Helle Viking | Beauty in the Hand--Not the Eye of the Beholder

Helle Viking with Sheath and U.S. Quarter

The Helle Viking knife is not sleek or sexy. In fact with it's straight blade, simple teardrop-shaped handle and leather sheath, it's rather homely. Heck, it'll even rust since it's made from carbon steel and not some fancy powdered concoction with a V in the name. Luckily for the Viking, beauty contests are for girls.

If you're familiar with the popular Mora Classic knives, than you're familiar with what has become the standard in bush craft knives. Dual Survivor star Cody Lundin uses a Mora and sells them on his website. They too utilize a carbon steel blade but the Viking is, in our opinion, a superior knife. After you read why, you'll be happy it's included as standard equipment on board your One Gallon Survival kit.

A simple bevel makes sharpening the blade easy--even for novices

The grind of the blade on the Viking is known colloquially as a 'Scandi' or Scandinavian grind. The Scandi grind is as simple as it gets. There are no complex angles, and the bevel is large enough to guide the blade to the correct angle during sharpening. Brian Andrews has this to say in the Backyard Bushman:

"This grind is typically recommended for beginning bushcrafters because the width of the grind makes it very easy to sharpen. Other thinner grinds can make it harder to determine what the proper sharpening angle is. With the scandi grind, being wide, you can just lay it down, pivot the knife on to the grind, and it becomes obvious that you are holding it at the correct sharpening angle.
This is just my opinion that will continue to pop up multiple places on this site; if you don’t know how to sharpen your knife you have no business using it or carrying it. If you are out in the woods with a dull compound bevel knife and do not have the knowledge to do anything about it, you are in trouble. That is the reason the scandi grind is usually so highly recommended."

The Viking utilizes a rather thick piece of triple laminated carbon steel for its blade

A knife's sheath is a very important element of the overall system, and the Helle Viking comes supplied with a very high quality, tight-fitting leather sheath. A hand-made sheath adds somewhat to the overall cost of the knife, but it also ensures the knife and sheath are properly fitted to each other. On the backside of the sheath is a loop and knot closure that allows the knife to be carried in a loose position off the side of the wearer; enhancing both dexterity and mobility. The knife won't get in your way while performing common back country tasks.

The design of the Viking is actually known as a puukko-style knife. The puukko is as Nordic as the Vikings, and this knife is aptly named for that reason:

"Most puukkos have a slight shoulder but no choil, since the point where the edge ends and the handle begins is also the point where most power can be applied. A puukko often has no guard to stop the hand from slipping onto the edge, but this is of no great importance, since it is primarily considered a cutting tool, not a stabbing weapon. In cases where the knife and the hand are expected to get wet, like if the puukko is meant for gutting fish or game, some form of guards are carved into the handle." (Wikipedia)

The blade and handle meet in a simple butt

The tang is the part of the knife that extends into the handle. Mora knives have a partial tang; they don't go all the way through the butt of the handle. The Viking's tang extends all the way through the butt of the handle and is peened over a diamond-shaped washer to securely hold the Birch handle in place. A full-tang knife is generally considered to be of higher quality and stronger construction.

The peened tang and diamond washer hold the handle securely in place