Helle Vs Mora

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
5,944
I;ve been using a Helle Fjellkniven for the past few weeks, It is growing on me allot.. It is a joy to use and to look at as opposed to my trusty moras, which are just a joy to use.. Despite the through stick tang the Helle is only marginally lighter.. and generally has a more organic feel to it which I find appealing.
seemingly the through tang and thicker stock would give it more strength..
I have tested it by splitting a mess of frozen red cedar with it.. which is about as much abuse as i'd ever put a belt knife through most conditions
I have however done the same with moras with no ill effect
I have found the Helle has significantly better edge retention
The helle has a wooden handle which is comfy and nicely shaped but has some knots in it that are pitted, which leave me concerned that they might absorb moisture over time
being fairly thin scandis the edge geometry is similar and the both carve equally well in a myriad of woods although the Helle as I mentioned holds it edge better.. In fact so well for a scandi that I have yet to sharpen it since I own it with the exception of stropping and it still shaves hair easily.
One thing I do not like the About the hele is the mirror finish ,, but not enough to discourage me from using it
anyway this is not a review so much as an inquiry I was wondering how other users rate the Helle against a mora
the votes not in for me yet.. accept to say that it looks and performs like a mora going out for a fancy dinner.
your thoughts and experiences are appreciated Thanks.
 
I had one helle, which I regrettably sold. I love moras ( sharpening my new HQ carbon as we speak!) but there is something about curly birch and a nice leather sheath. The helle I owned was non laminated stainless, and even it held a very good edge, seemed less prone to chipping or rolling than some of the moras I've had. I have about the same experience as you so I can't add much but that I've wanted another since I sold it...:)
 
Can't remember did you sell it to me?
got to love those carbon high q's huh? I find the sheath for mine doesn;t retain as well as other mora sheaths I;ve owned
 
Presume handle is curly birch,that pitted knots are fairly common,some linseed oil and carnauba wax or other wood sealant will take care of it.
Helle triple laminated steel has great edge retention,and for me works perfectly,scale up from Mora.(and it looks better too) :)
 
Can't remember did you sell it to me?
got to love those carbon high q's huh? I find the sheath for mine doesn;t retain as well as other mora sheaths I;ve owned

I can't remember either lol! It was a jegermeister don't hold me to spelling there..and I sold it a few years back.

I agree about the sheath, the topQ sheath is very good for a mora, I though the sheath would be the same on the hq, but mine fits more like a clipper sheath, not nearly as secure, but usable...especially for $10 :) Finally got the secondary bevel off and a real edge on it time for the strop...
 
I had a Helle Fjellkniven for a couple years, nice knife.
even after tuning up the spine it would not throw sparks off a ferro rod :(
I ended up selling it cheap to a young guy just getting started. It was his first scandi...
I like the functions of my moras for far less cash, but when you start adding leather sheaths for the moras prices start evening out pretty quick.
good stuff all the way around!
be safe... Ted
 
I like my Moras but I love my Helle knives. I just find the materials, the wood/bone and natural materials on the Helle handles just have more character and are more of a "woods" knife. My Moras pretty much get less glamorous general tasks around the house. Both are good. I've never had any complaints about the steels in either.

My Helle Harding was my go to hiking knife until I got a Fallkniven NL Idun. I also think they are very sheeple friendly knives for those you might meet on the trails.
 
I don't recall there being much in it apart from the image save for one is a bit thicker. Similar sorts of stuff, in similar sorts of designs, with a hardness of about 58. I think I'd have just as hard a time saying that either a Victorinox chef's knife or a box standard Henkles chef's was better for the same reasons when it came down to business and what is actually under the hood. I've never done back to back tests cutting yards of cardboard or rope though, just the feel I got from common use. I don't factor either as very attractive at all so there's little to sway me there. Now if you threw a Tornedal Fine Hunter in the mix I'd say that was a clear upgrade on cosmetics if not performance over a Mora. And I guess if I were to buy a Karesuando Sharpskint in RWL34 at 60-62 that would be just as ugly but the performance benefits would be obvious at some tasks. As the question stands I think I'd have a hard time calling it without deliberate measurements.
 
Hey RR,

I don't have any experience with the Helle, I just wanted to comment on the knots in the wood absorbing moisture. In addition to doing the oil treatment every so often, Minwax sells a "Paste Finishing Wax." It is the last step I do on the handles that I buff out. For example, I will use a buffing wheel with compound, another buffing wheel and compound, and then use the wax. It is kind of like waxing/protecting your car.

B
 
I prefer Moras over Helle's. I find the Mora handles much more comfortable. For some reason, the Helle contours just don't feel right to me, no matter which model I get. I know, I could do some work on the handles, to make them right. Just seems to be more work than I should have to do, considering their price, and the fact that Moras seem to fit me just fine for a fraction of the cost. And I haven't noticed a huge difference in edge-holding, or durability, for the uses I put my knives to. In fact, this coming spring/summer, it's going to be all Moras, all the time for my outings. Just got a Bushcraft Force, and I like it:D
ETA: the only knife I've had recently that I really loved more than my Moras was a Jarvenpaa Aito puukko, but I couldn't stop worrying about the durability of the birch bark handles, so I sold it.
 
Helle 50 year anniversary from 82'
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