Does China Make A Better $15 Knife Than Sweden!? 

My son in law gave me a Mora for Christmas a few years back. I love it. I've field dress many deer with it with no glitches at all.

I got a Mora as a little kid, some 60+ years ago. I thought it was scary sharp then, and I still think that. I don't use a belt knife very often and don't like to have it dangling at my waist, but I would guess that it is as good as anything out there. There are many fancier, cooler knives around, but for something you can just use without treating it like a holy object, and maybe replace if you have to, Mora knives are damn good.

So we discovered a finer tip bends when a thicker one doesn't. Wow!

I think it looks more like a Benchmade Puukko clone, than a Mora.

That tip test was janky! The china blade was near twice as deep for the 2nd(bend) test.

I Love the Mora Companion. I own several of them. At first I was open to the idea of it BUT the weak steel of the Gonzo has me sticking with the Mora

Thanks for the much needed data, Aaron. I'm not sure the comparison is completely fair, though. In fact, I would argue that if it was GANZO's intention to go after the Mora Companion, THEY don't understand knives. I actually think (and hope) they were trying to accomplish something slightly different. 1) The higher flat grind was never going to carve as well as a Scandi, even if it were Mora making it. A Scandi is made FOR that and will ALWAYS carve wood more efficiently than a high flat or full flat ground knife. 2) The geometry with the tip was never going to hold up to that tip test, even if it were Mora making the knife. It's a higher grind, which means it's thinner at the tip, AND it tapers, which a simple Scandi knife doesn't. I think it would be more apt to compare this GANZO to a Kansbol, which I would NEVER tip test like that, because physics. 3) I think GANZO was trying to do something very clever - create a Mora-esque knife with a higher flat grind, because Scandi ground knives are great for wood carving, but less efficient at other camp tasks, like food prep. If you test the two knives in the kitchen, especially if you're cutting up things like potatoes and apples, The GANZO is going to win that contest. I think that was their target - to create a companion to the Companion - a Mora-like knife that is for camp kitchen and general use tasks, to pair with a Mora for wood work. That's how I would use these. 4) The big knock, in my view, is the too-soft heat treatment that showed up in the cutting of abrasives. If they tighten that up, just a smidge, I think they fill a nice gap in the budget camping/hiking knife market.

I see these as two completely different knives. I do like my Mora Companion HD as a general use camping / bushcrafting knife and it stays on my belt. What I do not like is the Scandi grind as a camp kitchen knife. I keep a Opinel in my camp kitchen kit. The Opinel with its flat ground blade is just so much better as a camp kitchen knife. I see the Ganzo as a fixed blade replacement for the Opinel.

That Gonzo was bent after one stab on the tip test. They don't boast an expensive steel, and I still wonder if they're lying.

I don't understand why people want to compare a flat grind knife with a scandi grind knife, they are designed for some very different purposes. It must be just because the two knives use a similar construction and price point, which does indeed have some comparison, but not in the key aspect of the knives. If you pause the video for the tip test you will see that the Mora only was driven in about half the way the Ganzo was - which makes sense because the same amount of pressure will stop the THICKER Mora tip prematurely and the thin Ganzo will be driven deeper. It's a comparison between a Scandi and a flat grind, OF COURSE the thinner blade will bend more easily. It's not a like-for-like comparison. The Mora gets an automated sharpening at the factory which is consistent from one blade to the other whereas the Ganzo might be sharpened well or it might be sharpened very poorly, it just depends on which one you get. Way too many knife reviewers don't closely investigate how well a knife has been sharpened - especially when the knife is a very low cost knife. Certainly, Ganzo needs to do better factory sharpening!! as does at least 99% of the knife brands that produce low budget knives out there. Mora is the only brand I know that uses automated sharpening and their edges are consistent as a result. Why do some people insist on calling it GONZO? A doesn't say "OH". Must be an educational defect somewhere.

The ganzo's tip bent on the first tip test. Softer steel, so it'll be easier to sharpen, which you will be doing a lot of sharpening on the ganzo. Morakniv really knows what they are doing with the heat treatment. Even if the steel is identical, Morakniv will outperform others.

