I usually judge a knife for is slice and dice.. but i do expect the tang to be a bit beefier. I respect this view ... You guys did not break a $12 Mora ... so this pricey knife should be able to survive. Helle just needs to learn from this and improve the strength . Helle can become a better company with good reviews like this. Also , you guys have any experience or views on the Kellam Knives (Wolf pack series)?? This where my eyes are set .
Well Justin, unable to meet the cost of a very quality custom made knife, and after a year of researching knives under $200, I have decided on a Helle. I was torn between the popular Harding, and the new Temagami, designed for Les Stroud. This video cinched my decision. I am definately going for the more robust design and thicker tang of the Temagami. Thanks for the video. I can sleep now. lol. ~Wolf
I do not. But I know a few people who do, and I have been making my own knives with the same type of laminated/stacked handles for years. This style is very popular in Scandinavia, where I live.
My point is simply, that the design is not to blame. It must be a flaw in the steel. The fact that it snapped clean, suggests that the tang was to hard. Normally, in this design, the tang is left softer than the blade, but mistakes can happen. That's why warranties exist.
It's quite clear that you got a flawed one (even the best QC is not foolproof). It has nothing to do with the laminate handle design, which have been used for 1000's of years.
If you have any of that integrity you claim, send the knife back, get a new one and test it again, before judging the model as a whole.
And you should know, that if anything resembling normal use (or hard use for that matter) can do that without there being a flaw in the metal, you are doing it wrong.
A knife is a knife. Maybe you could eat soup with it, but I'd recommend a spoon. Helle make knives (with a lifetime guarantee), to be used as knives. Try an axe for splitting logs.
I have a knife from Helle as well, and I have abused it many times over the years with batoning and other heavy work. It still works perfectly, no damage whatsoever. But my handle is a solid piece of wood and not of several as in your knife, think that may cause the knife to be weaker.
I think that this is quite a fair review. It seems clear that the knife wasn't used as a "tree beater" but simply failed after a bit of reasonable use. My feeling is that this will always be a problem with stick tang blades and that full tangs are the way to go.
If that knife is the millstone knife, I wonder if the hard millstone bolster helped cause the failure - either during assembly or during use. Its much harder than a steel bolster and very unforgiving. If you think about vibrations and such, it could help transmit and focus forces into the spot where it fractured. It's hard to imagine this was anything other than a defect, but it makes me wonder...
I would think any knife worth using should be at least as robust as a Mora Clipper, which in the 'States sells for as little as 12 dollars. I can imagine your disappointment in having this knife fail on you, when as you stated, you are fond of Helle knives in general. Speaking of which, what Helle knives do you recommend for bushcrafting?
Your obviously very pro Helle are you involved with the company in any way? Because if you are I think you should state it.
no iam not involved but i have alot of helle knife`s also i have the same as you in the video and i only have good experience whit this kind of knive`s.
That is why Helle uses triple laminated stainless steel in their blades. This results in an almost unbreakable blade which stays sharp for much longer. The steel Helle uses is more expensive than in most other knife brands, but that is all a part of Helle's philosophy of no compromise on quality.
That's why Helle gives a liftetime warranty against faults in materials and manufacture.
@MadMax2235 Your obviously very pro Helle are you involved with the company in any way? Because if you are I think you should state it.
Secondly, if you know Helle's blades so well... can you honestly say you've tested a Helle knife until it breaks? If not, I can tell we have; so we know with this particular model (whether it was flawed or not) it didn't take much. As Justin said in the video we did nothing more to this knife that we have done with all the other knives in our reviews.
