I have a carbon steel Companion. I forced a patina on it from day one. I used mustard and Louisiana hot sauce. Worked great. Now it is stable. I like carbon steel because it is easy to sharpen. I lived 5 days a week for 15 months in an apartment away from home and I took my Mora. I used it as my kitchen knife, steak knife, box cutter, utility knife - everything. It’s a work horse. I always cleaned it and dried it after use. Occasionally I slither a thin layer of olive oil on it. Mora knives will never fail you with normal use. I wouldn’t replace mine with a $200 knife. No reason to ask for more. This knife can do 100%. But I’m not a knife snob who needs more. Where did I learn about Mora Companion? A girl who has put thousands of miles behind her in wilderness canoe trips in the Yukon and northern Alaska. She showed me her Mora and asked me to sharpen it for her. Hers is 10 years old. She never forced a patina and it is almost black. But it’s stable. And it’s sharp as hell. By the way I sharpened hers on the top edge of a car window. Don’t knock that until you try it. She was amazed. I learned that trick from my uncle. Ok enough. Mora rules!
@@1800moonSugar guess that’s an old wives tale about carbon easier to sharpen. I have stainless knives as well and they seem HARDER than some of the soft carbon knives so that makes it take a little LONGER to sharpen? Am I right?
@@armedmariner They made a test garberg carbon vs garberg stainless. It took around 5 min to sharpen the carbon and more than 9 min to sharpen the stainless. I guess results speak for themselves.
But a stainless knife will hold the edge longer.Carbon gets a toothy,aggressively cutting edge faster.A edge that works good in a drawing motion..but not (so well)in a pushcut.People "feel" carbon steel cuts better(and for some tasks that may be true),gets sharp faster,but fact is two identical knives...stainless is better.
" I sharpened hers on the top edge of a car window" Now that's one I'd like to see, I love sharpening knives but never heard of that one. My favorite way to sharpen is with stones and rods I have a leather strop too though...
@@geico1975 you roll car window with the top edge exposed above the door. You use same angle as if you are stoning it. The top window edge is very gritty and it actually works. It won’t put an initial sharp edge on but it can “top it off” in a pinch. I learned that technique from a Texas hunter who was cleaning / butchering multiple hogs and he didn’t have his whet stone. He just ran over to his truck and I saw him doing it and I was like WTF? It’s good just to help a sharp edge stay sharp.
I carry a stainless version of the opinel no 10 for food prep. And a companion carbon for everything else. Also some tissues, leather strop and a small oily leather cloth. I also have a stainless companion, which used to be my tool when I want do with just a single knife. (30min walking distance from home) But it now lives in my kitchen.
I just ordered the same knife (military green) in stainless steel, all I will need to do is to square-off the spine of the blade with a coarse bastard file to enable it to throw sparks with a ferro rod. Now you have the best of all the features in both blades you mentioned in this video and dont have to worry about the patina on the blade either. I bought some 550 paracord to wrap the sheath when it gets here, cant wait! Very informative, thanks for the insight.
I have 3 Mora Companions. For the kitchen, the model with the thin carbon steel blade. For the field, two HDs, one in carbon steel, the other in stainless. FYI, the stainless model, once the spine is squared off, strikes sparks from a ferro rod just fine. Also the carbon model in the kitchen works great, the patina is of no consequence. Nice knives if you keep them sharp.
Good review of the pros/cons of carbon vs stainless Moras. One additional difference is the stainless companion is thicker than the carbon (2.5 mm vs 2.0 mm). So depending on what you want to do with your knife you may prefer the thinner carbon blade or the slightly thicker stainless blade. I usually carry a Victorinox Rangergrip 78 in addition to my Mora Companion HD Carbon for the same reason you mention. The thin, flat grind stainless blade is perfect for food prep with the added benefit of an excellent 4” saw. I find the two make an excellent combination.
I have the companion HD in carbon. I had to grind the spine to make it a 90 degree edge. Your reason fir carrying both a stainless steel (for food prep) and a carbon blade (for camp work) is the most logical I have heard so far.
I've been looking at pages and pages and all sorts of channels to try to find out which knife i had, I bought it in China and it only had the chinese name, but finally from this guys video I found out I've got the Companion in Carbon steel, thank you very much sir! btw my single knife cost me 36USD because of the tax in this country
One of the best carbon Vs steel review. I just got a steel because I don't need to strike to make fire nor use the spine. I most use them for bushcraft and field dressing animals. I have always used homemade blades for outdoor tasks and they're all carbon steel except for in the kitchen, I'll use normal stainless steel. For this Christmas I am getting my first Mora and it's a companion s steel. Looking forward for the fun.
I do like carbon over stainless when it comes to steel but stainless does have a very important place in my kit. Thank you for watching and commenting!
The stainless blade will stay siver, the carbon blade tarnishes pretty good so it's easy to tell the difference once you pull them from the sheath but yeah when the handles and sheathes are identical it's very easy to pull the wrong one out of my pack. Have done it dozens of times. Two different colored knives is a great idea.
I bought one for myself as a birthday gift and it’s sharp as hell right out of the box. I got the carbon version since I’ve only had stainless knives till now and I live in a desert so I’m not too worried about rust as much. Good video, it helped me make my decision
Good morning Wayne!! This is THE best review on these knives I have been able to find. I see you are Army. From an old jarhead, Semper Fi. Stay safe. And, subbed!!!
Thank you for your sub and for you service! I still carry this knife with me as a belt knife anytime I am out. I would like to buy the full-tang Garberg but I just have had no need to upgrade thus far. This knife performs for me very well and has never let me down yet!
@@WayneRogersOutdoors I wish the companion was full-tang, but that hasn't really been a problem. Like you, I carry different knives for different chores. Just curious, have you ever used Vaseline to coat a carbon steel blade? Seems to work pretty good. Take it easy!🪓🛶 Roger
Soak the blade in vinegar or mustard overnight to get a nice even patina and add some character to the knife. Old timers used to claim that a carbon steel blade would not sharpen well until it was black.
@@WayneRogersOutdoors I get the gun blue they sell at cabelas and bass pro for like 10 bucks, clean it with acetone or alcohol then use a q tip and paint it, the color will turn instantly. Clean it with soap then alcohol and repeat the process until it has the desired blueing. If you do it like ; times it’ll be close to jet black.
@@WayneRogersOutdoors yeah thanks ! I already had the HD stainless. Yesterday i've order the HD carbon. i'll keep the stainless for food processing ! 👍Thanks again.
Thank you, sir. I never knew carbon steel rusted like that…..or maybe I just forgot. Either way, very informative and made my finger slide across the like and subscribe buttons. I look forward to visiting you channel and learning more. High fives all around.
While I agree that stainless steel is the more convenient choice for food prep, I still prefer carbon steel blades at my breakfast table. You can easily force a patina with vinegar or other acids. But I prefer the natural, uneven look of a grown patina. It makes every single knife unique. So I simply use my carbon steel knives to eat acidic food like apples and tomatoes. After use, I don't instantly clean them. I let them sit a little, drink another cup of coffee or watch a YT video like this one. THEN I clean the blade, dry it and don't apply any oil. Sure, the first one or two times, the blade will react quite a lot with the food. You will get the typical dark iron oxide on the food and the metallic taste (don't worry, it's actually healthy as long as you're not a baby). But after that, the reaction will quickly diminish with every use. The blade will darken within a few weeks and the patina will not only stop further reactions, it will also protect the blade from rust. I use that 'breakfast routine' as some kind of initiation rite for all my carbon steel knives I want to take into my EDC rotation. Not only does it prepare the blade for everything else to come, it also adds a lot of character to the knife and makes it my own personal knife. That's something stainless steel can't provide.
I still use my carbon steel knife as an eating utensil and yes the natural patina is much nicer than a forced acid patina. I like how the end of my blade where I do most of my cutting such as cutting meat has a darker color. I have done a vinegar patina but letting a blade age naturally just gives it a more unique look. I have used vinegar for a smooth, even patina, and I have used mustard for a more swirled and random look. Once in a while, depending on what I use my carbon Mora for the patina will wear away but it always comes back in a hurry as long as I always use it as a table knife.
idk how the 1095 steel of the kabar compares to the mora but I've had mine for about 2 years now and it hasn't got any rust at all when I don't use it I just wipe it with some vegetable oil
You made my heart smile when you mentioned a Ka-Bar. I still have, and use almost daily, the same one I was issued when a young jarhead in Vietnam. It has been a work-horse, I'm just glad it can't talk.🤠 Be safe. Roger
Mora uses a European (Swedish) equivalent to 1095. So it's pretty close. I once saw an interview with a Mora employee who called it C100 (which is the German equivalent) but they actually use steel from Sandvik. Same properties but different designation.
Stainless steel is more likely to bend, especially if you are manufacturing a bushcraft knife so maybe they are a bit thicker for that reason. They have more tensile strength than carbon steel ( meaning they will bend without breaking ) but less yield strength ( meaning the blade will bend until it reaches maximum stress and deforms permanently. ) I'm thinking that yield strength has to be the reason for a thicker blade perhaps. I'm not entirely sure on that however. I have quite a few stainless steel knives that have been pushed past their yield strength and are permanently bent. You can get some of it out but the blade will never be straight again. However, a bent knife sure beats a broken one in most situations.
Wayne Rogers Outdoors I was under the impression carbon steel was more flexible to allow it to bend and not snap as easily although dulling faster like a parang or machete made from the leaf spring of a car. And then stainless was a harder metal that will keep its edge longer but harder to sharpen and more likely to snap under pressure rather than bend.
Mora MG Carbon all the way brothers and sisters,, I have stable pátina on it and I like that thin blade,, I have same HD which is thicker and I don’t even use it..Another thing is that weighs almost nothing,,and you all know spine is unfinished,,,fix it for ferro rod and off you go… Enjoy your Moras they’re great and probably don’t need nothing bigger…
I haven't needed anything bigger so far. I'm only basically processing meat, wild edibles, cutting cordage or making feather sticks with it. Anything beyond that I'll use an ax or a saw. No need to go bigger on my knife at this point so I agree with you there. Small, compact, light weight and razor sharp. I love my Mora.
