Helle Knives vs. F1

T

Timblade

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May 31, 2006
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After getting some Christmas cash, I was about ready to pull the trigger on a Falkniven F1 that I've been eyeing for a while. But I took a look at a couple of the Helle knives found at Ragweed Forge. I'm looking for a general camp knife / bushcraft knife. I know the F1 seems to be a bit more bombproof, especially since it's full-tang, which makes it a great survival knife. But everything I'm reading about the Helle knives makes it sound like they are actually better at cutting than the convex-ground F1. Does this sound accurate?

I'm trying to decide if I still go for the F1 (which has two sheath options that I'm not too fond of), or go with a less-expensive Helle that might be a better cutter given the Scandi grind.

Does anyone have experience with the Harding, Alden, or Eggen model Helle knives? These all looked like great camping/bushcraft knives to me on the website. Are they as hefty/durable as the F1? How's the cutting comparison?

Thanks for any advice.

-Tim
 
A scandi edge will be better for working with wood than a convex one in that it offers superior precision. A convex edge is stronger and splits the wood. I don't have experience with Helle but I have long experience with Mora knives which are very good bushcrafters if one can get by the cheap feel of them. Right now I'm using an F1 because I think its just a more fun knife. The F1 has the best feel and balance I have ever experienced in a knife and its just a really solid product. The F1 and its edge is a jack of all trades, it can do everything (and never breaks) but excels at nothing.

In the end there is never an objective truth with these things as the important issue is that we like to be outdoors and use our knives. Whether that knife is optimal or not is really, at the end of the day, of minor importance. (as long as it cuts)

My advice is to get the knife you really want and not care too much about what is "best". The F1 is an incredible knife and its fame is not without cause.

If one is REALLY pragmatic about knives, then one can just buy a couple of Mora knives and call it a day, because that's all the knife you'll ever need.
Now, you're in a knife forum :D and here people don't seem to settle on Moras... so you will get both. :)

P.S. As you where ready to buy the F1 I think that's the knife you actually want and the one you should go for. Should you choose scandi grind, be sure to buy carbon steel as it glides better through wood and are stronger. Scandi edges are very sharp and quite delicate, why I avoid them in stainless. d.s.
P.P.S I think the leather sheath for the F1 is far more beautiful than the plastic one, which is very cheap feeling.
 
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I have two Fallkniven F1s, they're great knives. The first one had a plastic sheath that I replaced with a nylon sheath with a gear pouch. The second one I ordered with the leather sheath, which is very nice. The F1 is a tough, versatile knife and comes razor sharp from the factory. The convex grind works well for any task I've thrown at it, dressing game, carving wood, it does it all. I keep it sharp with 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper and a strop at home and a small stone in the field.
If you get one I recommend the leather sheath, it's the better value. If you need an all weather sheath put it in Kydex and save the leather for summer.
 
Get the F1, you wont be disappointed. you can of course get a pile of Mora or Helle knives for the price, and they cut well but will break eventually, and as mentioned above, this is a knife forum so if you hang out here I dont think you would be satisfied with the lower quality of the others.

I got my F1 cheap at the beginning of army service and used it every day in a variety of conditions for a year and a half, after this its gotten used on camping trips/fishing/rough woodwork over the last 10 years (including a bunch of batoning and such). its in vg-10 steel and I has gotten a tiny chip in the blade towards the tip of it, there is no rust staining whatsoever (although I'v been taking good care of it), however the handle has a bit of imperfections towards the blade where its been abused a bit much, but its only really an aesthetic fault and doesn't affect the grip in any way. Its always held an edge well and been reasonably easy to sharpen.

I got the leather sheath as I dont think the zytel one existed back then, but its one of the things I dont like so much about the knife. it gets wet and there is no retention straps etc to keep the blade in (although it fits reasonably snug I would feel safer if it did). the zytel sheath has both a drain hole, so works better if you're out in rain etc, and a strap to make sure the blade doesnt fall out. granted it doesnt look as nice but if I bought the knife again I would get the zytel sheath.
 
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The F1 is a better performer in general use. The Helle's will perform a little better at carving.

The thermorun handle is a great size for many folks ok for others. The Helle's in general have a more hand filling handle. Both insulate well against cold transfer in arctic environments.

F1 is used and was developed for the Swedish Air Force as it's survival blade. The Helle's are a more traditional scandinavian design.

If the knife is for general woods use of the selections given I'd go with the F1. especialy if your more concerned with function over form.
 
FYI, Fallkniven recently introduced a more traditional dangler style leather sheath without the flap for the F1. Check out their homepage.
 
The F1 would be the one if you were going to do a lot of splitting and other stuff because the blade is fatter across the spine. Also would be more rust and element resistant.

The Helle would be better for woodworking, slicing, peeling potatoes etc.

Would be hard to go wrong with either. I'd consider the F1 a more "survival" knife because you wouldn't need to oil the blade to prevent rust and the edge being a bit thicker and the handle rubber less resistant to the elements.:thumbup: However for the average camping or backpacking trip I'd choose the Helle.
 
hollowdweller said:
The F1 would be the one if you were going to do a lot of splitting and other stuff because the blade is fatter across the spine. Also would be more rust and element resistant.