It's a copy/paste from Helle's site. When I translate it to Norwegian, I recognize it from their website =) They're not meant to be survival knives, they're meant to be a cutting tool. We don't have too much "survival gear" here in Norway, it's only in recent years that these kind of products have caught on. We have a long history of bushcraft weaved into our way of life ( logging, hunting, recreation etc.) Go back 50-60 years, and one would make fun of you if you couldn't use an axe =p
I have the Helle Harmoni knife and i gues too is warranty case mabye a fail in farbrikation ,and in a normal case you dont handel a knife like you did sorry man,but all i all Helle is a very high Quallity knife.I never ever have Problems with my Knife.Dont be angry ok is only what i thing as i see the video from you.Also i have to say the leader is also high Quality.
This knife was not supposed to be used for this work. This knife is under Helle's " dress up" section, meaning it was meant mostly for looks and small work.
Problem is.....This design of knife is not designed for bushcraft, Or battoning or chopping trees down, It is a dead beast dressing knife only. If you want to baton down chunks of wood buy a full tang utility blade at least 4-6mm thick. Esse junglar or rat cutlery knife, anything built to take the stress, Keep a small knife for meal making or skinning.
I have a Helle Kvernstein as well. And I had the same problem with the sheath after just a three day camping trip. Everything else is still ok with it. By seeing your video, I think I will just keep it as more of a collector’s piece and use it for just light tasks. Thanks for posting this video.
That knife is absolutely NOT in the Helle stardard quality. Bad HT, too porous piece of antler and crappy sheath loop. As said by others you should get a replacement as long as Helle offers a lifetime guarantee for construction problems, but contact them directly.
Anyway, if I can dare suggest few knives that, maybe, would be interesting for you to try out, I would say Gränsslöjd (Sweden) and one made by blacksmith Pasi Hurttila (Finland). I'm not related with them, only a very happy customer.
Wow the blade got off clean. Might be dangerous if one's carving something and stuff and it comes off, you slip and the blade continues burrying itself in one's hand.
i´ve also got a knife from helle, the eggen. i think the one you have is a warranty case. i can baton mine also through thicker pieces and it´s not anywhere near to break.
@dereinzigwahreaff I think part of the problem was the handle construction (in several parts), the Eggen has a one piece curly birch handle, so no stress points. Like I say, I generally like Helle knives, the blades are great, but this one let me down this time.
hey nice review but that partcular model may not be bad because you were batoning there may have been a previous crack in the tang which caused the tang to snap so maybe it was a manufacturing problem
this is good information. seeing as i have that exact model and want it to remain intact i will steer clear of batoning. one thing this knife should be usedfor is fuz sticks. double with an axe and your set.
i think its great that you do reviews of crap things as well. too often reviewers never think to review something which hasnt had top marks in the past.
Doesn't get much more honest than that. However, I'll have to agree with some others in saying that I seriously suspect a flaw in the steel. It would be one thing if the handle itself broke, but even a rat tail tang should withstand light batoning. If it doesn't break a Mora, it shouldn't have broken that. Perhaps try getting a replacement and giving them one more shot?
I do hope that you get a replacement and try again. A Tang like that should be plenty tough for any abuse whatsoever. That looks like there was probably a stress flaw in the steel. You said its a laminated Stainless. Could just be too brittle. Should have been soft drawn on the tang.
I get my knives at yardsales I get great knives there the kitchen knives I have found there are top knotch and often just need to be sharpened you would be shocked how many people will get rid of a set of knives cause they dont know how to sharpen them. Old Hockory some are high carbon ss from Japan full tang strong blades some flexible enough to fillet.
Send this knife back and with the video so they can see for them selfs, from Norway myself and think they are great knifes..that sayd, you are shure this is not a ripoff?
a product does not need to be or should be expected to be perfect, however its quality should be predictable.. if it isn't; the guarantee and customerservice better be perfect.
Bummer...important info' to share, respect. Had been thinking about the Eggen amongst a few others, my new knife is defoe gonna be full tang full length/width of the handle now.
@CrazyTaileZ Hey you noticed!? We've got our own branded T-Shirts now :) We're not selling them yet, but hopefully one day we might do on the website. They got the NaturalBushcraft logo lovely and big on the back, looks nice.
