A Scandinavian knife is not just a tool. This is an integral part of the culture of the ancient people. In the old days, each of its representatives had at least two knives: a ceremonial and an everyday one. It was impossible to do without him. It was necessary for fishermen and hunters, of whom the Scandinavians were.
Later, the Norwegian blades were driven out of the market by Swedish and Finnish. But they did not go into oblivion. Thanks to the efforts of historians, archaeologists, engineers and designers, Norwegian knives have again become popular.
Manufacturer
The Helle Fabrikker brand was founded in the 30s of the last century in the town of Holmedal by the Helle blacksmiths. Making knives was their main activity.
At first they sold their products only in their native village, but soon the company's products became known in the capitals of Oslo.
Now the company is actively working, producing about 80 percent of all knives in Norway. At the same time, there are only about fifty employees of the company. The Norwegian Helle knife is well known to specialists and a wide range of users due to its high quality.
Representatives and employees of the company say that their knives are not made for collecting. They are designed to be used, regularly perform what they are intended for. And the range of application of knives "Helly" is quite wide.
Range
The company manufactures knives for:
- Fishing.
- The hunt.
- Of tourism.
- Use in the kitchen and at home.
Advantages and differences
Externally, the knives do not differ anything special from the Finnish or Sami.
But there is something that distinguishes them from products of other nations. These are blades consisting of several layers, a handle made of birch, horns, brass.
The creators of modern Norwegian knives pay much attention to the historical heritage. They use, creatively crafting and adapting for the needs of modern man, ancient models that were used by warriors and fishermen in ancient times. This makes their products recognizable and popular.
The company's designers pay special attention to how the knife fits into the owner’s hand. They consider a model beautiful only when it is comfortable.
Knives are never made just for the sake of beauty. Each element must perform a specific function. This is the unspoken rule of the company, which its employees have been adhering to for many years.
Blade
Knife blades were originally three-layer. But now new advanced technologies have improved the manufacturing process. The cutting edge, or core, is made of steel with a high carbon content. This is the secret of the Helle knives. The recipe was developed in conjunction with metallurgical engineers and is kept in the strictest confidence.
After the blade is hardened, it gains a hardness of 59 HRc. But this steel has one drawback: it is susceptible to corrosion.
The lining is made of softer steel. But she does not rust. It consists of 18 percent chromium and 8 nickel.
The butt has a thickness of 3.3 mm.
The blade has a five-sided classic profile, the slopes are straight. Helle knives can be sharpened by yourself.
Laminated Blades
Such blades are called laminated. They are characterized by high strength (do not break). This is especially noticeable at low temperatures. And the plates made of food stainless steel make the knife look beautiful. But there may be an unpleasant moment. User reviews say that sometimes the lining of a laminated knife peels off. This applies not so much to the “Helly” knives, so many products of this type in general. The quality of the blade depends on how correctly the plates were welded. If the procedure was carried out with violations of technology, the laminate can even curl up with a tube.
Quality laminated blades are made in Japan and Norway. They have a high cost compared to other knives of this type.
Blade length
Helle provides a wide selection of blade lengths. They can be from 7 to 11 cm. But the most popular is the Helle blade with a blade length of 7.5 cm.
Handles
Helle knife should be comfortable to hold in your hand. To do this, his handle must be of the appropriate material and have a certain shape.
The handle of the "Helly" knives is made from Karelian birch or walnut. First they are impregnated with special mixtures.
In order to make the knives not only sharp, but also beautiful, they are often trimmed with inserts made of deer antler, corian (artificial acrylic stone), and brass.
The developers even envisioned the fact that fishermen are not very comfortable using ordinary knives. After all, after an ordinary knife falls into the water, it quickly sinks. And who wants to lose such an expensive accessory. Yes, and you need to finish the operation with something. It was for the fishermen that a special floating knife was invented. Its handle is made of cork.
Construction of knives
Helle knife assembled only by hand. Just sharpen and trim. In this case, anyone can do it. The manufacture of knives became available because parts for them can be bought and folded product of any design. Many Norwegians compete to create the most original and beautiful knife. Authors of the most interesting and high-quality products receive special prizes.
Knife Kits
Now there is an opportunity to make knives "Helly" and ours. For 3.8-4 thousand rubles. you can buy a set consisting of a drop point blade with a smooth cutting edge made of three-layer laminated steel. A bar of Karelian birch is designed to make a handle of a shape convenient for you out of it. There are various metal parts. In separate sets there may be a clip. The set allows you to make the sheath for your knife yourself. To do this, the kit provides a piece of genuine leather and even material for stitching.
