Helle Spire Knife

We all know that attitudes towards edged tools differ from country to country, but the Spire knife is a clear demonstration of just how massive that difference can be. In Norwegian, the word Spire means ‘to sprout’, as in to grow or develop, and it is a reference to the fact that this knife is actually aimed at the younger, growing user! Before you stop reading, you should remember that this knife is from a country where youngsters are expected to understand the outdoors, and hunting as well as fishing are sports where skills are passed down through the generations. With this in mind, the Helle Spire has some features specifically aimed at the inexperienced user.

The handle

The birch handle is smaller than on Helle’s other knives and is designed to provide a four-fingered grip for a small hand, but it’s still chunky enough to give a good hold. The large, integrated finger guard at the front is designed to prevent the hands of an inexperienced user from slipping forward and also adds to the comfort of the grip. Despite its relatively small size, the handle is still useable by those of us with larger hands and it actually makes the Spire a great tool for doing intricate work, like carving. You can work with the knife for an extended period of time and your hands do not tire or get uncomfortable.

The blade

The 2.6” blade is made from 12C27 stainless steel and is well balanced to the size of the handle, making this a very easy knife to use when it comes to detailed work. The most surprising thing about the blade is that Helle has deliberately blunted the tip, making it almost impossible to pierce anything easily. This is not to say that, with sufficient force, the knife will not penetrate, but what it does mean is that the chances of an accidental injury are reduced. If you were teaching an inexperienced person knife skills, they could cut, carve or whittle relatively easily, but if they slip they are far less likely to be hurt. Also, if a newcomer is opening up an animal, to gut and clean it, the blunted tip means that if they clip any internal organs, they are less likely to piece them and spoil the meat.

Conclusion

If you are teaching knife skills, then with adequate and proper supervision, this knife is the perfect tool to use to instruct them safely. It is also ideal for adults with smaller hands who might find other larger knives difficult to handle and use.

The Spire is a fantastic quality knife and as you would expect from Helle, it’s extremely well-made and built to last. Whatever your opinion of the thinking behind the design, it has practical applications for many potential users.