Had an helle scouth for 11 years before it finally broke. Used it for ewerythin when I was a kid :)
headpopp360 3 days ago
I usually judge a knife for is slice and dice.. but i do expect the tang to be a bit beefier. I respect this view ... You guys did not break a $12 Mora ... so this pricey knife should be able to survive. Helle just needs to learn from this and improve the strength . Helle can become a better company with good reviews like this. Also , you guys have any experience or views on the Kellam Knives (Wolf pack series)?? This where my eyes are set .
Beachcrib 1 week ago
Well Justin, unable to meet the cost of a very quality custom made knife, and after a year of researching knives under $200, I have decided on a Helle. I was torn between the popular Harding, and the new Temagami, designed for Les Stroud. This video cinched my decision. I am definately going for the more robust design and thicker tang of the Temagami. Thanks for the video. I can sleep now. lol. ~Wolf
FatDaddy4Fun 1 month ago 2
@NaturalBushcraft
I do not. But I know a few people who do, and I have been making my own knives with the same type of laminated/stacked handles for years. This style is very popular in Scandinavia, where I live.
My point is simply, that the design is not to blame. It must be a flaw in the steel. The fact that it snapped clean, suggests that the tang was to hard. Normally, in this design, the tang is left softer than the blade, but mistakes can happen. That's why warranties exist.
qwiksquirrel 2 months ago
It's quite clear that you got a flawed one (even the best QC is not foolproof). It has nothing to do with the laminate handle design, which have been used for 1000's of years.
If you have any of that integrity you claim, send the knife back, get a new one and test it again, before judging the model as a whole.
And you should know, that if anything resembling normal use (or hard use for that matter) can do that without there being a flaw in the metal, you are doing it wrong.
qwiksquirrel 2 months ago
A knife is a knife. Maybe you could eat soup with it, but I'd recommend a spoon. Helle make knives (with a lifetime guarantee), to be used as knives. Try an axe for splitting logs.
mwchinbach 3 months ago
I have a knife from Helle as well, and I have abused it many times over the years with batoning and other heavy work. It still works perfectly, no damage whatsoever. But my handle is a solid piece of wood and not of several as in your knife, think that may cause the knife to be weaker.
andris4 3 months ago
I think that this is quite a fair review. It seems clear that the knife wasn't used as a "tree beater" but simply failed after a bit of reasonable use. My feeling is that this will always be a problem with stick tang blades and that full tangs are the way to go.
78jamesieboy 4 months ago
If that knife is the millstone knife, I wonder if the hard millstone bolster helped cause the failure - either during assembly or during use. Its much harder than a steel bolster and very unforgiving. If you think about vibrations and such, it could help transmit and focus forces into the spot where it fractured. It's hard to imagine this was anything other than a defect, but it makes me wonder...
poneyboy23 4 months ago
thats a hunting knife, not an axe
maxbify 7 months ago
Helle ..... best knives ever
BARTUCQUAKE 7 months ago
I do see your side of it, but I'll stand my Helle Viking up against most others and it'll do the trick.
RatifiedCow 9 months ago
I'm pretty sure that the warranty would cover it ;)
NorwegianKnifeDude 9 months ago
I would think any knife worth using should be at least as robust as a Mora Clipper, which in the 'States sells for as little as 12 dollars. I can imagine your disappointment in having this knife fail on you, when as you stated, you are fond of Helle knives in general. Speaking of which, what Helle knives do you recommend for bushcrafting?
dunfamalb 10 months ago
@ Bushcraft
Your obviously very pro Helle are you involved with the company in any way? Because if you are I think you should state it.
no iam not involved but i have alot of helle knife`s also i have the same as you in the video and i only have good experience whit this kind of knive`s.
MadMax2235 11 months ago
hello
That is why Helle uses triple laminated stainless steel in their blades. This results in an almost unbreakable blade which stays sharp for much longer. The steel Helle uses is more expensive than in most other knife brands, but that is all a part of Helle's philosophy of no compromise on quality.
