At the core of any good knife is how sharp it is. And while that is largely dependent on the owner taking good care of the knife, some knives make that a much easier job. The Helle Eggen, like all the knives in the Helle line have phenomenal edge retention (they stay sharp). The deep seated Norwegian heritage is apparent in the design of the blade, handle and even the grind style.
The triple laminate stainless steel and drop point tip makes the Eggen, a bushcraft style knife, ideal for extended outdoor use and a variety of conditions. The blade is a full shank and goes all the way down the handle to the pip at the end of the handle.
The handle is made of beautiful curly birch wood. The pattern of the wood gives each handle a totally unique pattern. The shape of the handle makes the knife very comfortable to hold in medium and large hands.
The sheath, or scabbard, is made of leather and holds the knife firmly. There needn’t be any concern of this knife jumping out of the sheath while running or jumping. My only issue came from the way the sheath hangs from a belt. The loop style belt interface leaves some movement when trying to pull the knife out. This can be managed by grabbing the top of the sheath with your index finger from above and the handle with the rest of you hand. Then use your finger to hold the sheath steady while your other fingers and palm pull the knife out. As the knife loosens from the sheath, be cautious not to pull the blade onto your index finger. The benefit of this looser style of belt loop is it helps prevent the sheath from snagging on tree limbs or brush while bushwhacking.
Best use of this knife is backpacking, camping and for cleaning fish. I liked the idea of a sheath knife for my camping trips because I find my pockets get filled up with all kinds of other stuff. This way I don’t have to go digging for my knife and risk dropping other things from my pockets.
What’s your favorite knife? Sheath or folding? Add your comments below.
$84 – https://www.helle.no/
Helle Knives are introduced in this video from the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City:
