I’ve owned the Ember with curly birch scales for over a year and a half. It is an amazing tool with camping, bushcraft, and fire craft. I have a thinner Kellam Puukko for smaller detail cuts and whittling when necessary.
Considering the price point, Joker's choice to go with 14C28N actually makes a lot of sense. Sandvik's 14C28N is amongst the toughest stainless steels you can buy. It even beats numerous carbon steel types in terms of toughness. Besides some blatently expensive CPM steels, there's hardly any stainless steel that offers more toughness in combination with decent edge retention and rust resistance. If you want a stainless steel knife that can take a beating and doesn't cost a fortune, 14C28N is probably the best way to go.
Totally agree with you there, the shiny appeal of Crucible Industries steels I find very hard to resist, but Sandvicks combinations overall are a very good choice for this style of knife. Cudeman knives Bohler steels are also a really good steel, very close to the 14C28N, check out there knives if you haven’t already 👍🏼
I have the ember in curly birch and I love that knife. I agree with your overall take but I think maybe you are underrating 14c28n. It’s a really solid all around stainless steel. For this style knife I’d say it’s cream of the crop of “budget steel” options
Very good review, bravo. I'm a huge Joker fan, and although I'm not big into bushcraft they do offer the scandi grinds and other features for that slice of the market. The value for money is as high as any manufacturer out there, equal to Opinel if you ask me. Fit and finish too. I'm waiting on a Pantera to come in the mail, as far as I can tell via the web a just gorgeous knife for $40 USD. I know I can introduce it to its new Bark River and other high-end knife friends in my collection and it'll be able to hold its head up and not be overawed. The Ember doesn't really fill any needs for me but it sure looks like a good knife.
I just got my ember today. The quality assurance is 100%. Words can't describe. Every detail of this knife is perfect. I was surprised that I did not see that round marking on the face of the knife with I think BS9 and did not see the makers name on the back side. Do you know if that's common?
Ohhhhhhh, Guss, that’s got to be one of the best questions I’ve been asked, and honestly a tough one to answer, but I’ll have a crack. Honestly, the garberg is a better overall performer, it has a better blade design and the handle is better equipped for all conditions so I have to at the Mora has the joker beat. However lol, I think the garberg is a survival knife, not a traditional bushcraft knife, so for me, I choose what knife goes with me where depending on where I’m going, what I’m doing and who I’m going with, knives are a show piece and a good talking point around a fire. Hope I didn’t bore you with that long answer Guss 🤙🏼
@@GUSSKONTARAKIS I kindly disagree , I've owned and used two Garbergs , their edge geometry is wacked. I thought mine was a fluke and tried using for awhile and even gave it praise .I wanted to love it but began seeing a flaw.. I bought another one and realized that's how they are designed it was identical. It's much to thick in the belly cause the relief edge is to short for the thickness that it is. This makes thumb cuts like notching more difficult when using the belly area. It also comes with a secondary micro bevel which either needs removed or convexed. I recommend not removing it cause you have to raise the relief edge to bring down the degree angle . This requires removing a lot of steel. The Joker comes with a zero edge scadi micarta scales or birch wood . The sheaths are much better , the leather mora sheaths belt loop stretches cause it's got one pin and soft leather. Most of the Joker sheaths have two pins holding the loop and that "plasticity" he speaks of in his video is not a bad thing imo. That Joker sheath is made to be used and will eventually work in. Enzo Brisa makes the same sheaths amd they are excellent quality. My Garberg leather sheath.. SUCKED, I'm sorry it just stinks. With my experience it stretched within two months . The sheath itself is nice, but it's just built poorly where it counts . I don't hate Mora I personally really love their knives and have built many using their blad blanks. Their Bushcraft Black is a much better blade design and way cheaper in the states, about $45 . Anyways everyone has opinions and experiences I'm not trying to step on toes ...I've just spent a small fortune on knives and in that process I learned a ton. Once I began making my own grinds from blanks amd learning about steel esp edge geometry everything changed. If ya want a budget blade like the Garberg I'd recommend the Condor Tarasaur . It's 1095hc and has a good edge geometry and only $40 . But I would personally save up a little and buy a JOKER knife shop around more. Anyway that's my 2cents worth.
@@Airik1111bibles condors can be usefull but they have very low heat treatment on the 1095. I found joker nordico for about 60$ new on sale here in Poland. But i still use my mora robust and must admit it is very good, i did throw it, batoning prying.. Best for heavy tasks, and it was less than 10$
@@jimlahey5623 Interesting, I haven't used their 1095hc yet ...so it's soft like their 1075. That really sucks ... Honestly I sold all my budget knives and finally spent money on a few good blades . I own a small selection now which used ro be huge . Tops Brakimo & piggy backing a MSK2 5 their 1095hc is excellent Kabar Becker BK18 Harpoon Ontario Sk5 Blackbird Ontario large Bowie Benchmade Bushcrafter Gerber Prodigy Mora bushcraft black Mora #1 build You are right the Mora robust for $15 can do just about anything I love those blades. I made many custom wood handle mods using the new Robust. Their carbon steel is really good and if the Garberg had a better grind geometry I'd buy a Carbon version.
Well, if they used better steel material and if they had any heritage or conection with Scandi grinds, they would make a decent bushcraft knife. Hoevver, they do use either the wrong steel for the type of knife they make or the steel choice is too poor or too soft or both. They are only good, at fit and finish plus price, but as you all know, you in the end of the day,get what you pay for. I see them, as a better choice than Chinese made knives, but that's that.Never had a knife, that I was wiling to buy,
You really don’t have a place to say that if you haven’t owned and used them. I’ve got 50+ fixed blade knives of high quality and joker is no slouch. They are not just finished nicely but are a great hard use tool that sharpens easily