The Helle would be better for woodworking, slicing, peeling potatoes etc.

Would be hard to go wrong with either. I'd consider the F1 a more "survival" knife because you wouldn't need to oil the blade to prevent rust and the edge being a bit thicker and the handle rubber less resistant to the elements.:thumbup: However for the average camping or backpacking trip I'd choose the Helle.
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Yep, it basically amounts to the style you utilize with your knife more so than the knife itself. Those Helle's are quite beautiful and come a nice price point.
 
I'm going to go against the grain here and say that the Scandi grind works better on wood, but the convex -- especially a shallow convex like Falkniven uses, will be superior for everything else.

While I really like the puukko-style knives (like the Viking model Helle, or the Jarvenpaa Aitos) for traditional knives, I think the Falkniven is the superior knife all-round. If you don't mind VG10 instead of 3G, they aren't all that expensive, either.

Personally, I think you'll like the all-covering leather sheath. Easy to use and quite secure. If you don't, but you like the knife, you'll have a knife worthy of a custom sheath.

Not in your original post, but you can get some nice very small Mora knives made specifically for fine carving of wood at Ragnar's if you want to do some wood carving, and use the Falkniven as the all-rounder.
 
I haven't handled a Helle but my F1 is a great bush knife. Helles' have a rat-tail tang if not mistaken , so maybe there is a possibilitiy of breakage during rough use like battoning . I have never seen or read about a Fallkniven blade actually breaking during use ( ie; point, tang or handle breaking)

Helles are good knives from what I see, but I'd buy the F1 first. It just seems more robust for a bush/survival knife.
 
hiwa said:
I haven't handled a Helle but my F1 is a great bush knife. Helles' have a rat-tail tang if not mistaken , so maybe there is a possibility of breakage during rough use like battoning .
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I saw a youtube video where a guy in the UK was doing a review of his Helle and the blade snapped off at the handle. He tried to use it for battoning firewood and it broke on the first hit. The guy was bummed, I really think his intent was to show how good the knife would be for bushcraft.
 
apples and oranges imo

the scandi ground helle would more than likely handle any general camping tasks you throw at it, but if your looking for something a little more stout then it makes the F1 an easy choice
 
F1, definitely. Tougher, easier to maintain, you can knock the crap out of it and not worry at all. Other than the wood carving, which the F1 can do just fine with some practice, it's just a better overall knife.

I think that you would be better off with a Mora for a scandi grind bushcrafter than the skinny-tang Helles that I have seen...
 
I've had 3 f1's (kept trying them) I have 2 Helles and I love them... coupled with a heavy cutting tool they are great.I think of them as a stronger.. Much more High quality Mora.
 
At one time, I was set on buying an F1, until I actually put one in my hand. I don't have large hands, but the grip seemed small. IIRC, the grip was either too narrow or not long enough for my comfort. Just a thought.
 
I can't speak from experience concerning the Helle blades, but I've used the Fallkniven F1 extensively.

In my opinion, the F1 has a simple beauty about it. It performs every task that I need, it handles well in my hands without leaving hot spots and/or blisters, and keeps it's edge for a long time. When it comes time to sharpening it, all I've ever done is strop it a few times and it's hair poppin' again.

The F1 is a blade that I have full confidence and it goes with me everywhere.
 
I have a Helle Futura. It is remarkably sharp and amazingly comfortable to hold. It is not as robust as a full tang knife for constant, extremely hard use but is perfectly good for ordinary camping tasks.
 
I have both an F1 and have Helle knives as well.
Helle will generally have a better, more comfortable handle for most, and have a wide variety of options at great price points.
The F1 is a classic, and I love it. Its beefy and graceful at the same time.
I can't say anything bad about either brand, and you'll likely end up with both.
If you have to buy just one, buy the F1.
Here's a thread I did about birch bark handling a Helle blade, which is an even CHEAPER option. It includes comparison shots with an F1.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=803275
I agree with one of the posters above that, if you buy a Helle, go for the carbon blades first. Both the Helle blades used in my handling thread are carbon blades, the Viking and Tollekniv.
 
I do not own any Helle knives. I do, however, own an F1 in VG10. It is a superb, well-rounded knife. At it's price point, there's really no other production 4" fixed blade knife on the market that I would trade it for. I'm not a huge knife collector by some standards, but the F1 has been the favorite in my collection for quite some time now.
 
You cant go wrong with either choice. Although, I wouldnt buy a Helle versus some other puukko's out there. I much prefer Javenpaa and Kellam puukko's. They are put together better, and just FEEL better built.

I really like the Javenpaa Aito..alot of folks complain about the grinds on these..but all of mine have the same "different height" grind, and still cut like a BIG DOG.
From Kellam, I would get the Wolverine..I have one of these..and its my GO TO puukko. I got it a bushcraft style drop sheath from JRE and added a firesteel. Great set up.

Helle's are good knives, they just seem a bit overpriced to me.

A really good "cheap" puukko is Javenpaa's base puukko with a 4" blade in carbon steel. This was my first puukko, and it still have it all these years later..and its going strong. I think I paid around $40 shipped on it.

The F1 is bomb proof. Great survival knife. Some think its handle is small (I do) but I have big hands.
 
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