Moras are just it. I have four. I’m also a fan of the Scandi grind. It’s not the best for food prep, but it can be done. Ganzo makes goog knives. I have three folders, but I’ll stick with the Moras all the way for outdoors.🔪🎸🇳🇴

Thank You. Haven't heard of this knife. I really like the belt clip. It would probably be better around the fishing arena. Ive cleaned a lotta fish with a Mora , but didn't really like the grind for that purpose. Being it bent at the tip isn't a bad thing, probably a better thing. Because of its grind it set in deeper in the endgrain , so it would have had to break , or bend. I gritted my teeth while you done that test. The pallet bend test said to me that its a decent heat treatment. But edge retention is a must.

Good video, from your testing I will still recommend the Mora for those starting out, and will still gift Mora knives as the grand kids come of age. Just wish the old style Mora Scout with wood handles, metal guard, and leather sheath was easier to find.

Appreciate the test. Don’t see why or how anyone would buy this when you can get a stainless or carbon mora for $1 more.

look at the tip geometry and taper its NOT meant for stabbing THEN bending sidways no matter how good the metal is.

I had in 2 of the same Ganzo's also, both tips snapped straight off in the tip test. So I think there might be a variation in their heat treatment. Ideally one wouldn't want either a snapped or a bent tip, since it's fatiguing the steel.

Man you got the most interesting knife reviews on RU-vid!

Very informative video. Thanks Aaron. Another great video.

I think buying 10 of the Ganzo and holding them in your depot for use as post apocalypse trade goods is a good idea. Maybe use up one or two while you wait. At $15 each, why not?

for slicer & easy to sharp go for ganzo

Just my worthless opinion but I think the Kansbol would work circles around that ganzo . The combo grind gives the performance of both a flat grind and a scandi .

You know Spyderco has proven that you can make 8cr13 Steel into an amazing Knife Blade so Ganzo should be able to also you would think. Great review my Friend

Interesting observation in this video regarding the hardness of the Ganzo blade. Matches my experiences with Ganzo knives. I purchased two: one with a "D2" blade, the other with a "440C" blade. Both blades were much softer than expected. I've seen so many people saying good things about Ganzo knives I thought maybe I was just very unlucky. Can anybody else post their experiences with Ganzo blades?

I'd just go with the Mora. They're well made and the quality will stay the same whereas the Chinese will alter the quality after a few months of selling their knives and make it as janky as they can while still selling units.

Thanks I use my $17.00 Mora's as a utility and garden knife. Like the scandi grind for ease of sharpening and will keep them...

Scandi grinds are legendary for a reason.

I have seven moras ….I know it’s a sickness 😂😂😂 my favourite is the humble companion. I have it in carbon and stainless steel. There is a very good reason for this..I do a lot of beach side camping where the stainless is right at home. I have owned Moras now for 51years and I have to say they are a magnificent tool I actually cried like a baby when I lost my original old mora it was a great carving knife and it got better with age. I finally bought a new 511 recently after just destroying my old one but with a little love and a new handle it still stays in my collection. Now I must point out I make my own knives which I sell on a limited basis. I have a great deal of knives all based around bushcraft and camping tasks. I do make and sell a couple of hunting knives and do a ‘Bowie’ style knife for hunters. In other words I have a lifetime of experience but I am still a student . Knifes are the most useful tool man ever invented and steel and treatment is man style witchcraft 😂😂😂. I have been a fan of your channel a very very long time my friend and I thank you for your insight. To all reading this enjoy yourself and peace.

Love the high scandi

Sharpenability is the most important factor in the field when it hits the fan.

No idea about elsewhere in the world, but here in the uk the Ganzo models are about twice the price of the Mora ! if you shop around...........so Mora any day of the week for me, i have at least half a dozen moras

No worries, a true Mora has a birch handle.

Mora is hard to beat. Of course there are better knives but they cost a lot more. In its price range Mora is a true king because its quality to price ratio is just insane.

Nothing is better of a Mora for the price, thanks for the video. Can you test the banchmade puukko?

Could you do a comparison of the new Flissa 9" D2 steel knife? It looks interesting for $20 (full tang, wood handle). Around $26 for micarta handle, $23 for G10 handle. 🤔

I like that it's ambidextrous I carry my knives left even though I write right I'm somewhat ambidextrous I use a left mouse/trackball says it's 8CR14 which isn't bad if heat treated well it's about the same $$ as Morakniv and the tip bends so I'll stick with Morakniv

The answer to that question is no. 1. Mora's knives are not made by slaves. 2. Mora's knives are not made in an enemy communist nation. 3. When Mora says they use a specific steel, I trust they did in fact use that steel and are not lying. For these reasons and others, communist china does NOT make a better......anything.

