Helle Norway Kletten Knife
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Tester
Information
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| Name:
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David
Wilkes |
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E-Mail:
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amatbrewer@yahoo.com
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Age:
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52 |
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Location:
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Yakima
Washington USA |
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Gender:
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M |
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Height:
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5'11"
(1.80 m) |
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Weight:
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210
lb (90.7 kg) |
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Biography:
I started
backpacking
in 1995 when I moved to Washington State. Since then, I have
backpacked in all seasons and conditions the Northwest has to
offer. I prefer trips on
rugged trails with plenty of elevation gain. While I continuously
strive to lighten my load, comfort and safety are most important to me.
I have finally managed to get my basic cold weather pack weight, not
including consumables, to under 30 lb (14 kg).
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Product
Information
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Manufacturer:
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Helle Fabrikker AS |
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Year
of Manufacture:
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2019 |
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Manufacturer’s
Website:
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https://helle.com/ |
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MSRP:
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$199.00
USD
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Dimensions [listed & measured]:
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Blade Lengh 55 mm/ 2"
Handle Length 80 mm/ 3"
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Weight:
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Listed: 84 g / 2.9 oz
Measured 85 g / 3.1 oz
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Product Image
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Product
Description:The
Helle Kletten is Helle’s smallest folding knife, designed to be an EDC
(Every Day Carry) knife for everyday tasks. It uses the same triple
laminated steel that Helle is known for (with a Scandinavian flat grind
edge). The handle scales are crafted from curly Birch making each knife
somewhat one of a kind. It features a lock back locking mechanism,
contoured handle with finger guard, and a 2.1” (5.3cm) drop point
blade. This knife is named after a hill near the small village of
Holmedal in rural Sogn og Fjordane where the Helle factory is located,
and the Norwegian word “Kletten” translates to small mountain or large
hill.
The knife arrived in a cardboard tube which included an information pamphlet, leather lanyard and a cleaning cloth.
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Initial
Report
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April 14 2019
 • Blade material: Triple laminated stainless steel
• Blade thickness: 2.7 mm 0.106”
• Blade length: 55 mm 2”
• Handle material: Curly birch
• Handle length: 80 mm 3”
• Design: Helle design
• Year: 2019
For
full disclosure I had the privilege of testing the Helle Algonquin in
2015 and I can say that it is still by far my favorite knife. With the
Kletten using the same steel and basic blade design as the Algonquin, I
have high expectations of this knife.
Note regarding EDC (Every
Day Carry): I would mention here that laws regarding carrying a knife
can differ quite a bit from place to place (some can be rather
confusing) so what may be legal in one place may be illegal someplace
else.
While I love the convenience of a folding knife, the
engineer in me requires I maintain a bit of distrust as any mechanism
no matter how well designed/built can fail. And when miles from
civilization some failures could have serious consequences. I will
spare you the story of when I was a kid 30’ (10m) up a mango tree
bleeding profusely due to my folding knife closing on my finger. I tend
to prefer fixed bladed knives (preferably with full tangs) but the
convenience of having a folding blade in my pocket at all times is very
attractive. So I am constantly vacillating over what to bring on a
given trip. But for every day carry, I go with a folding pocket knife
with a locking blade, and have done so most of my life.
The
Kletten (FYI for some reason when I glance at the name I tend to think
“Kitten” and so I have kind of dubbed this my Kitten knife) utilizes a
lock back mechanism. There are a number of different ways a locking
blade can operate and the lock back style used in this one is the most
popular because it is one of the strongest as well as one of the
simplest designs. It requires two hands to operate. One hand to hold
the knife and disengage the lock, while the other to fold the blade. It
is possible to use one hand to hold the handle/disengage the lock and
an object (table top, my leg, etc) to push the blade into place but
that is kind of nitpicking. The handle is shaped to make it easy to
hold and control which also exposes the spine of the blade when it is
folded which gives me enough blade to grab when opening it. I have
found it possible to open with one hand, but the small size combined
with the firm hinge friction does not make this easy. The knife is held
together by 3 screws and there is a hollow pin near the base of the
handle that could be used for a lanyard.
