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.
The metric measurements given are from the Helle catalog; the English measurements are taken from the knives.
The Helle company is quite proud of their new packaging, which includes a cardboard tube and a wiping cloth. It does add to the cost however, and I find most folks are less interested in the box than the price. When I sell at shows most people leave the box behind anyway. So I’ve arranged to get the knives both with, and without, the new packaging. If you don’t ask for it, you will not get a box with your knife. If you want the new packaging, add $3 to the price listed. I also have some of the old display boxes for many of the knives. If you would like one, and I have one for your choice of knife, add $1 (email to check). The Lappland is larger than the other knives, and no box is available for it.
Click on the image for an enlarged view of the knife and its sheath.
The Anniversary Knife is a revival of a pattern released in 1965.
The triple laminated stainless steel blade is just over 4 1/4" long and has a graceful
clip. The 4" handle is walnut and nickle silver. It has a geometric shape that flares to a
diamond shaped pommel. The traditional sheath hangs from a twisted thong.
$95. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The 75 Year Anniversary knife is quite a pleasant handfull.
(Yes, I know the name is nearly the same. I don't know why they did this.) The
4 1/4" handle is sized for larger hands, and is very comfortable. it's made up of curly
birch and walnut for a nice contrast. The triple laminated
stainless steel blade is also 4 1/4" long. It has just a bit of upsweep giving a very sharp
point, a bit of belly toward the point for skinning, and a straight main edge for slicing.
The traditional pouch sheath has a reenforcing band, and is marked "75th Anniversary - Helle Bard". This is a great choice for those wanting a full sized hunting or utility knife.
$99. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Helle Harmoni is part of a new 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.
The price is $69. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Harmoni Plus is a revision of the Harmoni with a more
American flavor. The handle has a more pronounced guard and a different color
combination. The stout sheath is American style with a keeper strap. There is also a thong
which can be used to doubly secure the knife. It will take belts up to 3" wide.
$83. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Symfoni is an attractive utility and hunting 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!
$75. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Helle-Eggen is a stout hunting knife, with a wide 4" drop point blade of laminated stainless steel. The substantial curly birch handle is about 4 1/4" 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. $65
Odel has a meaning similar to heirloom, and the name fits well.
This is a handy all purpose knife that is well worth passing down the
generations. The laminated stainless blade is about 3 5/8" (9cm). 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 smaller hands.
Length overall is about 8". Of course it comes with a sturdy leather sheath
of the deep Nordic style.
$83. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Fjelkniven is a traditional all-purpose belt knife. The highly polished 4" blade is
laminated stainless steel. The comfortable grip is shaped to keep your hand off the blade. It comes
with the traditional pouch style sheath that does not require a keeper strap. It's sized for small to medium
hands. I rather like this one.
$67. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Harding is an American style drop point hunter with a Norwegian accent. It has a
handle built up of rosewood, curly birch and leather. The handle is about 4" long.
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. A really fine looking knife with
an excellent feel.
$79 (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Knife of Honour is a variation of the Harding with a reindeer antler and curly birch handle. It's not a regular catalog item, but is commissioned by the Norwegian Boy Scouts as an award knife. Like the Harding, it is an excellent all purpose belt knife. (Blade is 4", length overall is 8 3/4".) $99.00 (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
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.
$99. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
Kvernstein means "mill stone" in Norwegian, and the name is taken from the stone
pommel. The stone comes from a quarry near the Helle factory that has provided mill stones for over
a thousand years. It's combined with birch, reindeer antler and leather spacers. The attractive handle
fits my small to average sized hand very well indeed. The highly polished 3 1/2" blade is shaped and sized for all around use. On the sheath is the image of a quern, a hand powered grain mill once common on Norwegian farms. This would make an elegant, but useful, utility or hunting knife.
$89.(Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Fjellmann ("mountain man") is a stout skinning knife. It has a 9cm
blade of laminated stainless steel. The curly birch handle fills your hand
and gives a secure grip under difficult conditions. The traditional sheath
hangs from a thong, and has the typical Nordic keeper strap that engages a
stud on the end of the handle. (The blade is 3 3/4", length overall is
7 3/4".)
$65. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
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".)
$72. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
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.
$53. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Folkekniven is a neat little utility knife with a 3 3/8. non-laminated stainless
blade, and a flat curly birch handle. The simple pouch sheath accepts belts up to 1 1/2".
$47. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The BraKar is fairly new. The composite 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. $86.
The Jegermester is intended for the butchering of big game. It has a wide, but thin (about .098") blade
of 5 1/4". Because the blade is thin, it's not laminated. The handle is substantial, but still feels good in my average sized hand.
$80. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Futura is an upscale model with a stylish grip that offers good control without the hindrance
of a guard. The laminated stainless blade is just over 4" long and .126" thick. Tthe knife is about 8 3/4" overall.
There is a snap style sheath.
$83. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
With it's stout 4 3/4" blade and substantial guard, the Safari looks as if it might have been
influenced by the American author and knifemaker Ed Fowler (it was actually designed by
Gunnar Lothe). It's a big knife, but the lack of pommel and use of aluminum for the guard keeps
the weight down to a quick and handy level. The knife weighs a bit less than 5 oz. and the
knife and sheath weigh about 7 1/4 ounces. For those who like a fairly big knife with a guard,
this is an excellent choice. Supplied with laminated stainless steel and a snap type leather sheath.
(Blade is 4 3/4", length overall is 9 1/2".)
$99. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Helle Earth is part of a new series of knives in more contemporary styles. The laminated
stainless blade is about 3 1/2" long, 1 1/8" wide and 1/8" thick. The 4 1/2" handle is sized for medium
or large hands. Unlike most Helle knives, it comes with a snap style sheath. The sheath will accept belts
up to about 1 7/8".