In order for the knife you made to be sharp, you need to buy a sharpener or a special set for sharpening.
User reviews say that sometimes they buy a “Helly” blade and attach hand-made handles to them.
Sheath
The sheath for the knife is also made manually. For their manufacture using high-quality saddlery leather, which is used for the manufacture of belts.
In order to prevent stains from forming on the sheath, the material is first treated with special compounds. Oil, which is used in this case, prevents the penetration of moisture.
When developing the sheath, traditional models are used.
Designers
Tollechniv is a variant of the Finnish knife Lives. It was created by the Finnish designer Janne Marttiini.
In addition to him, new models are created for the company: Tor Indergaard, Tor Vistnes, Gunnar Los. The name of the designer is often indicated in product advertisements.
Range
All “Helly” knives can be divided into those in which the blade is fixed and folding. The former are usually cheaper compared to products of similar sizes, which can be folded by hiding the blade.
Helle packaging may be considered the best among similar mass-produced products.
Designers and engineers of the company are developing new models of knives for different occasions.
Sometimes, constructing another Helle knife, they turn to the distant historical past for inspiration.
The Nidaros model is a reconstruction of a Viking knife. It is made of high quality and expensive material, it has an expensive decoration. Naturally, it has a fixed blade.
The Lapland model is a Sami knife, the so-called tundra knife. It is also called the “big knife” (stuoraniibbi). The same applies to products with a fixed blade.
Winner 45 G is similar to a universal Swedish knife with a fixed blade 9 cm long. The size of the knife is 22 cm, weight is 109 g. The natural wood handle has a recess to protect the hand from slipping. This site is decorated with metal inserts and has a black color.
Helle Fjellkniven F1 is a fixed blade mountain knife with a smooth cutting edge. It is durable, simple in shape, and at the same time elegant. It is also called a survival knife for its versatility and convenient shape.
Its quality may be evidenced by the fact that "Helly Fenkniven" is used by the Swedish Air Force. The handle of birch is decorated with brass reinforcement. A polished leather knife sheath is decorated with an embossed eagle. Weight 108 g, blade - "drop point" (lowering the butt towards the tip). Lock Fixed. With a total length of 20.5 cm, the length of the blade is 10 cm.
Helle 75 jubileuma
This Helly knife has the most features. His blade is inherent in Scandinavian knives. It has the form of a drop point. The slopes are straight, gradually moving into the cutting part. The knife is multifunctional. Leather sheath with original embossing. The length of the knife is 25.5 cm, the blade is equal to the handle. The mass of the knife is 134 g. The blade is made of Sandvik 13C26 steel, which has three layers.
The handle of the knife is made of Karelian birch in conjunction with a deer horn. The edge is smooth. How much do such knives cost? The price of Jubileum is more than 8 thousand rubles.
Helle Besseggen - Skinner
The knife got its name from the name of the Norwegian mountain. Differs in durability, reliability. Very sharp. Used for wood carving. Suitable for skinning while hunting. This knife is shorter than the previous one, its length is 19 cm. The steel insert is located between the blade and the handle. Weight is 80 g. Material of which the blade is made, Sandvik 13C26 steel. Sharpening lasts a very long time. The handle from Karelian birch is treated with special impregnation. Therefore, it does not swell under the influence of water. The scabbard is black. These are relatively cheap knives. Price - 5.5 thousand rubles.
Helle eggen
The knife handle protects the hands from the impact of the blade. For this, a special protrusion on the handle at the junction with the blade is designed. Length - 215 mm, thickness - 3 mm. Blade 105 mm long. Weight 124 g. The slopes are relatively low. Handle made of Karelian birch. Embossed sheath in brown.
The knife is simple in execution, ascetic look. Reviews say that its handle is quite comfortable, but the emphasis is a bit in the way. Some users just file it down. This is not difficult to do, because the handle is made of ordinary wood.
Users say that it cuts well. They like the fact that the slopes of the knife are absolutely even. This makes grinding easy. The knife needs only to be laid down on the sharpening tool. Grinding angle - 30 degrees.
The knife is designed for woodwork.
Helle fire
The Helle assortment also has modern design knives. One of them is Helle Fire. It is relatively small, only 19.5 cm long. The blade is 6.8 cm long with a thickness of 3 mm from three-layer steel. The cutting edge is smooth. Handle made of Karelian birch. It ends with a steel insert with a carabiner, which is designed to be attached to the belt. Leather black scabbard of interesting shape, ring encircling the handle.
