The Norwegians want their knives to look good, and work very well. The patterns have been refined over the last thousand years or so, and tend toward elegant and functional simplicity. Many of the styles are very traditional, and will suit the reenactor very well.
Most of the Helle knives I sell have laminated blades, and the distinctive Scandinavian grind. The laminated blade sandwiches a layer of hard higher carbon alloy between two layers of tough lower carbon alloy. This gives a blade that holds an edge without being brittle, and is easier to resharpen. It is done with both carbon and stainless steels.
The Scandinavian grind is a single, wide, flat bevel on each side of the blade that runs right to the edge. This results in an exceptionally keen edge that is easy to sharpen without jigs or other gadgets.
Click on the image for an enlarged view of the knife and its sheath.
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The Helle Viking is a revision of a Helle classic. The original Viking was designed by Arne Emile Christensen as a recreation of a Viking Age belt knife. Professor Christensen is with the University Museum of National Antiquities in Oslo. (There is an excellent introduction to the Vikings posted by the Norwegian government and written by Professor Christensen.) The knife was produced as part of a fund-raiser for an around-the-world cruse of a Viking longship. The knife is notable not only for it's historical interest, but also as an excellent all around utility knife. The revision has a slightly longer 4 1/4" blade of laminated carbon steel. The blade is .152" thick and about 7/8" wide. The black finish of the heat treatment is left on the sides for a rustic look. The tang of the blade is peened over a diamond shaped washer. The handle is a bit over 4 1/8" and is subtly shaped for comfort and control with a variety of grips. It comes with the traditional sheath that hangs from a thong. A sample of the knife and it's sheath weighed just under 5 ounces. As you can probably tell, I like this one.
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The Saga Siglar is a bit closer to the original knife designed by Arne Emile Christensen. Professor Christensen is with the University Museum of National Antiquities in Oslo. (There is an excellent introduction to the Vikings posted by the Norwegian government and written by Professor Christensen.) The knife was produced as part of a fund-raiser for an around-the-world cruse of a Viking longship. The knife is notable not only for it's historical interest, but also as an excellent all around utility knife. This one comes with the original blade length of 3 1/2". Again, the blade is laminated carbon steel. It's about .150" thick and about 3/4" wide. The black finish of the heat treatment is left on the sides for a rustic look. The tang of the blade is peened over a diamond shaped washer. The handle is a bit over 4 1/8" and is subtly shaped for comfort and control with a variety of grips. It comes with the traditional sheath that hangs from a thong. A sample of the knife and it's sheath weighed just under 5 ounces. I actually like the shorter blade length better. I think it's handier for every day tasks. There is a tradition that a personal belt knife should have a blade about as long as the width of your palm. This one is closer to my small to average hand size.
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New The Utvaer is a new design in the bushcraft tradition. It has a true full tang handle of curly birch with red fiber liners. The 12C27 stainless blade is a bit over 4" long, 1 1/4" wide and .017" thick. Of course it comes with a Scandinavian grind. The handle is exceptionally comfortable in my small to average sized hand. The "working space" for your fingers on the handle is about 3 1/2". The balance point is just over the index finger. It feels very lively in the hand for such a stout knife. It weighs about 5 1/2 ounces, or 7 1/4 ounces in the sheath. The leather sheath has a plastic liner and a belt loop that will take belts up to 2 1/4" wide. I like this one quite a lot
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New The Didi Galgalu was designed in collaboration with the Voetspore team of South Africa. It's Named after the Didi Galgalu Desert in Northern Kenya, seen by many as the last frontier of Africa. The Didi Galgalu utilizes a full tang construction. Three rivets reinforce the African Kiaat wood handle. The handle is a bit over 4 1/2" long, and sized for somewhat larger hands. The 12C27 Sandvik stainless blade is about 5" long, 1 1/4" wide at the base, and .120" thick. Of course it comes with a Scandinavian grind. It's supplied with a pouch style sheath with a plasic liner. The knife and sheath weigh about 8 1/2 ounces. This is a serious bushcraft knife.
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The Temagami is a new bushcraft knife designed in collaboration with Les Stroud (aka Survivorman). The semi-full tang provides the extra strength associated with bushcraft knives. The tang is exposed on the top and pommel end, but is covered by the wood of the handle on the finger side. This protects the fingers from direct contact in cold weather. It costs more to produce than an ordinary full tang, but the result is worth it when working in very cold conditions. The laminated blade has a layer of hardened steel in the center, and softer sides for toughness. Laminated blades provide excellent edge holding combined with toughness and ease of sharpening. I have both laminated carbon steel blades, and laminated stainless steel blades. The drop point blade is about 4 ¼ “ long, 1 1/16” wide and .120” thick. The substantial handle is about 4 ¾” long. It has a bit of a finger guard to help keep your hand off the edge when slippery. The Scandinavian style pouch sheath retains the knife securely without the need for snaps or straps. This keeps the knife instantly available without fumbling and helps prevent loss. The symetrical sheath works equally well for right or left handed carry. If you need the very best in a stout wilderness knife, this is a good choice. The knife and sheath weigh about 7 1/4 ounces.