That's why Helle gives a liftetime warranty against faults in materials and manufacture.
MadMax2235 11 months ago
@MadMax2235 Your obviously very pro Helle are you involved with the company in any way? Because if you are I think you should state it.
Secondly, if you know Helle's blades so well... can you honestly say you've tested a Helle knife until it breaks? If not, I can tell we have; so we know with this particular model (whether it was flawed or not) it didn't take much. As Justin said in the video we did nothing more to this knife that we have done with all the other knives in our reviews.
NaturalBushcraft 11 months ago
@MadMax
It's a copy/paste from Helle's site. When I translate it to Norwegian, I recognize it from their website =) They're not meant to be survival knives, they're meant to be a cutting tool. We don't have too much "survival gear" here in Norway, it's only in recent years that these kind of products have caught on. We have a long history of bushcraft weaved into our way of life ( logging, hunting, recreation etc.) Go back 50-60 years, and one would make fun of you if you couldn't use an axe =p
joakim2407 2 months ago in playlist Uploaded videos
@MadMax2235 helle knives are overpriced pieces of junk
OrangeYaGlad123 6 months ago
I have the Helle Harmoni knife and i gues too is warranty case mabye a fail in farbrikation ,and in a normal case you dont handel a knife like you did sorry man,but all i all Helle is a very high Quallity knife.I never ever have Problems with my Knife.Dont be angry ok is only what i thing as i see the video from you.Also i have to say the leader is also high Quality.
lg MadMax2235
MadMax2235 11 months ago
try helle`s nyingen
OeyGaren 11 months ago
This knife was not supposed to be used for this work. This knife is under Helle's " dress up" section, meaning it was meant mostly for looks and small work.
TheRealRandomManiac 1 year ago
this would probably be an issue for any rat-tail tang knife with a multi-part handle.
Urudrim 1 year ago
knives with stacked washer handles aren't the best, there's not enough rigidity to support that thin tang
kabar1211 1 year ago
Problem is.....This design of knife is not designed for bushcraft, Or battoning or chopping trees down, It is a dead beast dressing knife only. If you want to baton down chunks of wood buy a full tang utility blade at least 4-6mm thick. Esse junglar or rat cutlery knife, anything built to take the stress, Keep a small knife for meal making or skinning.
reddog694uk 1 year ago
I have a Helle Kvernstein as well. And I had the same problem with the sheath after just a three day camping trip. Everything else is still ok with it. By seeing your video, I think I will just keep it as more of a collector’s piece and use it for just light tasks. Thanks for posting this video.
slothian 1 year ago
That knife is absolutely NOT in the Helle stardard quality. Bad HT, too porous piece of antler and crappy sheath loop. As said by others you should get a replacement as long as Helle offers a lifetime guarantee for construction problems, but contact them directly.
Anyway, if I can dare suggest few knives that, maybe, would be interesting for you to try out, I would say Gränsslöjd (Sweden) and one made by blacksmith Pasi Hurttila (Finland). I'm not related with them, only a very happy customer.
Lamofilo 1 year ago
Wow the blade got off clean. Might be dangerous if one's carving something and stuff and it comes off, you slip and the blade continues burrying itself in one's hand.
OhStylo 1 year ago
good review
utuubee 1 year ago
i´ve also got a knife from helle, the eggen. i think the one you have is a warranty case. i can baton mine also through thicker pieces and it´s not anywhere near to break.
dereinzigwahreaff 1 year ago
@dereinzigwahreaff I think part of the problem was the handle construction (in several parts), the Eggen has a one piece curly birch handle, so no stress points. Like I say, I generally like Helle knives, the blades are great, but this one let me down this time.
Justin
NaturalBushcraft 1 year ago
I want to know the response of Helle, poor development from Helle this time !!