Wayne Rogers Outdoors We have evolved as species for a reason lol and we have evolved tools for a reason. I can clean my whole house with just my tooth brush but does that really make sense to do? 😝Take care of you’re tools and you’re tools will take care of you. nice video’s 👍
Just because someone don't know how to take care of carbon steel blades doesn't mean "there is no way to prevent them from rusting and patina". Also the patina does not change the quality of the steel or the taste of the food at all and the proof for that is every single Japanese kitchen knife. As a Chef and bushcrafter using knives all the time I would say that Carbon steel has much better characteristics but it needs a little more care as every other good cutting tool. End of the day Stainless steel is preferred from people who don't know or don't want to pay attention to them knife or just like to have it shiny and beautiful forever which is not the actual purposes of one knife. How to prevent rusting and patina? Basically just wash your knife with clean water after cutting anything that contains acidity and make sure you dry it very good. If you don't use it for long time coat it will boiled linseed oil and will be fine. Ofcourse there are other little tricks you can do but some things we have to keep in secret.✌🏻
For example if you cut an apple with a carbon blade it taste a bit like iron. And its not the patina that do this but the steel itself react with the fruit acid.
Blows me away how many people think you have to have carbon steel for a striker. I use a big heavy buck with 440 stainless all the time. Strikes perfectly fine. Can't tell a difference between it and a high carbon striker. Edit: Spoke too soon. I don't think ss will strike with flint.
What are you striking with your 440 Stainless Buck? Stainless steel has very little Iron and Iron is what causes steel to spark. You CAN get a spark from stainless on occasion but not consistently the way you can with carbon steel. I'd be interested to know whether you are using your 440 blade as a striker on flint or on a ferro rod because if it's a ferro rod you can strike that with anything at all harder than the ferro rod. That's why a lot of people now use glass strikers for ferro rods. In a flint and steel fire, the STEEL is where the spark comes from because the flint is harder. When striking a ferro rod the ROD is where the spark comes from because the steel is harder.
@@WayneRogersOutdoors Yeah. That's why I said I spoke too soon. I'm talking about ferro rods. A LOT of people believe you have to use carbon steel to strike ferro, and you can strike it with nearly anything. Flint IS a different story.
@@quebirtit’s kind of counterintuitive, with a ferro rod, the steel knife IS the flint. It doesn’t matter stainless or carbon. Either is harder than ferrocerium. With actual flint and steel… you need carbon steel to throw sparks.
I do too. It causes a little drag if you’re trying to make feather sticks and such but for the most part it balances out nicely with also helping to inhibit rust. The trick is to just not let the patina get too thick or get really rough feeling. Sometimes you have to sand it down and let it re-develop.
Most Japanese chefs knives are made of carbon steel. They work fine. Robert Herder also has excellent carbon knives for the kitchen. Only for a diving knife I would prefer stainless.
You can keep it shiny but you have to wipe it down with oil every day and wash and oil it after every use. Your best best is to blue it with cold bluing or hot vinegar. And contrary to popular belief, you can strike a ferro rod with just about anythin hard and sharp. Stainless steel, ceramic, glass, etc., you don't have to use carbon steel exclusively.
A ferro rod, yes. But not with flint. Flint and steel is my preferred fire making method. Hence, I always like a carbon steel knife that isn't stainless so I can get a spark from any stone hard enough.
Get some mineral oil or petroleum jelly for a carbon knife and it won't rust if you regularly maintain it. And don't use it for food prep. Buy stainless for food and go for something else than scandi grind for food.
It really isn't but it does get the job done. And I always have it with me. Sometimes I will carry a small knife for food prep in my kit that doesn't have a scandi grind.
The Carbon or the Stainless? They are really good little knives for the price point. They are just about around $14 to $16.00 here and can be bought at farm and ranch and tractor supply stores. In fact, last year on Black Friday, Orscheln's Farm and Home had a two-pack, one carbon steel, and one stainless steel, with sheaths for twenty bucks.
You are very much worried about a shiny blade in a situation where a flash of sunlight on a shiny blade can give away your position. Thanks for trying to be a douche-canoe though. A real man knows when to conceal his location to his advantage because he has more common sense than you do.
There is a significant difference between tarnish and rust. Tarnish or what is otherwise known as a patina on a carbon steel blade is not carcinogenic at all and actually helps protect your blade. Too much patina can also cause drag and make it easier to cut yourself. The problem with possible carcinogenic‘s comes from some knife makers incorporating cobalt into their steel. When you sharpen a carbon steel knife that has cobalt in it the cobalt dust that is left on the blade after the sharpening process is suspected to be carcinogenic. All you have to do is sharpen your knife and then wash it with hot soapy water before you ever use it for food prep. This will remove the cobalt dust from the blade and you should be good to go.
@@WayneRogersOutdoors Thanks for your response. Your response has settled my concern (I just bought the carbon version of the mora companion). Great video BTW, I haven't heard any other youtubers mention how carbon knives change the way your food tastes. I noticed this right right away with my new mora. Subbed.