Helle #300; lamnated stainless,
Helle #301, laminated carbon steel.
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For those who are interested, the name of the knife comes from the Temagami wilderness region of Ontario. Les Stroud’s early experiences in the region helped to inspire his interest in bushcraft and outdoor living.
The Helle Mandra is another knife designed by Les Stroud (the Survivorman) and Anders Haglund of the Helle company. The final development was done during the filming of a Survivorman episode in the Carpathian Mountains. The super compact knife has a short (2.7"), wide (1.2") blade with a good degree of belly for skinning type chores. The blade is triple laminated stainless for maximum edge retention and toughness. The handle is about 3 1/4" long. It features true full tang construction and a lanyard hole. The leather sheath secures the knife with a snap strap. The knife and sheath weigh only 3 1/2 ounces. It would be unnoticeable on the belt, and is well suited for neck carry. Here's a further description of the design process.
and a YouTube review: .
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The Helle Fire was the first full tang knife from Helle. The blade is laminated stainless steel. It's about 2 5/8" long, 1 1/4" wide, and .117" thick. Overall, the knife is a bit over 7 1/2". The one piece handle wraps around the lower part of the tang, while the full tang is visable on the upper surface of the handle. This protects your fingers when using the knife in cold weather. There is a lanyard hole, and the knife is supplied with a carabiner clip. The stout blade has the typical working shape of farm and shipboard knives. The sheath has a snap style retaing strap. The early style sheath shown in the picture did not have any means for attachment to the belt, but the current sheaths come with a belt loop.
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New The Helle Algonquin is just a bit larger. It's named after the famous Canadian wilderness park. The laminated stainless blade is about 2 3/4" long and 3/4" wide. The handle is about 3 3/4" long and is shaped for good control without restricting you to one or two ways of griping the knife. The sheath hangs from a neck thong and comes with a plastic liner. Again, it has the traditional tab with a hole that engages a stud on the pommel end of the handle for security. The sheath does not have a belt loop, but a shorter thong is also supplied for times when you want to hang it from your belt. The knife and sheath weigh about 3 1/4 ounces.
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The Blåfjell (Blue Mountain) is a revision of an early Helle model, this time the Jaktkniv or "Hunting Knife".. It has a 5" hunting style blade in satin polished laminated stainless steel. The darkly stained oak handle has solid castings of brass brass for the guard and pommel. This adds weight to the handle, and the knife feels very solid in the hand. It's sized for for average, or slightly larger hands. The sheath is the usual Scandinavian pouch style, and hangs from a thong for comfort when sitting or bending. The knife and sheath weigh just under 8 ounces. $179 (free shipping) Out of stock. Discontinued
The Sylvsteinen is designed for the hunter. The blade is large enough for butchering, or to function as a light camp knife. It's laminated stainless steel, about 5 1/4" long, 1 1/8" wide, and .122" thick. The handle is curly birch with an antler insert. it sized for average or slightly larger hands. It comes with the traditional pouch style sheath.
The Helle Ulven (Wolf) is an all around bushcraft and hunting knife. The triple laminated stainless steel blade is about 4 1/4" long, 1" wide, and .120" thick. The 4 1/2" handle is suited to those with larger hands. It flares at the pommel for added control when wearing gloves or mittens. $124. (free shipping) Discontinued
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The Sigmund is a celebration of 80 years of knife making by Helle. It represents the input of two generations of the Helle family. The original design was by Sigmund Helle, one of the founders of the enterprise. It was first released in the early 1930's. It's been updated by his son, Torodd Helle, the current managing director. More to the point, it's a beautiful, and very functional all around knife. The triple laminated blade is a bit less than 4 1/4" long about 7/8" wide, and .118" thick. The handle is built up of wood and leather spacers for a unique appearance. It's very comfortable and sized for average hands. There is a hint of a guard to keep your fingers off the blade edge. Ths stout leather sheath is embossed with the same design as the original.
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The Gaupe (Norwegian for Lynx) is a recent addition to the Helle line. It’s an excellent all-around choice for hunting, as well as general bushcraft. The laminated stainless blade is 4 ¼” long, 1” wide and .125” thick. The handle is a bit less than 4 ½” long, and nicely rounded for comfort when using the knife for heavy cuts. It’s shaped with a bit of a finger guard to provide good control when the hands are slippery or wet. The diameter of the handle is proportioned for average to slightly larger hands. The tang runs the full length of the handle and is peened over a washer at the pommel end. No guard or pommel plate is used, making for a simple but elegant assembly. It also saves a bit of weight, which makes the knife less tiring to use. For long time Helle fans, it’s a lot like the old Fjelkniv shown below, but has more blade for butchering and tougher camp chores. It comes with the traditional pouch style sheath that holds the knife securely, yet provides instant access without fumbling with straps or snaps. The sheath is decorated wth a cut out in the shape of Lynx foot print. Despite the full sized blade it’s not heavy on your belt. The knife and sheath weigh about 6 ounces.
