HELLE Utvaer Bushcraft Knife Review

The HELLE Utvaer is a reliable knife for bushcrafting. Another excellent blade crafted by the well-known Danish designer Jesper Voxnaes. The Utvaer Islands are the most westerly cluster of Norwegian islands. The knife has a full tang blade, which means that it runs through the entire handle. This increases the stability. There is a useful piece of alder that protrudes from the end of the handle. This piece of alder has a pointed end that can be used for chopping, and it also has a sharp edge that can be used for scraping.

HELLE Utvaer Handle

Curly birch was chosen by HELLE to be used for the parts of the handles. A natural material that can be used is curly birch. Thus, each handle has a unique look. The appearance of each HELLE Knife is one of a kind.

When you hold the HELLE Utvaer handle in your hand, you notice the pleasant soda bottle shape that nestles into the heel of your hand due to the curvature. The finger guard and thick shape at the end of the handle prevent the knife from slipping out of the hand, forwards, or backward, providing a secure feeling when using it.

HELLE Utvaer Blade

The core of the blade is made of tough stainless steel, and it has been forged. The core is constructed out of 18/8 Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel. The core is laminated between two layers. Sandvik 12C27 is the knife steel that Sandvik considers to be their most balanced offering. It has a very good edge performance and can be sharpened to a razor’s edge. The blade is exceptionally tough despite its extremely high level of hardness. The steel has excellent resistance to rust and corrosion. The blade is exceptionally sharp and can be re-honed with relative ease by the user.

The cutting edge on the HELLE Utvaer’s drop-point shaped tip is ground less flat than the rest of the cutting edge, as shown in the photo below. This increases the stability of the tip. The bulbous approach to the tip makes it possible and comfortable to cut and work with the cutting edge’s front part.

Batoning works relatively well with the Helle Utvær thanks to the full-tang design, the tough steel and the Scandi grind, as long as the log is not too hard. In such extreme cases, the Helle knife reaches its limits. The low-pitched grind causes a lot of friction on the wood.

The knife is accompanied by a traditional holster made of leather from Scandinavia.

When the knife is inserted too quickly, the cutting edge sometimes gets caught on the upper inside of the sheath, which causes damage to the interior of the sheath. After a few times we tried another method and it worked very well. Dropping the knife into the sheath and then giving it a quick squeeze to close it is the simplest and most effective method.

In the Field

How well does the HELLE Utvaer work when it comes to carving?

It is a lot of fun to carve with the HELLE Utvaer, and you can do fine work with either the long edge or the short bulbous tip of the tool.
It is easy to use the knife on the wood, and it feels good in the hand.

Is the HELLE Utvaer sturdy enough to be used as a baton?

As long as the log is not too tough, batoning can be accomplished with the HELLE Utvaer thanks to its full-tang design, tough steel, and Scandi grind. However, this technique is only successful when the log is soft enough. In circumstances as severe as these, the HELLE knife is pushed to its limits. The coarse grind creates a lot of friction between the stone and the wood.

Is the Helle Utvaer an appropriate knife for chopping?

Yes, the HELLE Utvaer is fantastic for gripping in an extended shape and applying more force when chopping because the end of the handle is designed to be thicker than the rest of the handle. The Scandi grind of the knife presents absolutely no challenges whatsoever when working with wood.

Is the HELLE Utvaer capable of being used to start a fire?

It is possible to start a fire with the 13 millimeter long sharp edge that is located near the handle on the back of the knife. The remaining portion of the blade’s back has a round ground finish.
However, the pointed edges that are located at the end of the handle serve here a very useful purpose. You have to try to find out which part of the knife works better for you.

Care

When the handle and the blade become wet, dry them off with a clean, soft cloth. Waxing or oiling both of these components on occasion will keep the knife in good spirits.

To maintain its pliability, the holster should be impregnated regularly with an odorless substance (such as grease or wax). If the holster has gotten wet, you need to allow it to dry at room temperature.

Every HELLE knife receives a hand-applied finish. This indicates that each knife may have a slight personality of its own from the others. If you ask me, each knife is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece in its own right.

Handle Length = 4.7 inches (120 mm)
Blade Length = 4.0 inches(102 mm)
Blade Thickness = .12 inches(3.1 mm).