What handmade means at our workshop
Handmade starts with the handle. Every year, in September and October, when the water is low, we extract the Morta ourselves from the Brière marshes, by hand, with probes and spades. Only about 10 to 20% of a trunk is usable. The wood is then shaped and oiled at our workshop in Saint-Nazaire, where each knife is assembled. No two handles look alike: each keeps its own grain.
The blades have three origins, and we name them. Our as-forged blades, in 90MCV8 carbon steel, are forged on the anvil at the workshop, with the help of our colleague and friend Frédéric Marchand for some of them. Our Damascus blades are forged by Markus Balbach from N690 and 45NCD16 steels folded over 120 layers, then revealed at the workshop. Our stainless blades are in Sandvik 14C28N steel.
Two models: the Solid Morta and the lock back
The Solid Morta is our original model, without embellishment or compromise: a handle entirely in Morta, with a generous, comfortable grip, 20.5 cm open and 11 cm folded (8.1 and 4.3 in), for about 116 g. It is as much at ease at the table as on a hike or a picnic.
The lock back took almost a year to design. Its steel body is covered with Morta, brass rosettes hold the blade, which turns on a 304L steel pivot between two Teflon washers, and the lock at the back of the handle keeps it open. A fixed stop keeps the edge from touching the mechanism when you fold it. It measures 21.8 cm open and 12.1 cm folded (8.6 and 4.8 in), with a 9.6 cm blade (3.8 in), for 99 to 105 g. More on how to pick a knife for daily carry in our guide on how to choose your EDC knife.
Dimensions and weights are those of each product page, prices are for the knife alone, before options.
Which blade to choose?
- Stainless 14C28N: a Sandvik steel at 59 to 60 HRC, easy to sharpen and very resistant to corrosion, for a knife you use every day without a second thought. On the “Paint it Black”, it is darkened by a ceramic coating.
- As forged 90MCV8: a carbon steel at 59 to 60 HRC that sharpens easily. It is not stainless: it takes on a brown patina with use, and its blade is cleaned after each meal.
- Damascus: 120 layers of N690 and 45NCD16 steels, stainless, at 61 HRC, with a pattern unique to each blade. More in why choose a Damascus steel blade.
Engraving and options
Engraving is free on every knife of this collection: a name, initials, a date. Where it goes depends on the model: on the blade of the stainless Solid Morta, on the handle of the as-forged and Damascus Solid Morta, on the blade and the lock button of the stainless lock backs (classic and “Paint it Black”), on the spring and the lock button of the as-forged and Damascus lock backs. On the Solid Morta and the classic stainless lock back, you can also choose a pictogram drawn by the painter Nicolas Peyron. See how it works in engraving a knife.
Every knife can take mammoth ivory inlays in its handle (+€35). The Solid Morta can also have a thin blue border in vulcanized fibre (+€20) and a case or a sheath (+€40); the lock back has its own clip sheath (+€40).
Caring for a handmade knife
Keep the Morta handle away from water and out of the dishwasher, and wipe it with a dry cloth. It is oiled before it leaves the workshop; a little beeswax from time to time revives its shades, and a drop of oil in the mechanism helps if needed. Stainless and Damascus blades clean with a little water and a soft sponge; an as-forged blade is cleaned after each meal so that its patina settles in gently. To sharpen, use a whetstone, as shown in our sharpening video tutorial.
Visit the workshop
The workshop in Saint-Nazaire is open every day except Sundays and public holidays, from 10 am to 7 pm: we show you the material, the extraction techniques and the different models, in a real working environment. Every knife is guaranteed for life, and if anything goes wrong with your Morta, we repair it. The workshop is recognized as a Living Heritage Company and was awarded at the 2021 Stars and Crafts Awards.
All our folders are in the French pocket knives collection, every one with a Morta handle in our wood handle pocket knives, and the as-forged and Damascus pieces in our high-end pocket knives.
