Welcome to my review of the Helle Gt and Harding knives, two very pretty knives from the bosom
of Mountains and Fords.
Sorry Fjords.- Norway.
I would like to start this review off with a few apologies for pronunciations in past
reviews, So I’m sorry… that you have a problem.
I’m sorry you didn’t like the way I said Fallkniven.
I should have watched a Survival Lily video first.
Hearing the Austrian pronunciation of a Swedish word sounds legit enough for me.
Like Peter Felk, the pivot point of your leg, and my least favorite diagram.
And sorry for saying Varus Teleka.
I should have read it on the website…
It’s pronounced like WHERES THE LIQOUR.
And while I'm at it also I’d like to apologize to the residents and amateur midwestern linguists
in and around the greater St. Louis Metro Area for the pronounciation of Shoe Toe- it’s
Show Do.
And as long as they’ve apologized to the French for half the street names in the city-
I shouldn’t have to issue a secondary one.
So from the bottom of my heart I’m Helle sorry.
I think I’m caught up for a week or two, until I once again betray someones favorite
cultural heritage brand by butchering the pronunciation.
So the Harding and the GT are both gorgeous knives, the Harding being a slightly smaller
hunting knife, and the GT being bigger but still beautiful in it's own way.
But before I take up the next 8 to 10 minutes of your valuable porn watching time- depending
on how verbose I plan on being today- lets look at the dimensions... of both knives,
like the overall length and weight.
Opposite of sans and sans sheaths.
I hope that wasn't confusing.
Blade length and cutting edge.
Can't wait to completely screw up that mirror polish crafting the bushes.
The Harding is a loaner from a subscriber.
So it's sharp but used.
Handle Size and grip area, curly birch is the purple handle for the wool crowd.
Spine thickness and handle thickness.
No behind the edge on the scandinavian grinds.
Tallnesses.
I'm sure I'll screw up a measurement somewhere.
I did last week.
So the GT and the Harding are two nice fixed blades from Helles lineup.
The Harding being a mid 3 incher and the Gt being a mid 4 incher.
I have an unspoken code up until this point where I spaketh it.
For folding knives I like something under 4 inches, and fixed blades over 4 inches.
It doesn't mean I don't like folders over 4 and fixed under 4, or that they should suck
it- but it comes down to a basic requirement.
A good functional folder for me, needs to fit in a pocket and still be long enough to
cut food.
I value compactness, and don't buy into the Hard Use meme.
On the other hand a good fixed blade needs to be able to do some light chopping if need
be.
It's a flexible rule, and it may not make sense for your needs, but it does for my made
up ones.
Both the Helle and Harding are made from the Helle triple laminate steel.
A carbon core interior that's tougher, and two layers of corrosion resistant exterior
layers to scratch up.
Helle says that they use more expensive steel than other knife brands, because they never
compromise on quality- and apparently unaware everyone is using Crucible.
Both blades are pretty sharp, and neither have 90 degree spines, so get out your file
if you want to spark up, or use your multitool, which if we're going to be honest is probably
a more useful camp tool than a knife by itself.
That and a lighter.
I know, a man isn't a real man if he doesn't use a ferro rod and a piece of wood to create
his fire.
Why gather dry kindling, when you can spend 45 minutes making your own out of a log.
The handles.
Helle makes a few full tang knives, neither of which are named the Harding or the GT.
The tang on these two runs the full length of the handle, but are small and tapered near
the butt.
Meaning the handle is mostly wood, so as much as I hate to say it- not for batoning.
I know, is there any other reason to own a fixed blade knife.
I'd almost argue no, unless you're main knife usage is field dressing game.
The handles are nice and comfortable, even the smaller harding isn't too small.
On the GT you get a "substantial" aluminum bolster, which seems to be where the heaviest
section of the knife is, and the center of balance.
The curly birch handle has a nice visual depth to it to, so it works well if you just want
to hold it in your hand and stare at it for extended periods of time, in the comfort of
your home.
The Harding handle is make of a few pieces darkened oak on the ends, with some stacked
leather and curly birch in the center.
