This is the Viking Knife, it was developed by the Norwegian bladesmiths at Helle Knives to exactly match archaeological finds of original Viking-era knives from the Nordic region. It’s as close as you can come to having a 1,000 year old Viking knife on your belt without raiding a museum.
Helle Knives was founded in Norway in 1932 by two brothers Steinar and Sigmund Helle. They started out making fixed-blade sheath knives that were designed to be used daily as tools by the local hunters, farmers, trappers, and fishermen.
The Viking Knife by Helle Knives has a handle made from curly birch and reindeer horn, following traditional 1,000+ year old Nordic techniques.
The brothers were skilled toolmakers, blacksmiths, and metallurgists – as a result their knives quickly gained a solid reputation across Norway and into Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. From there international sales began, and the company has been going from strength to strength ever since.
Helle has remained focussed on making traditional knives using traditional methods and materials. They didn’t release their first folding knife until 2011, and they now have a range of classic fixed blade knives and folding knives to suit a wide variety of potential use cases.
As noted in the introduction, the Viking Knife by Helle Knives was developed closely following knives found in 1,000+ year old Viking archeological sites. Each one is made in Norway by hand using traditional materials including the thick, triple-laminated Helle carbon steel blade and the stacked curly birchwood and reindeer handle with black leather sections.
The handle is riveted to the blade using traditional methods, and the knife uses stick tang construction which reaches all the way through the handle for durability. The knives have a traditional barrel shaped handle and each one comes with a naturally-tanned Viking leather sheath which can be hung from your belt or simply used for safekeeping.
The knife has a thick, triple-laminated Helle carbon steel blade designed to last multiple lifetimes with the correct care.
Outfitting company Huckberry now have the Helle Viking Knife in stock in the USA and they’re offering free US shipping, free returns, and an MSRP of $225 USD. The knife makes a great day-to-day tool knife as well as an interesting conversation piece, and eventually, a great family heirloom.
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