I have a Craftline Pro in both carbon and stainless. To be honest, I can't tell a heck of a lot of difference in the way they sharpen or perform. I live in a dry climate, and have not had any rust issues with the carbon as long as I clean and dry it after use. You can put a stainless knife away wet, but I wouldn't recommend doing that with a carbon knife. By the way, I cringed every time he put the point of the knife against his finger, but maybe that's just me.
Due to all of the use this knife has gotten the point is pretty blunt these days. I focus all of my sharpening effort on the back part of the knife that gets used the most anyhow.
My carbon steel companion iv had to use steel wool and i have kept the knife oiled i mainly use my carbon as a batton splitter or just general cutting use i use a stainless for food myself i have the mora kanzobal for food prep
I won't recommand a scandi grind for food prep. A scandi is very good for carving but for food prep,I would always use a fullflat grind, because it slices waaay better through potatoes, tomatoes,meat etc. It is not funny to cut potatoes with a scandi grind knive, just because it pushes the potatoes more to the side instead of slicing through. The thinner the blade, the better it is for food prep (obviously it shouldnt be too thin,so that it flexes).
Cutting an apple with a knife if you want to eat an apple seems like your just eating the apple as an excuse to use your knife lol if I'm gonna eat an apple I wouldnt be using a knife, I use my bloody teeth that's what they're there for hehe good information though thankyou
I cut an apple with my knife to eat one because that's how I ate them growing up. Plus, in this video I didn't have many teeth left. ( only two in fact ) so biting an apple was impossible at the time. I had extensive dental done and now have a full set BUT I still cut my apples up to eat them. It's just how it was done when I was a kid.
I don't know where you got the idea that carbon steel imparts flavor to food...millions of people, myself included, use carbon steel chefs knives every day, and are not troubled by off tastes. Yes, if you were for example cutting a bunch of citrus you'd want to wipe the blade with a damp cloth more often than you would your SS knives and certainly not put the knife away unwashed, but it is really not an issue in normal use. 🙂
@@WayneRogersOutdoorsI agree, I have been using both versions for many years and the carbon knives can absolutely impart a metallic taste into acidic foods as it reacts quickly on contact. There are definitely different grades of carbon steel, some more stable than others. While Morakniv carbon steel is amazing stuff and great for woods work, I definitely prefer using the Sandvik Stainless Mora models for food prep. Some knife steels used by other companies are still be on the carbon spectrum but are less carbon content or higher chromium content to allow slower oxidation or patina which make them better suited in the kitchen. They have some of the desirable attributes of carbon steel but also require slightly less maintenance than the true high carbon steels.
I have a carbon steel Companion. I forced a patina on it from day one. I used mustard and Louisiana hot sauce. Worked great. Now it is stable. I like carbon steel because it is easy to sharpen. I lived 5 days a week for 15 months in an apartment away from home and I took my Mora. I used it as my kitchen knife, steak knife, box cutter, utility knife - everything. It’s a work horse. I always cleaned it and dried it after use. Occasionally I slither a thin layer of olive oil on it. Mora knives will never fail you with normal use. I wouldn’t replace mine with a $200 knife. No reason to ask for more. This knife can do 100%. But I’m not a knife snob who needs more. Where did I learn about Mora Companion? A girl who has put thousands of miles behind her in wilderness canoe trips in the Yukon and northern Alaska. She showed me her Mora and asked me to sharpen it for her. Hers is 10 years old. She never forced a patina and it is almost black. But it’s stable. And it’s sharp as hell. By the way I sharpened hers on the top edge of a car window. Don’t knock that until you try it. She was amazed. I learned that trick from my uncle. Ok enough. Mora rules!
@@1800moonSugar guess that’s an old wives tale about carbon easier to sharpen. I have stainless knives as well and they seem HARDER than some of the soft carbon knives so that makes it take a little LONGER to sharpen? Am I right?
@@armedmariner They made a test garberg carbon vs garberg stainless. It took around 5 min to sharpen the carbon and more than 9 min to sharpen the stainless. I guess results speak for themselves.
But a stainless knife will hold the edge longer.Carbon gets a toothy,aggressively cutting edge faster.A edge that works good in a drawing motion..but not (so well)in a pushcut.People "feel" carbon steel cuts better(and for some tasks that may be true),gets sharp faster,but fact is two identical knives...stainless is better.
" I sharpened hers on the top edge of a car window"
Now that's one I'd like to see, I love sharpening knives but never heard of that one. My favorite way to sharpen is with stones and rods I have a leather strop too though...
@@geico1975 you roll car window with the top edge exposed above the door. You use same angle as if you are stoning it. The top window edge is very gritty and it actually works. It won’t put an initial sharp edge on but it can “top it off” in a pinch. I learned that technique from a Texas hunter who was cleaning / butchering multiple hogs and he didn’t have his whet stone. He just ran over to his truck and I saw him doing it and I was like WTF? It’s good just to help a sharp edge stay sharp.
I carry a stainless version of the opinel no 10 for food prep.
And a companion carbon for everything else.
Also some tissues, leather strop and a small oily leather cloth.
I also have a stainless companion, which used to be my tool when I want do with just a single knife. (30min walking distance from home)
But it now lives in my kitchen.