I prefer the handle of the GT better because of the larger pronounced, aluminum bolster.
The sheaths.
The sheaths are both made from nice leather, about the same quality, and color, but with
different retention systems.
Overall the GT even though it's a larger knife rides a tad lower, which I like more better-
but both are in my preference of the butt of the handle being flush or below my belt
line.
The retention system on the Harding requires you to kind of jam the knife inside, which
is a tight fit, and snap over the top.
The handle butt retainer sheath on this is overall a bit more work to sheath and unsheath-
making it pretty secure even when the retainer isn't closed.
I do prefer the GT's though.
The snap makes it as secure as the Harding, and it's an easy snap and unsnap... and it
tends to rest inside of the sheath, so it's an easier pull.
It does rattle a bit though when snapped, where as the harding is tightly secured.
It's not a big deal, but might alert your prey if your out hunting wabbits.
Comparisons.
First both knives side by side.
Overall I prefer the GT in a handle size, looks, blade size- despite the sheath rattle.
It's still a fairly light weight knife.
Now like the product description says it's a hunting knife.
So this isn't ferro rod ready or really a batoning knife.
It's best for food prep, feather sticks, or game cleaning.
If your fire prep tends to involve batoning, neither of these knives are suited for that.
Oh yeah... just bring a second fixed blade.
Now the Mora Kansbol.
This is a lighter knife with a blade size between the GT and Harding.
I feel the handles on the mora are a little more resilient to whacks than the wood.
If you're cheap and often abuse your knives the good thing is the plastic handles are
pretty robust and should still be in a landfill somewhere with the rest of your knife collection
long after your dead.
The Mora blade stock is a bit thinner.
Now the Mora companion.
This knife is $10.
It would make a good starter knife.
It has a very comfortable handle, the sheath kind of sucks though.
Depending on your hand size unsheathing is awkward because the knife sits down in the
sheath and it's hard to do the pop trick with larger hands, and I am an idiot and I want
to hold the sheath with my other- which is how I last cut myself on a Mora.
Now the Spyderco Puukko, bet you didn't think I still had this- I forgot I did too.
In theory this is a nice well made knife.
However the handle is uncomfortable because of that hard peak on the grip of the handle.
It just isn't good to grip tight.
And it's expensive.
I only paid $60 for mine so I didn't feel I got ripped off for a knife I'll never use.
Ok one more.
The Vangedal Rover, the most steak knife looking of the knives here- maybe one of the best
values if you're looking for a full tang knife.
No frills, good sheath and retention system.
I'd like a slightly more pronounced finger guard, but that's about it.
However since knives are vanity pieces nowadays, and utility is often secondary to blade steel,
looks, designers, deepness of purple, sprint runs, brand names- you definitely shouldn't
buy it.
Yeah I get it all your kitchen knives are flat ground, full tang, clip point steak knives.
Are we done?
Now I mentioned before that these are more suited for the food end of outdoors.
The spines aren't great at striking steels, and you know most of the wood I have in my
yard is either too rotten or wet to start fires, I brought along my multitool and some
dryer lint, which is an excellent fire starter combo.
However though we do need to at least use the knife in the knife video.
So we'll use the wood shavings and throw them in the fire.
I'd best describe these knives as adult knives.
You need to understand they're limited to things knives are designed for.
Cutting things.
Taking pictures for your social media accounts, cleaning game.
And not whacking it.
Both are beautiful knives- although if I were out camping I'd probably just be an idiot
and bring a fixed blade I could beat upon, a small folding knife, and axe, and chopper-
and that would be all I need.
The good news is I can now add the beautiful GT to the collection.
For all those people who come over that would love to look at your knife collection- oh
my god would you look at the time.
I'm sorry I have to go my wife is calling.
If you like this sort of review, and you'd like to look at my knife collection, subscribe
to the channel- a big thanks to the subscriber who loaned me the Harding.
Donate to my patreon if you feel like thats a good use of your money- leave a comment,
featherstick that like button, ok that doesn't make any sense.
Thanks for watching.