Hope that they will fix it through a much thicker stick-tang.
Trailtraveller 1 year ago
hey nice review but that partcular model may not be bad because you were batoning there may have been a previous crack in the tang which caused the tang to snap so maybe it was a manufacturing problem
MrJazzydee 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
what a piece of crap!
mem7048 1 year ago
this is good information. seeing as i have that exact model and want it to remain intact i will steer clear of batoning. one thing this knife should be usedfor is fuz sticks. double with an axe and your set.
kingboru121 1 year ago
I appreciated the respectful review ...hopefully the company's representatives stand behind their product and receive your recomendations as helpful.
thanks for sharing
gaiagale 1 year ago
i think its great that you do reviews of crap things as well. too often reviewers never think to review something which hasnt had top marks in the past.
aaronrushton1 1 year ago
thanks for the honest review!
jtimmis 1 year ago
Poorly made knife, thanks for the great review
samurai165 1 year ago
Doesn't get much more honest than that. However, I'll have to agree with some others in saying that I seriously suspect a flaw in the steel. It would be one thing if the handle itself broke, but even a rat tail tang should withstand light batoning. If it doesn't break a Mora, it shouldn't have broken that. Perhaps try getting a replacement and giving them one more shot?
wcropp1 1 year ago
I do hope that you get a replacement and try again. A Tang like that should be plenty tough for any abuse whatsoever. That looks like there was probably a stress flaw in the steel. You said its a laminated Stainless. Could just be too brittle. Should have been soft drawn on the tang.
knivesandstuff 1 year ago
I get my knives at yardsales I get great knives there the kitchen knives I have found there are top knotch and often just need to be sharpened you would be shocked how many people will get rid of a set of knives cause they dont know how to sharpen them. Old Hockory some are high carbon ss from Japan full tang strong blades some flexible enough to fillet.
cdltpx 1 year ago
very good and honest review,i hope they sort you out a new one but would you want that?
RedJellyable 1 year ago
Send this knife back and with the video so they can see for them selfs, from Norway myself and think they are great knifes..that sayd, you are shure this is not a ripoff?
Roboflux 1 year ago
a product does not need to be or should be expected to be perfect, however its quality should be predictable.. if it isn't; the guarantee and customerservice better be perfect.
masterdurchgriff 1 year ago
Good review lads i will stay well clear of that:)
sulevia76 1 year ago
that why i only buy full tang blades
alfabravo98 1 year ago
Thank you for the honest review.
Diopterman 1 year ago 2
Bummer...important info' to share, respect. Had been thinking about the Eggen amongst a few others, my new knife is defoe gonna be full tang full length/width of the handle now.
MINDWISEMAN 1 year ago 2
@MINDWISEMAN
look at the enzo trapper or even the cheaper condor bushcraftknife
masterdurchgriff 1 year ago
@masterdurchgriff just ordered the condor bushlore..cheap n cheerful I know but I'll buff n sharpen it up so it's pucker for use. Cheers
MINDWISEMAN 1 year ago
nice vid
JimboJitsu 1 year ago
Fine honest review, thank you Justin and by the way Soild shirt you have on, all the best , JC
bcafotw 1 year ago
Nice shirt! :-)
CrazyTaileZ 1 year ago
@CrazyTaileZ Hey you noticed!? We've got our own branded T-Shirts now :) We're not selling them yet, but hopefully one day we might do on the website. They got the NaturalBushcraft logo lovely and big on the back, looks nice.
- Ashley Cawley.
NaturalBushcraft 1 year ago 2
@NaturalBushcraft Well if you aren't selling them I guess I'll just have to take one for free :D
ibbiggs 1 year ago
you just need to send this video to helle, so they can fix it!
and it can be fun to hear what they have to say about it,
fredde
hobbexp 1 year ago
honesty is the best policy, maybe they can learn from this, and come up with a kick butt improvement.
marvintheboon 1 year ago