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The Harding is an attractive American style drop point hunter with a Norwegian accent. The handle an assembly of walnut, curly birch and leather. It's about 4 1/8" long, with the space for your hand being about 3 3/4". It's sized for average or slightly larger hands. The blade is laminated stainless steel, and about 4" long. The sturdy deep sheath has the Nordic style keeper strap, which engages a stud on the pommel. This helps prevent loss while keeping the knife instantly available. It's a really fine looking knife with an excellent feel.
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The Brakar is another modern style. The multi-element handle is similar to the Harding, and is shaped to provide a slight guard. The laminated stainless blade is just over five inches long and .129" thick. The knife is about ten inches overall. This is a large knife for Scandinavia, and would be useful for butchering as well as general camp chores.
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The Helle GT is a stout hunting knife with a finger guard to keep your hand from sliding up on the blade when field dressing big game. The laminated stainless blade is about 4 3/4” long, 1 1/8” wide, and .130” thick. The handle is about 4 1/2” long and sized for average or slightly larger hands. It’s a big knife for Scandinavia, but the aluminum guard, and lack of a pommel help to keep the weight down to a handy five ounces. The sheath has a snap style keeper strap and belt loop that will take belts up to about 2”.
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The Alden is similar to the GT, but the guard has been reduced so the knife can go into a pourch style sheath. The 12C27 blade (not laminated) is a bit shorter at 4 1/8". Again, it's suited to larger hands.
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The Helle-Eggen is a stout hunting knife, with a wide 4" drop point blade of laminated stainless steel (~1" wide, .125" thick). The substantial curly birch handle is about 4 1/2" long and is shaped to form a finger guard. It feels really solid in the hand and is comfortable for both medium and large hands. The knife and sheath weigh about 5 3/4 oz.
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The Fjellbekk ("Mountain Stream") very similar. Again, the laminated stainless blade is about 4" long (.112" thick). But this one is a bit wider and has a more curve in the edge for skinning. The handle is Marbau, a tropical hardwood with a warm brown color. Again, there is a finger cutout to keep your hand off the blade. The sheath retains the knife with a snap style keeper strap. The knife and sheath weigh about 5 3/4 oz.
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The Fossekallen is just slightly smaller. The 4 1/4" birch handle is sized for small to average sized hands. The blade is 3 1/2" long, about 7/8" wide, and .099" thick. It's well shaped for all around use. The knife normally comes in a black sheath with red stitching and a keeper strap. Since I prefer pouch style sheaths I’ve arranged to get some in the Fjelkniven sheath. It fits perfectly. The knife and sheath weigh 4 ¾ ounces. Please specify which style sheath you would prefer. I like this one.
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I currently have the brown pouch style pictured, and a snap style in brown leather with brown stiching.
The Helle Harmoni is part of a series of Helle knives done in a more contemporary style.. The laminated stainless blade is about 3 1/2" long, 1" wide and 1/8" thick. The 4 1/2" handle is sized for medium or slightly larger hands. It's assembled from curly birch and rosewood with fiber spacers. There is a bit a guard, which should provide security without getting in the way. The pouch type sheath is reenforced with a metal band, and holds the knife securely without the need for snaps or straps. It will accept belts up to about 1 3/4". The knife and sheath weigh a bit under five ounces.
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The Fjelkniven is a traditional all-purpose belt knife. The highly polished 4" blade is laminated stainless steel about .122" thick. The comfortable grip is shaped to keep your hand off the blade. The handle is about 4 1/4" overall, with the space for your hand being about 4 3/4". It comes with the traditional pouch style sheath that does not require a keeper strap. It's sized for small to medium hands. The knife and sheath weigh about 5 3/4 oz.
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The Symfoni is an attractive utility knife with a spacer of reindeer antler where the blade joins the handle. Besides being attractive, this adds mass near the center of gravity and gives the knife a lively feel in the hand. The 3 1/2" blade is laminated stainless steel with a satin finish, about .110" thick. It has a slightly dropped point. The 4 1/2" handle provides a substantial grip. It comes with a simple, but elegant, sheath embossed with the image of a campfire. I like this one!
