Mora Knives are a basic, Swedish-made knife well liked for their durability and practicality. Many of the Moras are ~$15-30, but this Kansbol is a bit pricier at $50 Canadian. I have put this knife through five years of skinning and butchering deer to see if the extra cost is justified.
The Kansbol is essentially a hybrid. It takes the proven, rugged handle of the Garberg and mates it with a blade that is optimized for weight and slicing efficiency. While many Mora knives are strictly Scandi-grind (one single bevel), the Kansbol features a tapered profile that makes it much more effective for hunters who need to do fine work inside a carcass.
Specifications
- Blade Material: Sandvik 12C27 Stainless Steel
- Blade Length: 4.3 inches (109 mm)
- Total Length: 8.9 inches (226 mm)
- Weight: 4.7 oz (134 g)
- Spine: 90-degree sharpened (for fire starters)
- Country of Origin: Sweden
Usability
The standout feature of the Kansbol is the blade geometry. The rear half of the knife is a traditional Scandi grind, giving you strength for wood notched or heavier tasks. Toward the tip, the blade thins out significantly. In the field, this is a game changer for skinning. It allows for much better control when navigating around joints or performing delicate abdominal cuts.
After five years of butchering deer, the stainless steel has held up remarkably well. Unlike high-carbon blades, you don’t have to baby this knife to prevent rust while working in wet conditions. The TPE rubber handle provides a solid grip even when covered in blood or fat, which is a critical safety factor for a hunting knife.
The spine is ground to a sharp 90-degree angle. While mostly used by bushcrafters for striking magnesium fire starters, it is also handy for scraping tasks where you don’t want to dull your primary edge. I don’t like the sharp back when skinning out the deer near the achilles tendon because you can even cut it with the back of the knife if you’re not careful.
Competitors
- Mora 2000: The ancestor to the Kansbol. It has a similar blade but a less ergonomic handle.
- Mora Garberg: The “big brother” to the Kansbol. It is full tang and much heavier, making it better for batoning wood but worse for precise skinning.
- Helle Temagami: A much more expensive ($200+) Norwegian option for those who want similar performance with premium wood handles and triple-laminated steel.
Conclusion
At $50 CAD, the Kansbol is no longer a “disposable” knife, but it offers performance that punches far above its weight class. It is light enough that you forget it is on your belt, yet the blade profile makes it one of the most capable butchering tools in the Mora lineup. If you find the standard Mora Companion a bit too chunky for fine skinning, the Kansbol is the logical next step.
