Helle Sigmund Knife

Helle, a Norwegian knifemaking company, was founded in 1932 and is proud of the craftsmanship that goes into each of the knives they produce. Each knife goes through up to 45 different manual operations and is made from carefully selected materials to practical and proven designs. The Helle ‘Sigmund’ is classed as a ‘classic all-purpose’ knife and is the product of two generations of Helle designers: Sigmund Helle, one of the founders of Helle Knives who designed the blade in the early 1930s, and his son, Torodd, who designed the handle in 2012.

The drop point blade is 4.25-inches long, 7/8-inches wide at the short ricasso, and is of 3mm thick stock. The blade has a ‘Scandi’ grind that comes hair popping sharp and a stick tang that runs the length of the handle. The steel used in the Sigmund is Helle’s own triple laminate stainless steel. The core, which forms the cutting edge, is a hard, high carbon, steel which takes and holds an extraordinary good sharpness, but which is prone to rust and breakage, while each side of this a tough stainless steel layer protects the core and gives a blade of top-quality performance. You can see a subtle change in the metals where the grind exposes the join of the laminate.

The 4.5-inch handle is a very comfortable shape and visually very attractive item, made from stacking beech, darkened oak and leather. Not only does the handle give a positive hold in a multitude of grip positions, but it is very slip-resistant as well. The sheath for the Sigmund knife is of an attractive classic style moulded to the knife and has attractive embossed designs on the front. The sheath is double sewn and has a plain riveted-on belt loop.

Multi-Tasking

In use I have found the Sigmund a joy to use over a wide range of bushcraft tasks. Fairly light at around 3.5oz (98g), the Sigmund proved excellent for whittling, carving, food preparation etc., but the back of the blade is a little rounded for use with a Ferro rod.

A great knife choice for bushcraft tasks, the Helle Sigmund performs well, looks good, comes with a lifetime warranty against production defect, a useful care and maintenance (including sharpening) booklet, and a linen polishing cloth, and costs around £119.95.