I just bought this GANZO knife, mine is orange. This sumbitch is SHARP !! Already bit me good on a finger. Folks, I own and have owned a LOT of knives, A LOT OF KNIVES.....Ive NEVER had a knife so sharp from the factory. OK, thats it, havent used it yet, just letting you know, these damn things are RAZORS , I have no idea if the blade holds up or if they can be sharpened back easily....but man...OUCH.

The grind is likely what made the tip bend as there is less thickness to the tip due to the flat grind.

Any time the discussion on knives is in the direction of best quality vs cost, Morakniv wins almost every time in my opinion.

Great review! Thanks, Aaron!

Think I will give the mora a try. You say there good I believe ya. Thanks Aaron.

G'day Aaron, since I'm not a huge fan of a scandi for "do everything" applications, ...(though I do, .... do just about anything with them, lol), I really wanted to like the Ganzo for its sabre grind, but I did shudder as soon as you mentioned 8Cr; its fine for string, (perhaps not rope), cutting and the like, ...... but don't get it anywhere near timber IMO, especially fruitwoods and other hardwoods ..... unless you like sharpening more than using. I assume its the HT on Mora's 12C, but what ever it is, it certainly punches above its weight. Incidentally the same can be said for the AUS-8A used on the CS Finnwolf. Btw; a sabre/reciprocating saw ...... is certainly one way to reveal a hidden tang, lol. A lotta good features on the Ganzo, I like the grip in particular, but at the end of the day, for me, not worth the purchase, even at the price. Thanks for showing it though mate, interesting, enjoyed the vid as always and proud to be a sponsor. Cheers Duke.

I really can't agree that China is knocking that one off. In comparison to the Mora lineup there are more differences than similarities. China being China, should have, and most likely did, make that knife for decades and you are only seeing it on them market today because somebody else did a video comparing the two. Ganzo doesn't sell directly in the United States. If you look at it as an improvement on the Mora it is actually closer to a less expensive Cold Steel than a Mora. There are a lot of things to criticize the Morakniv for. One of them is that the handle isn't very flexible in the ways that you can grip it, and it did need the checkering. The skandi grind...well, that wasn't necessarily a good idea in the first place. Hypothetically, we can use the flat surface of a skandi grind knife to set the angle when sharpening. If the factory wasn't insane about the angle and provide it with a buffed polish then we could just lay our knife flat on the sharpening stone and hold a perfect edge angle, much like sharpening a straight razor. The Mora, the only thing you can use the skandi for is to look at it. If it were a sloyd knife then the skandi angle is useful because you only need it to cut soft woods and strop it back to sharp if you put a big nick in it you will have to fix that at some later date. But any general purpose knife would never be a good knife sharpened at the scandi angle. However, one thing that it does do is give the knife a strong tip. Aside from testing the tip of a perfectly good knife to see if you can break it and testing cell phones to see how far they can be thrown on the beach, the flat grind is usually preferred by most whittlers because you are going to settle on a convex grind no matter how the factory sharpened it. Overall, calling anything a mora knockoff is bull. It's like calling a fork a knockoff because it looks like a fork and is cheap. (I did actually search Ganzo to see if they made a sloyd knife. I liked the handle shape. Try choking up on it and whittling...the sharp spine is a negative...) Did any of you guys ever try and hone the digs that a fire steel leaves in a beautiful knife? That is where reviewers are full of it. Until somebody decided that bush crafting involved hammering on a knife with a tree trunk, the thought never occurred to me to abuse my knife in the first place. Why would anyone need to split firewood with a knife when if burns just fine without?

Mora for me. Every few years I buy a new one. Then i find one in an old truck or quad. They are the best cheap fixed blade knife there is.if you loose one, oh well.

Dollar for dollar if all things were equal, I would choose the one that represents the economy I would want to support most. There is good reason Mora is a knife legend across the world.

So many Mora’s?!?! Which one would you recommend for edc around the farm?

Thanks for this very fun video.

