Helle Field report

[Runs With Scissors]

A friend of mine in Judo recently realized I was a bit of a knife enthusiast, and a neophyte/hobbyist knife maker. He was going moose hunting and needed a good knife to take.

So...he dropped by the house one night after training to talk and play with knives. I showed him a few knives that I'd made with my own ten thumbs
and then showed him my FINALLY dwindling collection of Helle knives

at the end of the night he left with an ereskniven/ Knife of Honour (one of these)

http://www.ragweedforge.com/ereskniven.jpg


I just talked to him last night. Said the hunt went fantastic, and they got two moose. much like the typical Alaskan they were geared with the latest and greatest four wheel drives, four wheelers, rifles, etc. but had neglected to bring a sharpener.

my buddy cleaned TWO FREAKIN' MOOSE without ever resharpening it. Said the blade was still okay when he was done with it! when it wasn't doing that it served as a fantastic general purpose camp knife. He's now asking me where he can get more, and his buddies want 'em now too.

Ya' just gotta love that kinda performance in a relatively sleepy/unpopular kind of knife. He's wantin' to bring it to show me in the next day or two. Maybe I can take some pics, or at least let ya' know how it looks from my own perspective.

pretty freakin' cool, eh?

 

[barrabas74]

I have a helle jegermester(forgive the spelling) and it has been a great all purpose knife for me. They are under rated and I prefer them over mora's.

 

[FullerH]

I have one of the Helle Vikings that I use in my living history personas. It has seen a lot of use cutting heavy leather and other things as well as cutting up food, but nothing quite so exceptional as cleaning and sectioning two moose. I love that little knife and I can make but one recommendation to anyone who picks one up from Ragnar at Ragweed Forge. The nice belt loop that they have does not stay tied in real life and you need to lash it down to keep it from coming undone at an awkward moment. A friend almost lost his overboard from the longship when that happened. he was fortunate enough to hear it bounce from the side of the ship down into the bilge rather than overboard.

 

[nozh2002]

...my buddy cleaned TWO FREAKIN' MOOSE without ever resharpening it. Said the blade was still okay when he was done with it! when it wasn't doing that it served as a fantastic general purpose camp knife. He's now asking me where he can get more, and his buddies want 'em now too.

This is not a first time I hear this, Bob & Cathy McMahan have similar reviews from hunters on their helle site (it is gone as I understand). Same I heart from russian hunters and fishermans (and they have to process lot of fishes in extrime cold).

I like helle knives a lot. Here what I have:

BTW- Rangar is excellent to do bussines with, also you may check helle blades he has. With his blades I started making knives myself - it is not too hard to make handle and save some money.

Thanks, Vassili.

 

[Vivi]

I too have a difficult time dulling my new Wood Jewel Puuko. It's mostly been doing woodworking though, which isn't tough on the edge. Batonning, carving, chopping, prying, digging etc. Great knife for the money, very durable, very attractive and the acute edge angles a knife should have.

 

[Alberta Ed]

I picked up Helle Eggen last spring from Dick Person of Teslin, Yukon, and used it while hiking in Colorado last July. The edge holding isn't up to my Marble's Campcraft blades in 52100, but it isn't far behind, either. I like the Scandinavian grind for its cutting efficiency and the low maintenance aspect of the stainless sides -- easy to maintain and to sharpen. Even more I like the light weight. My only disappintment with Helle was the sheath, which was not up to the overall quality of the blade. It didn't even have a welt, so I made up a new sheath using the old one as a pattern, used heavier leather, and put ina good stiff welt.

 

[misque]

Runs With Scissors wrote:

and then showed him my FINALLY dwindling collection of Helle knives

I was reading your post and this statement hijacked my attention. I have to ask about it because I've never read of anybody having a "FINALLY dwindling collection of Helle Knives". The knife forums I usually surf have people scarfing up Helle Knives. Myself, I just have a Harding '99. The other Scandi's I have are Moras but I want more of Helle's product because not only do they cut like the proverbial razor, they look great doing it too!

Sooo, if it's not a personal/private thing, why is your Helle knife collection dwindling? If it is, that's cool. It's just a curiousity question on my part.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I've never been a person to do things half a$$ed. Everything I've ever done or been interested in, I seem to either absolutely immerse myself in it, or just not give a rip. This has been my tendency with lots of things, but especially guns and knives.

I got my first Helle, a Fjellmann a few years ago, and realy liked it alot. Liked it so well I collected umpteen others to go with it. (very stupid of me, working seasonal construction)

Now, interests have changed again, I still have a very strong preference for Scandinavian style knives, but I've learned and found alot of other interesting things these days. Also, I've made a few of my own knives with my own ten thumbs and need to fund my addiction there to keep makin' em. So, I've been selling off 95% of my Helle collection, and eventually some of my other knives that don't often get used.

Incidentally, it's been a real pain in the rear selling them around here. Not much interest in them at all, though I have noticed that the people who ARE interested in them usually want two or three at a time. FWIW, The one's I'm keeping are a Wind, a Lapplander, and a couple Tollekniv's

Alberta Ed- You hit across the number one reason I tend to recommend Helle knives to less experienced people. The Scandinavian edge and those soft sides make it so incredibly easy for most anyone with half a brain to sharpen them. Between ease of sharpening, edge holding, lightweight, and unique appearance I tend to think pretty highly of them.

One thing I never have gotten used to with them is how little lateral stress it takes to bend them. Even though they don't break, it makes me feel uneasy.

Minor issue overall though. I gave one to my brother to take bear hunting. Certainly woulda never done that if I thought it could fail.