The price is $75. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Helle Wind is part of a new series of knives in more contemporary styles. The laminated stainless blade is about
3 1/8" long, 1 1/8" wide and .106" thick. The 4 1/2" handle is gracefully curved to match the slightly
trailing point blade. It's sized for medium or slightly larger hands, and there is a black rubber but cap.
The sheath comes with a snap style closure and will accept belts up to about 1 3/4". This one feels
very good in my hand, and I like the fact that the point is in line with the center-line of the handle.
The price is $70. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Helle Fire is the first full tang Helle.
The blade is of laminated stainless steel blade is about 2 5/8" long, 1 1/4" wide, and
.117" thick. 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. There is a lanyard hole, and the
knife is supplied with a carabiner clip to attach it to your pack, etc. The stout blade has the typical
working shape of farm and shipboard knives. It's supplied with a clip style sheath.
The early sheaths did not have any means for attachment to the belt, but the newer ones come
with a belt loop on the sheath.
$85. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Helle Storm is a bushcraft and hunting knife. The wide drop point blade is 3 3/4" long, almost
1 1/4" wide and .130" thick. It's laminated stainless steel with a satin polish. The handle is rather small
in diameter to accomidate average handls, but over 4 1/2" long for larger hands. The handle is birch
with rubber inserts on the sides for improved grip. There is also a rubber butt cap. The sheath has
double snaps on the wide strap, tucked away in the back to avoid catching on brush. it will take belts
up to about 1 7/8" and has the image of a moose on the strap.
$85. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Varg is a neat personal knife combining traditional and modern elements. The laminated
stainless blade is just over 3". It has a clipped profile that provides an acute point as well as some
curve for a light skinning chores. It would make an excellent small game knife. The handle is about
4 1/4" long and is shaped to provide a solid grip. It's sized for small to medium hands, and is built up
from birch and resin (a fancy word for high grade plastic). It also comes with a snap style sheath.
$69. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Dovre is also new from Helle. It's a neat little personal knife with 2 7/8" of
laminated stainlessl blade and 3 3/4" of handle. It reminds me of a pocket knife that doesn't
fold. The unique sheath clips on the belt and carries the knife horizontally. It has a wood liner and cutout to facilitate removal of the knife.
$75. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Godbit is another modern design incorporating plastic in the handle. The blade is almost 4" long,
and the handle is generously sized for large hands. Supplied with laminated stainless blade and
snap style leather sheath
$79. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
The Grizzly has a non-laminated stainless blade with a slight drop point.
The blade is about 1/8" thick, and has a conventional flat grind with secondary bevel rather than
the Scandinavian Grind of the others. The generous grip is lightly stained
to bring out the bold grain. The black leather of the traditional pouch
sheath makes a nice contrast to the light wood of the handle.
(Blade is 3 1/2", length overall is 8 3/4.)
$67. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube.)
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. There is no gift box available from Helle for this large knife. $99.
The Steinbit is a fillet knive 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.
Price is $63. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube).
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, but quite stiff compared to the Finnish fishing knives. The handle is about 4 1/2". The price is only $37.
The New Fiskekniv is a nicer revision. The handle is more smoothly sanded, and has a nicely mellow finish. The blade is polished stainless steel, and the ferrule is blackened. For some reason this one feels better in my hand, as well as being more attractive The price is $42.
The New 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. The price is also $42. (Add $3 if you want the gift tube)
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. It comes with a finger guard, and the dark stained birch handle is full sized, so this one would be suitable for older Scouts and adults. The forest green 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. (The blade is 3 1/2", and the knife is 8" overall.) $42.
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. Please specify your preference. $29.
The Helle table setting makes a casual, but elegant, statement for
your holiday dining. Constructed of polished stainless steel and oiled
curly birch, it was created by noted Scandinavian designer Tor Indergaard.
As you would expect from Helle, the pieces combine beauty and function
in a particularly Scandinavian style. Because of the fine wood handles, they
should not be washed in a standard dishwasher. The place settings come with
gift tubes and the serving and carving sets come with gift boxes.
Basta (three piece place setting), $59.
Tranger (carving set), $59.
The blade of the knife is about 7" long, and the knife is about 11 3/4" overall.
The carving fork is just over 10" long overall.
Salat (serving set), $69. (One in stock)
Shipping and handling is $6 per order (not per item) anywhere in the US. Standard shipping is by Priority Post, insured if warranted by the value of the order. This doesn't actually cover the cost in most cases, but it's easy to calculate, and is my way of saying "thank you". Shipping is available for other parts of the world, but usually costs more. Email for a quote.
New York State residents should add sales tax.
Most folks use a credit card and the encrypted secure order form. If you prefer, you can FAX your order to 716-731-3715. I'll need the type of card (Discover, Visa, or Master Charge), card number and expiration date. If course I'll also need to know what you are buying, and where to send it. Please include your e-mail address.
If you don't have a FAX, you can call that same number. If your timing is good, you can just speak to me and give me the order. No collect calls.
If instant gratification is unavailable, you can always send a Postal Money Order or check to:
Ragweed Forge
PO Box 326
Sanborn, NY 14132
The Postal Snail may be slow, but he's faithful and discreet. Checks may be held for clearance, so if you're in a hurry, use a money order.
Everything on the page should be on hand and ready to ship. However some items may be short supply, so if you are ordering by mail, you might want to e-mail first so that I can hold your item (ragnar@ragweedforge.com).
Again, if you need a gift box, let me know and adjust the price accordingly. Otherwise I'll just send the knife.
