Comparation Gerber Gator vs. Morakniv Garberg knives

I know that fire-wise carbon is better since it can throw a spark on flint, or any hard rock for that matter.

But I'm personally not that much into fire making with a knife or bushcraft. Chopping bushes and other stuff in my yard? - yepp... I do that a lot.

Anyways. Carbon steel will stay sharp for longer. That will play a big role if you are a hunter and you need to skin the animal.
Another thing - toughness. Carbon steel is less likley to roll, chip or break. So you can chop with it without fear.
Sharpening - it takes much less time and it's much more forgiving too. You'll have much less problems with stubborn burr too.

Corrosion resistance - just wipe it and dry it before returning it in sheath, and put some oil, vaseline or even lip balm on it before storing it and you won't have issues.

I only have 4 knives, all except 1 are in use. They are in SK-5, 52100, D2 and CPM-3V. None of these steels are stainless and yet I never had issues with corrosion.

People used carbon steel for years and years and still use it despite existence of stainless steel.
Carbon steel will develop patina with time, which makes your knife unique. Carbon steel will give you very good toughness and performance, while being easy to sharpen. All you have to do on your part is - some maintenance (clean it and oil before storing it).
 
Everything I have read says stainless will strike a spark on a ferrocerium rod, but not on flint. It is dependent on the geometry of the spine of the knife, must be a crisp 90 degree angle. Of course I could be wrong...will have to try it myself. BTW I bought the stainless Garberg ;)
 
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One of the main knife truths all of us learn is you must test whatever knife you think might work for you in the field. It might look good in a catalog or in a store in your hand. But you must get out and use it to determine if it will work for you. I was not a fan at all of the Garberg handle while others love it. Do not consider the idea you will get any knife and be all set. Plan on getting more knives as time goes by. It’s an addicting quest. Good luck
 
L Lika I might get in trouble for this, but the 'Track of The Wolf' website has some nice traditional flint and steel fire starters in classic Colonial and "Mountain Man/"Fur Trade" era brass, steel, or nickel silver tins. I believe some of the tins are made by Ted Cash, and have his cartouche. Some sets also include "historically" and "period correct" tinder. Prices are reasonable.
The steels are all hand forged and hardened.

I only mention because I've never had much luck with a ferro rod, regardless of conditions.
 
Lika said:
Thanks,
it seems that carbon steel is better than stainless but in my case I think it’s better to go on Garberg Stainless.
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afishhunter said:
L Lika If your going to use the knife with a ferro rod or flint to start fires, then carbon steel is your only choice. Stainless won't spark.
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WILLIAM.M said:
One of the main knife truths all of us learn is you must test whatever knife you think might work for you in the field. It might look good in a catalog or in a store in your hand. But you must get out and use it to determine if it will work for you. I was not a fan at all of the Garberg handle while others love it. Do not consider the idea you will get any knife and be all set. Plan on getting more knives as time goes by. It’s an addicting quest. Good luck
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Lika, you will find VERY STRONG OPINIONS about carbon vs. stainless steel. It is not that one is right or better and the other is wrong or worse. They are different.

People talk about edge rolling, chipping, edge durability, ease of sharpening, etc. but, in your posts, I think most of this is really over thinking the problem.

What will a carbon steel knife do my stainless won't? Sparking for a fire and rust. I can set up specific conditions that will make either fail or appear to work better. However, in the real world, it is unlikely in normal use that normal average people will really find the faults suggested in the preceding posts.

I have used STAINLESS Mora's a lot. Zero blade chips, for me a forgiving edge that works well in my PERSONAL uses. I find Stainless knives in general to be easier for me to use because I would rather roll an edge versus chipping it and it is nice to have some rust resistance where I live.

I find it ironic that people dismiss the Stainless Garberg over the slip joints that many of us carry daily in our pockets. Granted, I won't baton firewood with a slip joint pocket knife or SAK but, in everyday use most people don't complain about the issues referenced in this thread. Granted, you are looking for a fixed blade and not a folder.

The Garberg also use a better grade of stainless steel than many mass market knives. No it's not some super steel but, it is very good! Keep in mind too, that in my case the Multimount Garber was $65USD. Are there better knives, sure! Better knives at the same price, maybe but I don't recall any right now!

My personal Garberg is STAINLESS and I would not trade it for the carbon version. If I really need the properties Carbon steel gives me, I'm grabbing a different knife! Or a small axe.
;)
 
afishhunter said:
L Lika I might get in trouble for this, but the 'Track of The Wolf' website has some nice traditional flint and steel fire starters in classic Colonial and "Mountain Man/"Fur Trade" era brass, steel, or nickel silver tins. I believe some of the tins are made by Ted Cash, and have his cartouche. Some sets also include "historically" and "period correct" tinder. Prices are reasonable.
The steels are all hand forged and hardened.

I only mention because I've never had much luck with a ferro rod, regardless of conditions.
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I typically have a Zippo and Light-My-Fire rod which works well. If I'm down to sparking with a knife, I have failed multiple times by then so, will the knife really be my 'fire' savior?