$99 (free shipping) Discontinued
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"Arv" has a meaning similar to heritage, and the name fits well. This is a handy all purpose knife that is well worth passing down through the generations. The laminated stainless blade is about 3 1/2" (9cm) long, and .102" thick. Length overall is about 8". The handle is built up from birch, antler and leather, and is deeply contoured for positive control. This knife feels very good in my small-to-average sized hand. I would recommend this knife for thise with smaller hands. Of course it comes with a sturdy leather sheath of the deep Nordic style. A customer recently called it "light and nimble in the hand". I think that's a good description. The knife weighs about 3 ounces, or about 4 ounces in the sheath. I like this one.
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The Nying is a short stubby knife designed for fishermen. The handle is generously proportioned to give a good grip even when your hands are cold or covered in fish slime. The 2 3/4" blade is laminated stainless steel. The attractive leather sheath has a distinctive cutout. It is fitted with a keeper strap, which engages a stud on the pommel, and a suspension thong. (Blade is 2 3/4", length overall is 6 3/8".)
This knife received the prestigious Norsk Designråd Award for design excellence.
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The Veidemann is a variation of the Fjellmann with a gut hook. The wider 9cm blade has a useful skinning sweep toward tip. This would be just the thing to field dress and skin out a deer! (Blade is 3 7/16", length overall is 7 1/2".)
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The Jegermester is intended for the butchering of big game. It has a wide, but thin blade about 5 1/4" long. Because the blade is thin (about .098"), it's not laminated, but is made from the excellent Sandvik 12C27 stainless. The handle is substantial, but still feels good in my average sized hand.
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The Lappland is the all-purpose camp knife of the Sami people. They use it for everything from butchering reindeer to preparing shelter and fire. This is a big knife with a 8 1/2" stainless blade (not laminated). It weighs about 10 1/4 ounces without the sheath. The blade is fairly thin (.116") for effective slicing, but the 1 1/2" width provides ample strength.
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The Trophy is well named. The handle is an attractive composite of curly birch, antler and leather. The laminated stainless blade is about 3 1/2" long, and the knife is almost 8" overall. There is a leather sheath with a metal reinforcing band, and a safety tab that engages the stud on the pommel. The antler adds weight to the handle and the knife feels like a solid worker. This one has a through tang.
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The Folkekniven is a neat little utility knife with a 3 3/8" blade of non-laminated Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel. The curly birch handle is about 4" long, and has a rather flat and deep crossection for solid control when the hands are slippery. The simple pouch sheath accepts belts up to 1 1/2".
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The Steinbit is a fillet knife with a thin (about .125") flexable blade (not laminated) about six isnches long. The handle is about 4 1/2" long and has a cutout for the forefinger to give solid control when the hands are wet and slippery. It's supplied with the usual Nordic style sheath.
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The Hellefisk is a straight-forward fishing knife with a cork handle. The thin stainless blade is not quite 5" long and a bit stiffer than the one used on the Steinbit. It's about .088" thick at the base. The traditional sheath hangs from a thong. Despite the full sized blade and generous handle, the knife weighs less than 2 ounces.
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The Helle basic series is new to North America, but I gather it has been sold in Europe for some time. The knives lack some of the elegance of the regular line, but retain all of the function. The handles are plain birch rather than curly birch. The shape of the handle is distinctively Scandinavian and works well with the draw cuts favored when using gloves or mittens. They are supplied with non-laminated blades of the fine Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel. The sheaths are neatly made of stout leather.
The Fiskekniv is a basic fishing knife in the Norwegian style. It has a polished 6" blade that is narrow and thin. The blade is about .087" thick at the base, and is quite stiff compared to the Finnish fishing knives. The handle is about 4 1/2".
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The Tollekniv is an all around utility blade. The polished Sandvik blade is about 4 1/8" long. The 4 1/2" handle is smoothly sanded and has a nicely mellow finish. The slotted sheath will accept belts up to about 1 3/4". This is about all the knife anyone needs.
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Speider means "Scout" in Norwegian, and this is the upscale Norwegian scout knife. It has a simple drop point blade of non-laminated stainless steel, nicely ground and polished. The blade is about 3 1/2" long, and .104" thick. It comes with a finger guard, and the dark stained birch handle is just over 4" long, so this one would be suitable for older Scouts as well as adults. The snap-style sheath is stamped with the Norwegian Scout emblem. I particularly like the way the sheath is designed. The wide snap flap is positioned just above the guard. This tends to retain the knife even if the snap is undone, until you deliberately fold it back. It solves the main problem I have with most snap style sheaths. I wish it was used more widely. Altogether this is a neat and useful package.
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Speider means "Scout" in Norwegian, and this is the standard Norwegian scout knife. It has a simple drop point blade of non-laminated stainless steel, and a stamped double cross guard. The blade is 3 1/2", as is the handle, so this one would be best suited to someone with a small hand. The sheaths are stamped with the image of either a Girl Scout or a Boy Scout. Both styles now come with a dark brown sheath. Please specify your preference.
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