I spent another $25 and got the BPS adventurer. Best decision I have made regarding knives.

Are we ever getting a Buck 117 review???

Nice demo!

Well more for food prep camping than wood work

For a cheap flat grind for food fish and even deer can't go wrong with spyderco bow river. Awesome knife for the money

I had two Moras and I used both in extreme conditions with no reservations... to say that these are similar knives, they are not; geometry, dimensions and even the sheaths, even a blind man can tell the difference. Great comparison review though! They are both good knives. Ganzo is thinner on the tip, so for sure the performance will be different... Ganzo's sheath is a better design and fits just right as you showed it. I bought an expensive Helle Harding some years ago, I expected too much from it until I opened a coconut in Koh Chang, Thailand. It bent and I was so disappointed. Like you said, a bent knife is always better to have than a broken one.

If you are truly stuck in a bad situation, a knife snapping would be more detrimental than having to sharpen more often.. Smart people avoid getting stuck in bad situations though.

Morakniv are very cheap knives, excellent quality, affordable and reliable, there is no way to make a wrong decision, Mora always. If I need a second knife, it will be another Mora.

what is the point of comparing apple and orange? Why not find same profile knife between the Swed vs Chinese knife instead?

I thought for sure it would do better than that which I guess is the reason we watch these videos to see the performers before we buy something I am the kind of guy that would buy one if it was a decent just to have it As an alternative but I don’t think I need to add that to my collection I’d rather buy another Mora. I have some ganzo Knives and for what they are, and what I spent they are great knives.

these chinese 6cr and 7cr 13 and 14 steels are not that bad composition wise. they are in the range of aeb-l and 12c27 in composition. only the chinese do not heat treat that well and maybe some more impurities in the chinese steel equivalent. would be nice to see chinese scandi vs scandinavian scandi knife test. nice informative video

Another great videoooo!

The mora is better by default since none of your money is going to China when you purchase a mora

Honest review 👍

Sweden used to make extremly good steel, doubt that chinese manufacturers can equal it.

I have several Mora knives. They are great knives.I use them esp the companion most often.However this Ganzo is a good one and the higher grind permits a more varied use in camp or kitchen .The grind is easy to sharpen and is one knife that came extremely sharp out of the box.Wood work goes to the Mora but all else goes to the Ganzo.The sheath is ambi and a big plus for lefties..It took a few days of normal duty use before I had to sharpen it like my Mora as well..The blade profile is superb .Going to get another one.

Morakniv i migliori di sempe

Your kinda rough on knives. Good video.

Hi bro Mora all the way

Who told you that the edge retention of 8CR14MoV is similar on paper with that of 12C27? The former has significantly more carbon and also some Molibden and Vanadium, while the latter has only 0.6 carbon and some chromium carbides. So on paper 8CR14MoV should hold an edge similarly with AUS-8 and far better than Sandvik 12C27. If it doesn't, it means that it had very poor heat treatment (which is probable if it was made cheap). It would have been interesting to see an edge retention test, not a conclusion based on the fact that it bent easier. Bending easier in this case is expected, as the tip is visibly thinner and differently profiled. I think Mora beats it by the quality of execution and attention to detail more than by using superior materials. Nice test anyway! Congratulations! Mora's only real competitor is Hultafors.

Honestly, it’s a matter of principle for me. Even if Chinas is better, I’m sick of everything being made in China. Obviously a lot of my stuff is (as with everyone) but lately I make a conscious effort to buy products made elsewhere. My SS Mora companion goes into the surf with me while fishing, and stays submerged for 30-60 minutes at a time. With light maintenance and a few mods, it’s going strong and I have 0 need for another utility knife. I bought 6 total because I love them so much. Same make, model, and color. For under $20, and made in Sweden, it’s such a steal in my book.

Only one is made out of Chinesium metal.

mora - very soft steel (it dulls to fast) I don't like it (and never do) yes, chinese would be better choice 10:28 yes, mora is thicker at front part of the blade (not good to cut)

I like my Martini

Chinese steel was, and always will be inferior. The skills of steel making are not something that can be copied.

It's very simple. Mora has been providing quality, value and supporting the outdoor community for decades. The other company takes your money to use for undermining your way of life. Why would you choose Chinese??