As with the Algonquin,
this knife has a rather thick blade for its size. This gives an
impression of not only quality but durability. I was able to baton the
blade of the Algonquin to break wood down into kindling. And I get the
impression I might be able to do that with this as well, but that would
be excessive and abusive to the hinge/lock so will probably not try it
during this test. This knife has a substantial heft to it giving the
impression of quality and strength. The hinge is firm but not stiff,
and I can find no wiggle in the blade or any of the parts. The handle
scales are sanded smooth but are not slick and the overall size and
shape of the blade fits well in my hand in multiple grips. As I handle
the knife I see the wood is developing some character. It probably
could use another coat of oil or two as some areas appear to have
absorbed more oil than others. I periodically treat my wood handled
knives with mineral oil to preserve/protect them and I expect to do so
with this as well.
The edge of this knife is honed to a flat or
“Scandinavian” grind. This is a single bevel from the blade body to the
edge. This can make for a very thin but strong edge and can be easy to
sharpen. I find this grind effective for knives I use in the field
since they tend to take abuse and I normally don’t carry any sharpening
equipment. Of note regarding the blade edge is the triple laminated
steel that Helle uses. This is a single layer of high carbon steel
sandwiched between two layers of stainless steel. This provides the
advantages of allowing a very strong sharp edge (the carbon steel)
while the bulk of the blade body is the softer (tends to bend rather
than break under stress) corrosion-resistant stainless steel. Another
aspect I like is that when heavy sharpening is necessary, most of the
material removed is the softer stainless rather than all high carbon,
which can make sharpening and reshaping the edge easier than if it was
all carbon steel. This triple layer steel is one of the things I like
most about Helle knives. As with my previous Helle knife this one
arrived quite sharp, and after a couple passes across a strop is now
shaving sharp.
My initial impression of the Kletten is that this
is a knife I can see myself carrying in my pocket every day as well as
taking with me for outdoor activities in addition to, or in place of, a
larger fixed blade knife. Its small size makes me worry I might
misplace it so I have added a para-cord lanyard to help prevent that.
Likes: Hefty strong feeling blade, firm but not stiff action, and very comfortable and attractive handle.
Opportunities: None so far.
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Field Report
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| June 8 2020 |
Usage:   
- Every Day Carry
- Day hikes x3 (Eastern foothills of the Washington Cascades)
- Camping, two nights
Trying
to test backpacking gear while there is a stay at home order in place
(right after I received the product), and trails and campgrounds are
closed is quite a challenge. And as if it needed to be more
complicated, when trails did start to open, the reports were of a much
larger than normal volume of rattlesnakes on my local trails, and
on one trail known for snakes, we instead encountered large brown
ticks. (I HATE ticks!) But I guess gear testing can't be all fun and
glory.
Spoiler alert: For its small size the Kletten is a beast,
and I really like it. As this test progresses I wonder if I will ever
go back to my previous EDC knife (which I had carried for about 6-7
years).
I have literally carried this knife in my pocket every
day since receiving it. Admittedly some of those days I never left the
house and spent most of my time in my basement-improvised 'home
office'. Due to the small size of this knife I used the included
leather cord to make a short lanyard in order to make it easier to
handle as well as retrieve from my pocket. While in strict lockdown I
spent some time making soft shackles and doing other things using cord
and thin rope around the house and yard. This knife easily and cleanly
cuts cord and rope. I also used it in the yard to cut irrigation and
drip tubing. The knife cuts the soft plastic accurately and easily.
Almost too easily, I found I had to be quite careful as it would go
through the plastic so easily I could easily cut myself and on one
occasion did. So as odd as it may be to say, I can also say it cuts
flesh quite well. My cut was deep, but since it was a very clean cut,
healed well and quickly. During a camping trip I used a piece of scrap
lumber (fir I believe) and carved a 'feather stick' to help start the
campfire. This little beast with its thick blade and substantial handle
was easy to hang on to and gave me excellent control despite applying a
lot of force. The stainless steel sides of the blade allowed it to
glide smoothly across the wood during the cuts and I was able to make a
very clean and effective feather stick. While assisting a friend in his
home workshop (yes small violation of the social distancing) I needed
to whittle out a grove in a piece of lumber. I had my Kletten out
and the task done before my buddy could get a chisel from his
workbench. During the stay-at-home period I also built an in pond
pressure-filter for my Koi pond out of a plastic bucket. I used the
knife to clean and enlarge the holes I needed to make in the bucket, as
well as clean the cut ends of the PVC pipe. As before it cut cleanly,
easily and the knife was very easy to control even when held at
somewhat awkward angles.
