The very first Item in Ragweed Forge's Helle Catalog is "The Viking". I have bought two of these knives, one for me and one for a a re-enactor friend. These are perfect little knives to carry as work/camp knives for everyday use in the field as well as for re-enacting of the Viking Era. The only suggestion that either of us can make is that the very stylish loop for slipping the sheath over your belt needs to have the knot at the end secured as it is not very stable. I took a length of dark brown rawhide boot lace, wet it, secured the knot with a sheet bend, and then clipped off the loose ends. When it dried, it looked very neat and tidy and is secure as all Hell. The knife is a laminated blade and I have never heard of anyone having troube with one once it has gotten out of the forge. The problem is in the forging of them, as a number of them go sour in the process, apparently. Or that is what I read somewhere about Cold Steel's experience with the process.
The Brusletto Company used to make a great little knife that Ragnar sold to me because I had procrastinated too long in buying one from the late and much lamented James Mattis and his Chai Cutlery. It was called "The Telemark", named after a very popular skiing area in Norway. But I can never hear that name without thinking of the heroism of the Norwegian underground fighters who succeeded and the sacrifice of the British Commandos and RAF crews who failed and died in the effort to put the Nordsk Hydroelectric plant out of commission for the duration of World War II, thus denying the NAZIs the A-Bomb. I have mine as a collector's item simply to keep in memory of that heroism and in memory of the exchange that I had with James Mattis who was unaware of that part of history. After I sent him the lonks on some articles on it, he added the history to the write-up that he had on the knife. If you can find one, do buy it. It is a very nive and very useful little field knife, as are all of the Norwegian knives, but also do so in honor of the brave men and women who sacrificed themselves so that Hitler and his evil cronies did not wind up with the A-Bomb.
The Brusletto Company used to make a great little knife that Ragnar sold to me because I had procrastinated too long in buying one from the late and much lamented James Mattis and his Chai Cutlery. It was called "The Telemark", named after a very popular skiing area in Norway. But I can never hear that name without thinking of the heroism of the Norwegian underground fighters who succeeded and the sacrifice of the British Commandos and RAF crews who failed and died in the effort to put the Nordsk Hydroelectric plant out of commission for the duration of World War II, thus denying the NAZIs the A-Bomb. I have mine as a collector's item simply to keep in memory of that heroism and in memory of the exchange that I had with James Mattis who was unaware of that part of history. After I sent him the lonks on some articles on it, he added the history to the write-up that he had on the knife. If you can find one, do buy it. It is a very nive and very useful little field knife, as are all of the Norwegian knives, but also do so in honor of the brave men and women who sacrificed themselves so that Hitler and his evil cronies did not wind up with the A-Bomb.