I just ordered the same knife (military green) in stainless steel, all I will need to do is to square-off the spine of the blade with a coarse bastard file to enable it to throw sparks with a ferro rod. Now you have the best of all the features in both blades you mentioned in this video and dont have to worry about the patina on the blade either. I bought some 550 paracord to wrap the sheath when it gets here, cant wait! Very informative, thanks for the insight.
Thank you for watching and for your comment! Enjoy your new Mora!
I have 3 Mora Companions. For the kitchen, the model with the thin carbon steel blade. For the field, two HDs, one in carbon steel, the other in stainless. FYI, the stainless model, once the spine is squared off, strikes sparks from a ferro rod just fine. Also the carbon model in the kitchen works great, the patina is of no consequence. Nice knives if you keep them sharp.
I have both, I prefer the stainless-steel version for all purposes.
I prefer the carbon steel but only for its ability to throw a spark if need be with my flint.
Yep me too
Good review of the pros/cons of carbon vs stainless Moras. One additional difference is the stainless companion is thicker than the carbon (2.5 mm vs 2.0 mm). So depending on what you want to do with your knife you may prefer the thinner carbon blade or the slightly thicker stainless blade.
I usually carry a Victorinox Rangergrip 78 in addition to my Mora Companion HD Carbon for the same reason you mention. The thin, flat grind stainless blade is perfect for food prep with the added benefit of an excellent 4” saw. I find the two make an excellent combination.
Great vid Wayne, already ordered the SS version and intended it for food prep on trail/at camp, you've just confirmed my thinking buddy
Thank you and thanks for watching.
I have the companion HD in carbon. I had to grind the spine to make it a 90 degree edge. Your reason fir carrying both a stainless steel (for food prep) and a carbon blade (for camp work) is the most logical I have heard so far.
I've been looking at pages and pages and all sorts of channels to try to find out which knife i had, I bought it in China and it only had the chinese name, but finally from this guys video I found out I've got the Companion in Carbon steel, thank you very much sir! btw my single knife cost me 36USD because of the tax in this country
One of the best carbon Vs steel review. I just got a steel because I don't need to strike to make fire nor use the spine. I most use them for bushcraft and field dressing animals. I have always used homemade blades for outdoor tasks and they're all carbon steel except for in the kitchen, I'll use normal stainless steel. For this Christmas I am getting my first Mora and it's a companion s steel. Looking forward for the fun.
I do like carbon over stainless when it comes to steel but stainless does have a very important place in my kit. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Nice review. I will choose two different colours to avoid pulling out the wrong one
The stainless blade will stay siver, the carbon blade tarnishes pretty good so it's easy to tell the difference once you pull them from the sheath but yeah when the handles and sheathes are identical it's very easy to pull the wrong one out of my pack. Have done it dozens of times. Two different colored knives is a great idea.
I bought one for myself as a birthday gift and it’s sharp as hell right out of the box. I got the carbon version since I’ve only had stainless knives till now and I live in a desert so I’m not too worried about rust as much. Good video, it helped me make my decision
They do come very sharp right out of the box. I was actually surprised at how sharp mine was. I thought for sure I'd have to put an edge on it first.
Good morning Wayne!! This is THE best review on these knives I have been able to find. I see you are Army. From an old jarhead, Semper Fi. Stay safe. And, subbed!!!
Thank you for your sub and for you service! I still carry this knife with me as a belt knife anytime I am out. I would like to buy the full-tang Garberg but I just have had no need to upgrade thus far. This knife performs for me very well and has never let me down yet!
@@WayneRogersOutdoors I wish the companion was full-tang, but that hasn't really been a problem. Like you, I carry different knives for different chores. Just curious, have you ever used Vaseline to coat a carbon steel blade? Seems to work pretty good. Take it easy!🪓🛶 Roger
Soak the blade in vinegar or mustard overnight to get a nice even patina and add some character to the knife. Old timers used to claim that a carbon steel blade would not sharpen well until it was black.
Great video!! Got me
Thinking i need another mora! :) food prep! Plus ! Gives me an extra blade in case emergency
I use gun blue and blacken mine and it works great. I highly recommend it
I may have to try that.
@@WayneRogersOutdoors I get the gun blue they sell at cabelas and bass pro for like 10 bucks, clean it with acetone or alcohol then use a q tip and paint it, the color will turn instantly. Clean it with soap then alcohol and repeat the process until it has the desired blueing. If you do it like ; times it’ll be close to jet black.
I was looking for that kind of review ! Thank you .
I'm glad my review seems to have helped you. Thank you for watching!
@@WayneRogersOutdoors yeah thanks ! I already had the HD stainless. Yesterday i've order the HD carbon. i'll keep the stainless for food processing ! 👍Thanks again.
Thank you, sir. I never knew carbon steel rusted like that…..or maybe I just forgot. Either way, very informative and made my finger slide across the like and subscribe buttons. I look forward to visiting you channel and learning more. High fives all around.
That was very educational - thanks! 🙂
While I agree that stainless steel is the more convenient choice for food prep, I still prefer carbon steel blades at my breakfast table. You can easily force a patina with vinegar or other acids. But I prefer the natural, uneven look of a grown patina. It makes every single knife unique.