As for what little trail use I was able
to manage, I did use the Kletten to slice cheese and dry salami during
my hikes. The sharp edge cut easily but the thickness of the blade made
it difficult to cut thin even slices. (Give me a break this is the
closest I have come to finding anything to critique about this knife).
If I really wanted to nitpick, I would mention that for some everyday
carry, the blade is a bit short for some cutting tasks (e.g. a hot dog
or sandwich). But over all those minor items in no way reduce my
opinion of this knife.
I have used the knife quite a bit, and
found it takes a sharp edge very easily. A couple of passes over any of
my sharpening systems followed by a strop or two and it is almost
shaving sharp. I am finding that I have needed to sharpen this blade
more than I recall with my Helle Algonquin. I am not sure if that is
due to using it differently, a difference in the steel (or hardening),
or simply faulty perception on my part. But since it takes an edge so
easily, I don't consider this a problem at all.
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Long Term Report
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| July 21 2020 |
Usage
- Every Day Carry
- Day hikes x3 (Eastern foothills of the Washington Cascades)
- Backpacking: 3 nights, 28 miles (45 km) Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) Central Washington Cascades
I
have carried this knife with me every single day for the duration of
this test series using it often. I have continued to use it for
everyday tasks such as opening boxes, cutting cord, cutting irrigation
drip line and tubing, etc. During my PCT section hike I used it to open
food packages and cut dry salami.
I have sharpened it twice
since the last report. As mentioned previously it does not seem to hold
an edge as long as my other Helle knife, but it does hold an edge well,
as well if not better than other knives I have, and is extremely easy
to sharpen. The operation of the hinge is still smooth and firm. It has
gotten a bit of dirt/debris from being carried in my pocket inside the
knife handle (normal for any folding pocket knife) but unlike other
knives I have had this does not seem to affect the operation of the
lock or hinge in the slightest. The lock still has a very
satisfying click sound and the handle is quite pleasant and soothing to
handle. Kind of like my own version of a "fidget spinner", I find
myself handling the knife and/or opening and closing it just for the
enjoyment of it and/or to pass the time.
I really like the
quality of the wood handle. I am finding the more I handle it the more
character the wood gets. I am very fond of the warmth, luster, and
depth of the grain in the wood.
There is one aspect of the knife
that I have been trying to decide if I like or not. The sides of the
knife have a 90-degree from the handle to the blade, while some knives
(like my other Helle) have a bevel or taper. I find the bevel provides
a more comfortable grip, while the 90-degree provides stronger grip
(more traction if you will) especially when I hold it between my thumb
and forefinger for fine precision cutting chores. I have vacillated
over which I would prefer but can't find a compelling reason to choose
either. I have contemplated rounding over the edge so it is not so
sharp, but the 90-degree edge gives the knife a cleaner look so at
least for the time being I am going to leave it as is.
Now that
the testing period is over I anticipate carrying this a lot, but
probably not every day. For backpacking I really prefer to have a
longer blade, but this is purely my own paranoia (what if I need to
make a shelter or split firewood?) and personal preference, it is in no
way a commentary on the quality of this knife. For every day carry, as
mentioned this is a beast of a knife for its size, making it a very
effective utility knife which I can use (abuse?) with no concern that
it might break regardless of what I am cutting or even prying. While
the Kletten is more functional, it is not quite as elegant as my old
every day carry knife, which I expect to at least on occasion go back
to depending on what I expect to be doing, but I expect it will be a
hard choice every time I go to select which I will carry.
For
the final step in this report I took a close look at the knife, and
aside for the above mentioned growing character of the wood and some
minor scratches (mostly from sharpening) it is showing no signs of wear
or age. I could easily imagine (should I manage to avoid losing it) one
of my kids carrying this long after I am gone.
Like my other Helle
knife, this one is both completely functional and exquisitely
decorative, which I consider is the hallmark of any high (heirloom?)
quality tool.
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This
concludes
my report.
I would like to thank the folks at Deuter and BackpackGearTest.org
for the opportunity to test this product.
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