Helle temagami survival knife review

Outdoor life was probably not foremost in the minds of brothers Steinar and Sigmund Helle when they started knife production in the old forge at home on their farm in Homeland in 1932. However, their sheath knives quickly became extremely popular among the locals. Thus, the foundations were soon laid for a small piece of Norwegian craftsmanship history. However, the local market soon became too small, so new markets needed to be conquered. Therefore, Steinar Helle packed his rucksack full of knives and set off on the long trip over the mountains towards the east. On a bicycle!

Today, just as when the Helle brothers started making knives, much of the production is done manually, but the philosophy remains the same: Quality craftsmanship is best preserved by skilled craftsmen, artisans with extensive experience and knowledge who still take pride in making every Helle knife unique.

Consequently, today, Helle knives are sold worldwide, and customers receive the same old world quality as when the Helle brothers first started making knives. In addition, each of their knives is specifically designed to meet the demands of the outdoor enthusiast and to last for generations.

For instance, the Helle “Temagami” fixed blade knife is just one of Helle’s many fine quality fixed blade knives. It was designed by well-known outdoor survivalist Less Stroud (for whom I have a tremendous amount of respect) and who is the host of the popular television show “Survivor Man”. The Temagami fixed blade knife is designed with a 4 1/3″ (110 cm) blade made from a triple-laminated 18/8 stainless steel which features a core of high carbon steel surrounded by two layers of tough stainless steel similar in construction to the original Japanese Katana.

Thus, by starting with a very hard, high carbon steel layer, the Helle Temagami can take and hold a very keen edge. However, exceptionally hard, high-carbon, steels are also brittle, and thus, they are prone to chipping and breakage. But, when such steel is laminated to tougher stainless steel, the result is a knife blade that is sharp, tough, and rust resistant. In addition, the semi-full tang gives the knife the needed extra strength that is vital in a properly designed survival knife.

Also, the triple laminated carbon steel tang is exposed on the top and pommel end of the hilt but is covered by the 4 3/4″ burl Maple wood of the handle on the finger side. The handle has a bit of a finger guard to help keep your index finger off the edge when the handle is slippery. In addition, the handle shape on the updated version of the Temagami CA provides better control of the knife when holding it in different positions. Last, the Temagami CA comes with a Scandinavian-style pouch sheath that securely retains the knife without needing snaps or straps.

Now, concerning the knife’s suitability as a dedicated survival tool, in addition to the laminated construction of the blade steel, I like the drop point blade’s slight forward positive angle, which magnifies its cutting power. Also, I like the straight edge combined with the excellently designed sweep to the tip of the blade. In my opinion, this configuration provides the user with the fine control needed for creating both set and spring snares and the ability to skin any game caught in such snares. In addition, the drop point and slight forward positive angle are perfect for gutting small fish such as trout.

But it also strikes me as too short for a single survival knife. However, I believe it would be an excellent addition to a much larger, longer, heavier knife. The reason that I say this is because, in any outdoor survival situation, in my opinion, shelter is the number one concern and building a shelter often requires you to cut and shape saplings to create a structure which can be covered with a waterproof material such as layers of tree bark from fallen logs. Thus, when removing such bark, I like to have a longer blade to assist with prying it off.

In addition, building fish, squirrel, and bird traps also requires the cutting and shaping of saplings. Thus, I prefer a knife that is longer and heavier than the Temagami to aid in chopping down the needed saplings. Also, I am not particularly pleased with the narrow, flat ground bevel. While the flat grind is second in strength only to the convex grind (nearly impossible to sharpen without a belt sander), it requires the user to create a deep secondary bevel when initially sharpening the knife to create a truly razor sharp edge.

Thus, if the initial angle were to be ground wider, it would be easier for the user to obtain a sharp edge. On the other hand, widening the initial bevel does weaken the edge. But, since this knife is not large enough to chop with, I don’t see that widening the angle would create a problem for the user since its size limits it to carving and slicing tasks.

In addition, the Helle website does not mention whether or not the maple burl used in the handle of the Temagami is stabilized (pressure impregnated with epoxy resin). I can tell you from personal experience that non-stabilized wooden knife handles eventually absorb moisture and swell somewhat. Also, wood is not particularly tough compared to materials such as Micarta, Rucartca, Grivory, and Krayton.

Thus, due to the overall size of the Helle Temagami combined with the maple burl handle, I feel like this knife is better suited as a dedicated hunting knife or as a companion to a much larger survival knife than it is a sole survival knife.