So I simply use my carbon steel knives to eat acidic food like apples and tomatoes. After use, I don't instantly clean them. I let them sit a little, drink another cup of coffee or watch a YT video like this one. THEN I clean the blade, dry it and don't apply any oil.
Sure, the first one or two times, the blade will react quite a lot with the food. You will get the typical dark iron oxide on the food and the metallic taste (don't worry, it's actually healthy as long as you're not a baby). But after that, the reaction will quickly diminish with every use. The blade will darken within a few weeks and the patina will not only stop further reactions, it will also protect the blade from rust.
I use that 'breakfast routine' as some kind of initiation rite for all my carbon steel knives I want to take into my EDC rotation. Not only does it prepare the blade for everything else to come, it also adds a lot of character to the knife and makes it my own personal knife. That's something stainless steel can't provide.
I still use my carbon steel knife as an eating utensil and yes the natural patina is much nicer than a forced acid patina. I like how the end of my blade where I do most of my cutting such as cutting meat has a darker color. I have done a vinegar patina but letting a blade age naturally just gives it a more unique look. I have used vinegar for a smooth, even patina, and I have used mustard for a more swirled and random look. Once in a while, depending on what I use my carbon Mora for the patina will wear away but it always comes back in a hurry as long as I always use it as a table knife.
Kul
I have sweaty hands.. probably will go for the stainless steel option
I just bought a stainless Garberg, job done 1 knife.
Moras are the best for the buck. I have one of the original red wood handled ones with a bear guts patina plus a Mora boy scout knife and an Eldris.
idk how the 1095 steel of the kabar compares to the mora but I've had mine for about 2 years now and it hasn't got any rust at all when I don't use it I just wipe it with some vegetable oil
You made my heart smile when you mentioned a Ka-Bar. I still have, and use almost daily, the same one I was issued when a young jarhead in Vietnam. It has been a work-horse, I'm just glad it can't talk.🤠 Be safe. Roger
Mora uses a European (Swedish) equivalent to 1095. So it's pretty close. I once saw an interview with a Mora employee who called it C100 (which is the German equivalent) but they actually use steel from Sandvik. Same properties but different designation.
Basic mora is awesome for food prep,my work horse is mora alround with excelent ergo grip!
I've got both these knives now. The stainless version has a noticeably thicker blade, and feels a tad bit heavier. Why would the blade be thicker?
Stainless steel is more likely to bend, especially if you are manufacturing a bushcraft knife so maybe they are a bit thicker for that reason. They have more tensile strength than carbon steel ( meaning they will bend without breaking ) but less yield strength ( meaning the blade will bend until it reaches maximum stress and deforms permanently. ) I'm thinking that yield strength has to be the reason for a thicker blade perhaps. I'm not entirely sure on that however. I have quite a few stainless steel knives that have been pushed past their yield strength and are permanently bent. You can get some of it out but the blade will never be straight again. However, a bent knife sure beats a broken one in most situations.
Wayne Rogers Outdoors
I was under the impression carbon steel was more flexible to allow it to bend and not snap as easily although dulling faster like a parang or machete made from the leaf spring of a car. And then stainless was a harder metal that will keep its edge longer but harder to sharpen and more likely to snap under pressure rather than bend.
Is it the heavy duty?
Probably the stainless is the Heavy Duty version, while the thinner one is the regular Companion.
@@silvanigra regular carbon companion is 2mm, stainless version is 2.5mm, heavy-duty is 3mm regardless of steel.
How do you keep the blade from getting a natural patina?
Simple, apply a forced patina
Mora MG Carbon all the way brothers and sisters,, I have stable pátina on it and I like that thin blade,, I have same HD which is thicker and I don’t even use it..Another thing is that weighs almost nothing,,and you all know spine is unfinished,,,fix it for ferro rod and off you go…
Enjoy your Moras they’re great and probably don’t need nothing bigger…
I haven't needed anything bigger so far. I'm only basically processing meat, wild edibles, cutting cordage or making feather sticks with it. Anything beyond that I'll use an ax or a saw. No need to go bigger on my knife at this point so I agree with you there. Small, compact, light weight and razor sharp. I love my Mora.
Wayne Rogers Outdoors
We have evolved as species for a reason lol and we have evolved tools for a reason. I can clean my whole house with just my tooth brush but does that really make sense to do? 😝Take care of you’re tools and you’re tools will take care of you. nice video’s 👍
Just because someone don't know how to take care of carbon steel blades doesn't mean "there is no way to prevent them from rusting and patina". Also the patina does not change the quality of the steel or the taste of the food at all and the proof for that is every single Japanese kitchen knife.
As a Chef and bushcrafter using knives all the time I would say that Carbon steel has much better characteristics but it needs a little more care as every other good cutting tool.
End of the day Stainless steel is preferred from people who don't know or don't want to pay attention to them knife or just like to have it shiny and beautiful forever which is not the actual purposes of one knife.
How to prevent rusting and patina?