User reviews suggest that the carbine will not be enough to pick up a knife to the belt.
Helle fiskekniv
This model features a very thin and long blade made of Sandvik 12C27 steel. It is intended for use by fishermen. It is convenient to grab by hand, it cuts well. The thickness of the blade is 2.5 mm. The scabbard is deep, "horseman". They almost completely close not only the blade, but also the handle. Attached to the belt.
Users suggest making a buttonhole in the buttonhole. So you can fix and carry the knife. The price is 4.4 thousand rubles.
"Helly Felbeck"
Helle Fjellbekk - a knife with a size of 22.1 cm with a blade length of 10.2 cm with a thickness of 3 mm and a hardness of 25-59, made of laminated steel. Handle made of wood merbau (Africa).
"Helly Tollenknive"
The Helle Tollenkniv knife has a blade length of 10.3 cm and, together with the handle, 22.2 cm. It is made of steel with a hardness of 57-59 HRc. The shape is rounded to the tip, the blade is quite wide.
Designed for fishermen, tourists, hunters.
Reviews of it indicate that the knife is used for cutting meat, household needs. Indispensable during picnics, hunting, picking mushrooms, walking through the woods. Not afraid of a long stay on the street, sharpened well and keeps sharpening. He has excellent res. Over the years of use, it does not break or even break. This indicates the build quality.
But the sheath is considered by users to be not very convenient.
This knife users call Finnish. They note that this model is unformatted for "Helly".
The blade length is considered universal, the proportions are optimal.
Helle folding knives
There are also folding knives in the assortment, such as the Helle Doka 200 with a blade lock. The length of his blade is 8.4 cm. Butt - 2.7 mm thick.
When folded, the knife has a length of 11.7 cm. There is a hole in the handle so that a safety cord or belt can be pulled.
The knife can be used as a tourist or hunting. It will be useful to tourists. After all, it is convenient to carry it, when folded, it takes up very little space.
The price is about 12 thousand rubles.
Helle brakar
This is one of the biggest Helly knives. The fixed blade has a slight decrease towards the tip. The slopes are straight. Its length is 12.6 cm, weight is 126 g. Hardness is 58-59 on the Rockwell scale. The handle consists of three parts: walnut, stabilized Karelian birch, leather inserts. Due to the small recess, the hand does not slip and is not injured on the blade.
Such a knife is not used in the kitchen for cutting vegetables, it is good for sharpening various sticks, technical purposes. Designed for tourists and hunters.
There are reviews that use it to sanded a tree in the winter, when the ax cannot cope with the frozen bark.
Positive reviews
User reviews claim that the Helle knife is neat and well-made. They say that these products are some of the best, and their price is relatively low. People have been using these knives for many years, and there has never been a quality problem. Only one case of dragging downhills on a circle is mentioned. And then it was a millimeter crack, which cannot indicate the poor quality of the knives.
The reviews of many users say that, even though the knife covers are scratched very quickly, they perfectly sharpen and correct.
Describing the cuts of the “Helly” knives, many point to the comparison “cuts like clockwork”, that is, the blade glides gently along the processed material. And this is with a fairly aggressive cut.
Consumers say the knife handle is comfortable. It follows the contours of the hand and fits well in the palm of the hand. She is very nice to the touch. Its color indicates that the material is well impregnated with protective agents.
Some customers worry that the handle will not deteriorate with prolonged use. But, it turns out, it can withstand even a long stay in the open air. There were cases when an abandoned knife was found after several years in the snow and rain. The handle did not change appearance, and the blade darkened a bit.
Negative reviews
Not everyone likes Helle knives. Reviews say that the plates on the blade are scratched by mechanical stress. They are very sharp, but tender. Of course, the blade is best sheathed at a time when you are not using it. But, true, the pristine beauty of the blade will soon disappear. In this case, it can be considered more important that this does not affect the quality of the cut.
Reviews from some customers suggest that the “Helly” knife did not live up to their expectations. They did not feel any special fantastic cut. Other users claim that this is due to the low descent of the blade, which is usually the case with Scandinavian knives.
It is believed that the assembly of knives has recently become less quality. But this is not confirmed by examples and personal experience, but rather by rumors.
Some customers suggest sharpening the knife from a different angle. But experienced users say that it is enough to do it at the same slope. They say that they sharpen Helly knives like Japanese knives, laying them down on a stone. But you need to use Japanese water stones to get a beautiful result.