already put a ground spine on the blade specifically for use with the fire steels of a ferro rod for sparking up a fire. The integrated fire starter works incredibly well and even novice bush fire starters will be able to get a campfire going with this thing. The Polypropene holder for the ferro rod slides over the bottom part of the sheath. The rod also clicks into place, so you know it is secure before attaching it to a backpack or belt loop.
Not wasting any space, a sharpener runs the opposite length of the holder. Now there is no excuse for a dull blade while you are in the field. It quickly and easily sharpens up the blade of your Kansbol, prepping it for the next task at hand.
The bottom line.
Travis Smola
When you consider the fact the Kansbol only costs about $33 on its own and a little over $50 with the survival kit, this knife makes for a heck of a bargain. We are not sure how Mora manages to churn out such an awesome product for so cheap. However, we are not going to question it too much. This is one of those rare products you can get for cheap that will give you years of use in the field. The fact that Morakniv backs their products with such a great warranty is yet another reason to consider either adding it to your wish list or picking one up for your camping and hunting adventures this fall.
Products featured on Wide Open Spaces are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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