Basically just wash your knife with clean water after cutting anything that contains acidity and make sure you dry it very good. If you don't use it for long time coat it will boiled linseed oil and will be fine. Ofcourse there are other little tricks you can do but some things we have to keep in secret.✌🏻
For example if you cut an apple with a carbon blade it taste a bit like iron. And its not the patina that do this but the steel itself react with the fruit acid.
Blows me away how many people think you have to have carbon steel for a striker. I use a big heavy buck with 440 stainless all the time. Strikes perfectly fine. Can't tell a difference between it and a high carbon striker.
Edit: Spoke too soon. I don't think ss will strike with flint.
What are you striking with your 440 Stainless Buck? Stainless steel has very little Iron and Iron is what causes steel to spark. You CAN get a spark from stainless on occasion but not consistently the way you can with carbon steel. I'd be interested to know whether you are using your 440 blade as a striker on flint or on a ferro rod because if it's a ferro rod you can strike that with anything at all harder than the ferro rod. That's why a lot of people now use glass strikers for ferro rods. In a flint and steel fire, the STEEL is where the spark comes from because the flint is harder. When striking a ferro rod the ROD is where the spark comes from because the steel is harder.
@@WayneRogersOutdoors Yeah. That's why I said I spoke too soon. I'm talking about ferro rods. A LOT of people believe you have to use carbon steel to strike ferro, and you can strike it with nearly anything. Flint IS a different story.
Buck knives are 420 HC , not 440.
@@quebirtit’s kind of counterintuitive, with a ferro rod, the steel knife IS the flint. It doesn’t matter stainless or carbon. Either is harder than ferrocerium. With actual flint and steel… you need carbon steel to throw sparks.
Carbon is the way to go. Carry mine everyday as my EDC knife - it's really awesome especially for the price !!! 🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪🔪
I was mad at first but I like the patina
I do too. It causes a little drag if you’re trying to make feather sticks and such but for the most part it balances out nicely with also helping to inhibit rust. The trick is to just not let the patina get too thick or get really rough feeling. Sometimes you have to sand it down and let it re-develop.
It really is a small world, isn't it? We have the same barber.💈
🤣👍🤪
It sharpens faster also.
Great video. Thank you !!!
You are welcome and thanks for watching!
Most Japanese chefs knives are made of carbon steel. They work fine. Robert Herder also has excellent carbon knives for the kitchen. Only for a diving knife I would prefer stainless.
you can strike the flint on knife instead of strike the knife on flint
Good job!
Is the carbon steel easier to sharpen?
A little, yes. But Sandvik's 12C27 (which Mora uses for the stainless Companion) is also quite easy to sharpen.
Awesome
You can keep it shiny but you have to wipe it down with oil every day and wash and oil it after every use. Your best best is to blue it with cold bluing or hot vinegar. And contrary to popular belief, you can strike a ferro rod with just about anythin hard and sharp. Stainless steel, ceramic, glass, etc., you don't have to use carbon steel exclusively.
A ferro rod, yes. But not with flint. Flint and steel is my preferred fire making method. Hence, I always like a carbon steel knife that isn't stainless so I can get a spark from any stone hard enough.
Get some mineral oil or petroleum jelly for a carbon knife and it won't rust if you regularly maintain it. And don't use it for food prep. Buy stainless for food and go for something else than scandi grind for food.
Just go get an inexpensive perma blue liquid gun blue, and blue the carbon steel blade. It holds up pretty good.
Surely a mora as a food prep knife isn't ideal due to the grind?
It really isn't but it does get the job done. And I always have it with me. Sometimes I will carry a small knife for food prep in my kit that doesn't have a scandi grind.
good review
Steel whool polish it, then use white vinegar heated up to boil and soak knife blade until vinager cools...forced petina that won't rust as easily.
I use carbon for everything. I grew up with old hickory knives. The taste goes away. Once you have enough patina
That's why when I got my new Old Hickory knife I did a forced patina using white vinegar immediately. It helped.
I almost bought one of these the other day. This might have confirmed my purchase. Lol
The Carbon or the Stainless? They are really good little knives for the price point. They are just about around $14 to $16.00 here and can be bought at farm and ranch and tractor supply stores. In fact, last year on Black Friday, Orscheln's Farm and Home had a two-pack, one carbon steel, and one stainless steel, with sheaths for twenty bucks.
@@WayneRogersOutdoors Probably just the carbon for now. I have plenty of stainless knives. But I'll probably get both eventually.
You should have chose a different color handle for the 2nd one.
Yes there is something you can do to prevent the staining of carbon blades. Dry it and oil it. Mineral oil is food safe and doesn’t go rancid.
Why would anyone want to do that? Just let the blade do its thing and become unique.
@@WayneRogersOutdoors you mean patina, sure. But if you get it wet and “do it’s thing”, you’ll have a very rusty blade. That you don’t want.
Vaseline?
a coating of vaseline is better than oil. It will stay on the blade longer and is actually edible.
A real man aint worrying about a knife looking "shiny"
You are very much worried about a shiny blade in a situation where a flash of sunlight on a shiny blade can give away your position. Thanks for trying to be a douche-canoe though. A real man knows when to conceal his location to his advantage because he has more common sense than you do.
