Flea Market Find

orvet · **Posted:** Mon Nov 02, 2009 12:16 pm

I picked up a knife yesterday at a flea market.
There is no detectable stamp on the knife, but the name on the sheath is: FJELLKNIVEN.
Beneath the name is "NORWAY."
OAL- 8-5/8 inches.

Does anyone know anything about these knives?
Is it related to Fallkniven?

I would appreciate any info anyone may have on this knife.

Thank you,
Dale

PS- I did a Google search on Fjellkniven, but most of the knives I saw were birch handles,
They were obviously far newer than my knife.

woseyjales · **Joined:** Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:56 pm **Posts:** 379

A lot of folks swear by their puukko pokers.
Some kind of connection to fallkniven wouldn't be surprising.
You might try a fallkniven history search see if that leads back to fjellkniven that way since direct search didn't scare up anything.

Main question now is will it cut warm butter? :wink:

Owd Wullie · **Posted:** Sat Nov 07, 2009 3:23 pm

Helle Fjellkniven is still in bidness.

Heinne Haynes's sales spiel.

Quote:

Comfortable in the hand, the Fjellkniven is ideal all rounder. The curly birch handle is contontoured to provide a comfortable yet firm grip. With a drop point blade, this knife is ideal for skinning and detailed cutting tasks.

All Helle knives use laminated stainless steel used to produce a tough, razor-sharp blade. The technology was developed by Helle in cooperation with a Norwegian steel mill. This high performance steel is available only in our knives, and gives each blade a unique combination of high strength and long lasting sharpness. Laminated steel is another Norwegian tradition that is rarely found in other parts of the world.

Each knife is hand crafted by experienced and dedicated tradesmen. Each blade is shaped to achieve a shaving sharp edge. Knife handles of carefully selected arctic curly birch and "aged wood" are shaped to precise dimensions and finished to a hand rubbed patina. Each wood handle fits the hand comfortably and has its own distinctive grain and figure, making your Helle knife "one of a kind."

Helle takes as much pride in crafting their handsome sheaths as they do their knives. Fine leathers, of the quality used in the making of the best saddles, are vegetable tanned in accordance with strict quality control standards. After forming and stitching, the finished sheath is rubbed with saddle leather greased to produce its luster and protect against stains and moisture.

They aren't cheap either. Prices I've seen are $60's and up.

orvet · **Posted:** Sat Nov 07, 2009 8:50 pm

I have found out a bit on these so since picking this one up last week at a flea market.

The company name is Helle, named after the Helle brothers who started the company in 1932. The factory is located in Holmedal, Norway, where it began in 1932.
The knives are “hand crafted” by experienced cutlers, as opposed to being “factory-made.”
Info from- http://www.ragweedforge.com/helle/helle.html

I suspect that they may operate along the same lines as some of the primer handmade smoking pipes companies Denmark. The craftsmen do most of the work in their own homes, and the factory buys all of their production.
I do not know this for sure, so if anyone knows more about this company, please tell us!

A current production Fjellkniven with a Burch handle sells in the $70-$75 range.

Dale

woseyjales · **Joined:** Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:56 pm **Posts:** 379

Well I'll be dadburn, a Helle production eh?
Quite a coincidence since I'm waiting on my first Helle
acquisition to show up any day now.
Speider model with contoured birch handle & laminated 3.5" blade.
El cheapo model at just $45 but should chop carrots okay.

Didn't see much point in paying shipping on just one lil ole Opinel.

orvet · **Posted:** Sun Nov 08, 2009 1:08 am

I did find out a bit more info on Helle knives.

Fjellkniven means Mountain Knife in Norwegian.

Today the Helle Fjellkniven is made with laminated stainless steel. The core is a special blend of high carbon stainless, made for Helle. The core is hardened to 58-59 on the Rockwell C scale. The outside layers are softer 18/8 stainless to make for an easy to sharpen blade that is not brittle. They are ground with a single bevel for the full length of the blade. Making it easy to lay the bevel flat on a stone and sharpen.

My Fjellkniven is carbon steel, so I am not sure if it is laminated or not.

Here is a good website for info on Helle Knives. If you go back to their home page they have other Norwegian knives as well.
http://www.ragweedforge.com/helle/helle.html

Dale

woseyjales · **Joined:** Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:56 pm **Posts:** 379

Hey Dale,
While looking around the ragweed site, I found a paragraph which may 1/2
answer your question about whether your carbon blade is laminated.
" ...The laminated blade sandwiches a layer of hard higher
carbon alloy between two layers of tough lower carbon alloy.
This gives a blade that holds an edge without being brittle,
and is easier to resharpen.
>>>> It is done with both carbon and stainless steels."

I like the style of your older Fjellkniven, newer one looks like it shares
the name and nothing else. ::shrug::

Here is my speider (Scout) model. Not shown in the ragweed lineup.
KnifecountryUSA shows same two speiders as ragweed then has this
one as a third speider choice.
Descrip says this one IS laminated ss blade.
Very ergonomic handle, very lightweight and scary sharp.

BTW- to get back on topic, my last fleamart find fixed blade was a 153UH NIB.
Wasn't much of a fleamart price, but whataya gonna do?
Time to fish or cut bait, right?? ::nod::

orvet · **Posted:** Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:48 am

Nice Helle Howard. ::tu::

I cleaned mine up and sharpened it.
I am used to handling sharp knives.
I rarely get cut with a knife, usually when I bleed in my shop it is from a piece of equipment.
But while sharpening that old Helle I got bit.
That is a FINE piece of steel!
I think I could shave with it, no problem, (except perhaps cutting my throat). :shock:

Mossdancer thinks it may have been a military model.

Dale

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