So again, for me Stainless seems obvious. And yes, I have used concrete and river stones on the rare occasions I wanted to touch up an edge away from home.
 
THANK YOU, WILLIAM.M WILLIAM.M !!!
Very realistic your opinion. I probably over estimated the conditions of use.
I think that both of knives’ types (carbon and stainless) will meet all MY requirements.
I would read your opinions ‘cause I want to take rational decision m not using only my feelings, my heart.
I like very much Gerber Gator Premium but almost all opinions were for Mora.
I want full tang, a good blade to help me in outdoor and household tasks. The budget is $100.

I saw some other knives like Terava Jaakaripuukko, Mira Kansbol or Condor Terrasaur but I prefer Garberg in these comparations.
I have to be balanced between price and a good knife.
 
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Sid Post said:
I typically have a Zippo and Light-My-Fire rod which works well. If I'm down to sparking with a knife, I have failed multiple times by then so, will the knife really be my 'fire' savior?

So again, for me Stainless seems obvious. And yes, I have used concrete and river stones on the rare occasions I wanted to touch up an edge away from home.
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Lika said:
THANK YOU, WILLIAM.M WILLIAM.M !!!
Very realistic your opinion. I probably over estimated the conditions of use.
I think that both of knives’ types (carbon and stainless) will meet all MY requirements.
I would read your opinions ‘cause I want to take rational decision m not using only my feelings, my heart.
I like very much Gerber Gator Premium but almost all opinions were for Mora.
I want full tang, a good blade to help me in outdoor and household tasks. The budget is $100.

I saw some other knives like Terava Jaakaripuukko, Mira Kansbol or Condor Terrasaur but I prefer Garberg in these comparations.
I have to be balanced between price and a good knife.
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Others that I would personally throw into the list of knives to at least take a look at would be the; ESEE 4, Becker BK16, and Ontario Rat 4 (and maybe a Becker BK62 if you can find a good deal).

I still like the Garberg the most even after adding all those to the list though.
 
Stainless steel will work fine on a ferro rod. The spine must be sharp just like a high carbon steel knife.

14c28n is quite tough for a stainless steel and will actually hold an edge a bit longer than most carbon steels like 1095, 52100, 1075, etc.

It’s going to depend on what characteristics you decide are most valuable.

And for me personally I echo most of the statements made concerning Morakniv knives. They are fantastic and perform above their price point.
 
MolokaiRider said:
Stainless steel will work fine on a ferro rod. The spine must be sharp just like a high carbon steel knife.

14c28n is quite tough for a stainless steel and will actually hold an edge a bit longer than most carbon steels like 1095, 52100, 1075, etc.

It’s going to depend on what characteristics you decide are most valuable.

And for me personally I echo most of the statements made concerning Morakniv knives. They are fantastic and perform above their price point.
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My attempts with Stainless steel strikers was not very good but, then again they were generally cheap stamped blades and not a higher quality stainless steel.

Regarding 1095, 1075, O1, 52100, etc. really depends on the heat treat just like stainless steels. I have some Newt Livesay Wicked Knives that are very rust resistant for a carbon steel and hold an incredible edge. I have also had a lot of mass market 1095 knives that were okay but, nowhere near as good as this. In general, I would say that carbon steels are easier to get a 'good' heat treat but, very few really hit the upper tier quality similar to Newt in a knife that is mass produced or ~$100~$150. A lot of mass market stainless has a subpar heat treat IMHO. I even had a Benchmade folder that was over-hardened and rusted and chipped easily. :(

Morakniv is one of the brands that has not disappointed me regarding relatively cheap stainless steel utility knives. I use a lot of their blades and find their normal stainless to be very good for everyday uses. The Garberg takes this to the next level with 14c28n! This is an under-rated stainless IMHO. :thumbsup:

Their are better stainless steel blade stocks available but, they come in at higher price points so, they should perform better when you are talking about 2 or 3 times the cost! Of course, can I really expect to touch up the blade on a river stone or concrete step?

So, while not a super premium option, it also has a very modest cost while delivering most of what the super premium knives do. While I don't want to give up my other knives, if all I had was Morakniv models, I could live the rest of life very happily! :)
 
Personally, I like the Gerber Gator here.

I like Mora knives just fine. They're excellent. I also like 14C28N for a steel, it's also excellent. And Mora seems to do it right.

But I am liking the USA made Gerbers nowadays. I like S30V alot more than I ever thought I would.

I like the Scandi grind on the Mora just fine, but I really like the grind on the Gator. The rubber grips are not for everyone, but I dig 'em.

Final kicker for me on the Gerber is the leather sheath. Nothing wrong functionally with Mora's polymer piece, I just love a leather sheath.

Try the Gerber. If you hate it and really need a Garberg, shoot me a PM and I'll buy the Gator off you.
 
Try the Gerber. If you hate it and really need a Garberg, shoot me a PM and I'll buy the Gator off you.[/QUOTE]

:)))))
 
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