@@WayneRogersOutdoors Only if US forces are around .Then I would be scared ! Fucking marines shoot at anything , cowboys the lot of them
Yes sir!
Is it true that the tarnishing rust cancerous?
There is a significant difference between tarnish and rust. Tarnish or what is otherwise known as a patina on a carbon steel blade is not carcinogenic at all and actually helps protect your blade. Too much patina can also cause drag and make it easier to cut yourself. The problem with possible carcinogenic‘s comes from some knife makers incorporating cobalt into their steel. When you sharpen a carbon steel knife that has cobalt in it the cobalt dust that is left on the blade after the sharpening process is suspected to be carcinogenic. All you have to do is sharpen your knife and then wash it with hot soapy water before you ever use it for food prep. This will remove the cobalt dust from the blade and you should be good to go.
@@WayneRogersOutdoors Thanks for your response. Your response has settled my concern (I just bought the carbon version of the mora companion). Great video BTW, I haven't heard any other youtubers mention how carbon knives change the way your food tastes. I noticed this right right away with my new mora. Subbed.
No it makes the food taste way better !!!
As soon as I lose my beer belly wayne I'm going to reach right around & using my mora I'm going to shave my butt 😂👌
Shave away! I didn’t see nothing.
@@WayneRogersOutdoors 🤭😂😂😂 ah they're a great value, great bitta kit 👌 keep on keeping on ✌️
I have a Craftline Pro in both carbon and stainless. To be honest, I can't tell a heck of a lot of difference in the way they sharpen or perform. I live in a dry climate, and have not had any rust issues with the carbon as long as I clean and dry it after use. You can put a stainless knife away wet, but I wouldn't recommend doing that with a carbon knife.
By the way, I cringed every time he put the point of the knife against his finger, but maybe that's just me.
Due to all of the use this knife has gotten the point is pretty blunt these days. I focus all of my sharpening effort on the back part of the knife that gets used the most anyhow.
My carbon steel companion iv had to use steel wool and i have kept the knife oiled i mainly use my carbon as a batton splitter or just general cutting use i use a stainless for food myself i have the mora kanzobal for food prep
I will and have used carbon steel for food if I have to in a pinch but I never only have one knife with me when I go out so I just take one of each.
I gotta say any 90degree edge can strike a ferro rod. Stainless cant strike flint
I see people on here all the time claiming that it can. I think by now that myth has been thouroughly busted though.
My OCD went "oh my" at the 1:54 mark
I won't recommand a scandi grind for food prep. A scandi is very good for carving but for food prep,I would always use a fullflat grind, because it slices waaay better through potatoes, tomatoes,meat etc. It is not funny to cut potatoes with a scandi grind knive, just because it pushes the potatoes more to the side instead of slicing through. The thinner the blade, the better it is for food prep (obviously it shouldnt be too thin,so that it flexes).
This is very true. These knives are very much not optimal for food prep and make it harder than it has to be at times.
Cutting an apple with a knife if you want to eat an apple seems like your just eating the apple as an excuse to use your knife lol if I'm gonna eat an apple I wouldnt be using a knife, I use my bloody teeth that's what they're there for hehe good information though thankyou
I cut an apple with my knife to eat one because that's how I ate them growing up. Plus, in this video I didn't have many teeth left. ( only two in fact ) so biting an apple was impossible at the time. I had extensive dental done and now have a full set BUT I still cut my apples up to eat them. It's just how it was done when I was a kid.
🤘
04:02 but you just said that you do not use carbon steel to process food?!
I don't but I have many many times. This is why I now carry a stainless option for food prep.
I don't know where you got the idea that carbon steel imparts flavor to food...millions of people, myself included, use carbon steel chefs knives every day, and are not troubled by off tastes. Yes, if you were for example cutting a bunch of citrus you'd want to wipe the blade with a damp cloth more often than you would your SS knives and certainly not put the knife away unwashed, but it is really not an issue in normal use. 🙂
I got the idea from the flavor of my food. We are talking about a 16 dollar knife here not a $200.00 chef knife. Person experience. That's how.
@@WayneRogersOutdoorsI agree, I have been using both versions for many years and the carbon knives can absolutely impart a metallic taste into acidic foods as it reacts quickly on contact. There are definitely different grades of carbon steel, some more stable than others. While Morakniv carbon steel is amazing stuff and great for woods work, I definitely prefer using the Sandvik Stainless Mora models for food prep. Some knife steels used by other companies are still be on the carbon spectrum but are less carbon content or higher chromium content to allow slower oxidation or patina which make them better suited in the kitchen. They have some of the desirable attributes of carbon steel but also require slightly less maintenance than the true high carbon steels.
God Bless everyone!!!! Jesus Loves you all very much!!!!
metal polish
I have considered using Brasso or something similar. I currently basically sand it off through use and it gets better.
Lmao
... So I carry two.
What the hell is wrong with
people today ?
Seriously.
Two is one, and one is none? I carry more than two knives, just two are Mora.
You people and your description of cancer! Patina? Bullshit!
So it's not for you. You aren't so special. Just don't do it.
Sure you can spray it with zinc
That's something I would like to try.