Your basic premise is unfair. The question should not be "better than". It should be "equivalent to". If your insistent on "better than" the question becomes how much better? Incrementally? One and a half times better? Twice as good? Or something equal to a Garberg but cheaper than a Companion?

Personally I think the ganzo bent because it went in the wood twice as far. I don’t see what the hype is about the moras. I bought one and the blade rusted before I could ever use it. It’s not a bad knife but of all the knives I have it’s the only one I have to keep oiled or it will rust right up. Is this common? Because I’ve always heard nothing but good about them. That’s why I bought one

I'm Danish, so I'm sticking with a Skändi knife. I don't do stainless steel,period. Why would I even CINSIDER a Chinese copy?

Buy Chinese only if there is no other option. Saving a couple of bucks on essential gear is silly.

Didn’t like the Benchmade puuko grind the edge was to thick for me. Mora For Life Yo !!!!!

Really incomplete review as is so often the case on RU-vid . You make the assumption we know the price of the Mora ? I checked is it the 95 dollar Mora ? If so the Ganza is far better because you can buy 4 and have money left over . If you lose it no big deal. And knives get lost .

the scandi grind is something proven hundreds of years earlier than the Viking age. Best by test is that grind. On the other hand, a 15$ knife is a 15$ knife be it mora or any other company. Not your best survival knife but it will do the job if you know how to use the blade. No need to batton through the thick wood, just make a wooden edge and use that instead. A knife is a tool at the end of the day :))

I don't buy Chinese blades!! Steel just not same quality

Sorry but as a matter of principal I cannot in good moral conscience support the Chinese government so i will never buy a Chinese product if their is another viable option and in knives there definitely is. Beside on a personal note i love scandi grinds.

Ganzo is the king of value; but not in moras neck of the woods!

That wasn't even close to a fair tip test. You sunk the Ganzo and barely stuck the Mora. 🤣

Interesting

Tip test was and is BS. The Chinese one is much thinner profile at the tip. And wtf does that to their knives. It looks to be a decent little knife. I have several Moras and they're a decent knife as well. No link for the Chinese knife in the description but link for Mora and you recommend Mora. One is giving you a kickback and you recommend it. That's a red flag with these "reviews."

Moraknive forever and I don't care price

Are we going to support Sweden or China? I go for Sweden

I have a few of Ganzo's folding knives, some are quite good. But when it comes to a good fixed blade knife, I'd take the Mora any day. You can bet there's a few short cuts in the Ganzo, as the softer steel is just one of them. Also, the typical guy in Sweden that makes Mora knives, probably doesn't go home in a fit of rage and beat up his old lady because he had a bad day working in sweat shop conditions.

With choices like mora and cold steel there's no need to support an enemy nations economy.

Gonzo=bait knife

To me .......nothing is better than a mora for the price

A big no!

"better" is subjective here as both knives are similar yet very different. The blade grinds alone are totally different. Scandi vs high saber. This comparison makes absolutely no sense. It would if both knives had scandi grind but they don't. Idiotic video title as well.

I should’ve waited for you to post this vid with affiliate link. I bought as soon as you posted on IG 🫤 Sorry bro.

Devil's advocate. I've used the Ganzo to cut lots of stuff and done plenty of work with it and it has held up fine. I didnt jam it into a log and fold it over but I didnt get it to pry stumps. I got it to cut. I'm not saying its better or worse than the Mora. I'm just saying that for standard utility it has served me well. If you like the design i think its still its a lot of knife for the price.

One thing about the tip bend: it has a significantly thinner profile on the grind. I have owned a couple of puukkos that had the same grind, and they will bend slightly if put under the same stress as the Ganzo. Dave Baker said it best: a bent blade can be fixed. A broken one cannot. For the price, having one as a backup, or even an expendable primary for some cases may not be a bad thing.

Mora are scandi grind and 60 HRC in either 12C27 or 1090 equivalent, this is a flat grind with a more acute tip and ~56 HRC in 8Cr14Mov. I've both the Companion and this Ganzo and they both excel at different tasks, I use the Mora Companion mainly for bushcraft and the Ganzo for a camp food prep knife with the occasional bushcraft. That's the roles they're most suitable for. So they aren't really competing in roles but in price...

Yeah. I'll stick with the Mora. Proven track record. World renowned Quality. Big fan of the scandi grind as well on all my knives.