Review on Orange Morakniv Companion Outdoor Knife - 4.1-Inch Sandvik Stainless Steel Blade For Camping And Hiking (M-11824) by Antoine Collins

Ok, so I did a ton of research looking for a good survival knife and while hunting down the chosen one I came upon this little piece right here. In less than sixty seconds I had placed my order for it. Why? Because the blade is made of what is one of the most ultra premium knife steels made today, and at this price it's a gift.This knife is made by Swiss company Morakniv using Elmax Steel which is made by Swiss company Bohler-Uddeholm. It has a Rockwell hardness of 59-61 RC making it one of the hardest knife steels found today. The alloy is a high chromium-molybdenum-vanadium mix that's fused together using the latest particle metallurgy process which virtually eliminates the presence of carbides in the alloy which make the steel prone to chipping. This material provides what is arguably the best combination of edge retention, corrosion resistance, hardness (RC scale), wear resistance and ease of sharpening available today. Elmax steel is good enough that it's been categorized alongside some of the best alloys that Crucible Industries has to offer.Granted this knife lacks some of the characteristics of a full blown survival knife, such as full tang, but it does make a perfect companion for things such as cleaning out fresh caught fish and cutting meat without the bone. The orange colored handle is perfect because it aids in locating it should you drop in in a shallow stream or heavy shrubbery. This knife came to me razor sharp and I mean "RAZOR" sharp as the first thing i did was shave my arm with it. This is a testament to the ability of the Elmax steel to hold a fine edge. Once the edge has worn out the straight edge blade is a snap to resharpen. The handle is good sized and feels very comfortable in my hand. The blade is exactly 2mm thick so again it's not the "chopping survival tool" you want to get lost with but as a perfect camping companion it definitely more than meets my qualifications. The sheath is made from the same orange material used in the handle which I love as it makes the whole thing highly visible. It holds the knife securely in it and protects the blade well. It even includes a drain hole in the bottom to drain any moisture that may get caught inside. It has a hefty built in belt clip with a positive clamping feature that attaches it securely to your belt so losing it is not easy.While my search for a nice hefty blade made from Elmax steel or M390 steel (also made by Bohler-Uddeholm) still goes on, I can say I did find a prefect little camping companion in this knife, and at this price I'll be ordering some more to have extras around the campsite. It also comes in military green so I'll probably order another orange and a green as well.One of the best online reference guides I found online regarding knife metals can be found at bestpocketknifetoday.com. There you will find handy charts and plenty of information regarding knife metals used today. Happy camping!Update: I had originally located a Morakniv website where it specifically stated the use of Elmax steel in the manufacture of this knife but due to my inability to find this site again I will have to recant on that thought and go with the advertised alloy which is Sandvik Steel, and still an excellent knife steel. Not as good as Elmax but still good.