Most all the northern European blades have a lot to recommend them...they are made to carve and skin and prepare food and survive. And they do it extremely well and for very little money compared to how they perform against most any knife in the world.

Helle is a good solid brand and I believe they machine forge their own laminate steels?....The Norwegian knives typically are very like the Swede knives with a lower grind. I had a Helle some time back, very intentionally crude Viking knife of basically straight cylindrical shape with slight taper front and back, and tang peened over an iron diamond bit of plate. No photos survive so lifted this photo of what appears to be a well used one....I was after just a good solid basic traditional knife. And got it. And truth be told, I rather miss its basic primitive knifeness, a quite authentically styled knife from 1000yrs ago.



Helle is well enough known and promoted that personally think them priced a bit high, but, that is really up to the buyer. My particular Viking was ground quite lopsided, and even curved to side (easily cured, see below) which is quite common according to seller and also reviews found online...it affects nothing, and if they never cared, then why should I? But a buyer accustomed to other customs/standards should be forewarned to avoid shock.

I no longer use any of the famous Swede/Norwegian laminates, simply because I prefer a stiffer blade which can handle some lateral stress without bending. The laminates are not meant for anything but cutting, in which they excel, with core hardness often 60-61 Rc. As a matter of fact, the laminates are popular up that way due to the fact an owner can tweak/specialize a blade for a certain chore, such as making a bowl.

But with the lower more abrupt grind, they were not quite the kitchen/woods chores, wood carver of personal dreams....had to find the higher grind plus reduced spine thickness/rhombic tommipuukko to get that (think more manueverable clip area of an American knife, except full length of blade), where less drag in deep cuts and blade able to be laid over further for more control of cuts, not every cut a maximum wood removal "power cut".

The rhombic cross-section puukko is actually, as far as I understand, a Kainuun Tommipuukko thing originally, going all the way back to Setti in the late 1800s, even though now percolated far and wide, and why I keep coming back to Marko and his named shop.

But for sure there are prettier actual puukkos made, and by longtime smiths of far more fame, and many even make their own "more perfect" version of a tommi with same typical crested pommel, blade cross section, various levels of finish, etc. And this thread not meant as a bash to great puukkoseppa who turn out highly regarded knives now seen as collectibles as much as users.

But Marko does everything as the shop always has, and you would need ask any other smith if they create blades same old way and what exactly IS that old way, or Rockwell each blade, or etc etc. Marko ignores anything not as originally done. For instance, folk may make a big deal out of a sheath liner being two-piece and completely enclosing blade, while Marko still does the half-liner as ever since the beginning, for reason of fidelity to tradition, weight, trimmer sheath, etc, either version will prevent an accidental stabbling as no realistic way to get point started off to side, and front bolster hard up against wood and handle in a snug leather hug. Often times these big deals are actually made only by buyers from other cultures, bringing own assumptions to bear, and broadcasting as gospel truth, an example being above mentioned Helle grind, where a Norwegian woodsman would say, "so?", or seeing a bit of excess glue on a bolster or slight uneven gap filled with glue as a deathly insult and fatal flaw in knifemaking skills.

There are other REAL puukko of all various traditions and regions, and I might find something more perfect than Marko's work. But would have a lot of trouble finding one made anymore traditionally or from a more direct lineage of a single classic and oft imitated style. This is why I like his work and keep coming back to him as a maker of REAL puukko.....oh.....and it cuts like blue blazes and holds an edge and guaranteed and etc. This is a field in which I will stick to what I know, and will leave to others the picking from such a rich heritage of high performance knives, whether for use, or today, as much as for collecting.

PS- for someone just wanting to try a puukko style blade of higher grind, suprising stoutness, good quality steel, very sharp point, and more "normal" flat side (still works great in angled cuts due to high thin grind), but not wanting spend a fortune or buy into some of the native styles and sheaths, there is a great cheap $15 utility knife which is a lot of fun.

The injection molded rubber/kraton handle kinda wiggles around and a gap around blade, but knife snaps firmly into sheath, can be tied inverted, the large hole in toe also a drain hole, and the clip can also double as belt loop. A good tool box or kitchen utility knife or front porch whittler or work knife. The sort of knife performance where the owner immediately regrets the cheap modern touches as unworthy of the blade.

The one I had was green and with a stainless blade, from another supplier (Ragweed Forge) who maybe no longer carries them. Kellam still carries same knife (whoever in Finland makes the thing for them or Ragweed, I do not recall now, so long ago), but unsure if Kellam has stainless, and it buried under their "other knives" catagory, and THEN under the "S Line" catagory. Good working (really good working) little cheap knife, no matter what. Somebody else stateside may also carry the knife, as well.