Helle's New Saga Siglar Knife is a Thousand Years Old

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James Graven
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Helle’s New Saga Siglar Knife is a Thousand Years Old

New knife based on a historical Viking utility knife from the ninth century

Holmedal, Norway – (August 1, 2016) –Helle of Norway is proud to introduce the Saga Siglar Knife, a design based on a historical Viking utility knife from the ninth century. Beautifully simple, useful and unpretentious, the Saga Siglar knife is notable not only for its historical interest, but also as an excellent all-around utility knife. 

In 1983, Norwegian explorer Ragnar Thorseth approached Helle to create a knife that would help raise funds to finance a trip around the world in a hand-built replica of a 1000-year-old wooden Viking long ship. Naturally Helle was eager to participate. Helle Knives of Norway has always had deep roots in Scandinavian tradition and history. For example in 1926, a Viking grave and 9-meter boat were excavated while digging what would later become the Helle factory.

Ragnar’s recreation of the Viking ship, the Saga Siglar, was built in Norway using hand tools and traditional shipbuilding methods, including sealing the pine wood hull with tar. Helle, whose way of making knives is also based on traditional Scandinavian methods, was tasked with re-creating a Viking age belt knife that would match the craftsmanship and historical significance of the ship.

To ensure authenticity, Arne Emile Christensen, a Professor with the University Museum of National Antiquities in Oslo, devised a design based on a reconstruction of a knife found in a Viking tomb from around the ninth century. Based on this historical design, Helle set about to replicate a Viking age belt knife using laminated carbon steel and curly birch wood painstakingly ground, polished and oiled. The thong-style, tanned leather sheath is also shaped and stitched in the traditional Nordic way.

In 1984 hundreds of these Helle knives traveled around the world with Ragnar Thorseth and were sold at various stops along the way. After the voyage was completed Helle continued to sell the knife with a slight change — the blade was made longer to match consumer preferences at the time. 

In 2016 Helle is proud to release the Saga Siglar Knife based on the historical Viking utility knife design originally sold to finance the round the world voyage. “The current popularity of knives with shorter blades provided us an opportunity to release this historical design,” says Torodd Helle, director of Helle Knives. “Just as the Saga Siglar long ship proved Vikings could sail further than anyone previously expected, the Helle Saga Siglar knife proves traditional Scandinavian knife designs are never outdated and always useful.”

Product Specifications:

• Weight: 3.4 oz.
• Blade material: Triple laminated steel
• Blade length: 3.54”
• Handle material: Curly birch wood
• Handle length: 4.33”
• Sheath material: Genuine leather
• Sheath weight: 1 oz.
• MSRP $119

Please stop by Helle of Norway at the 2016 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show for more information (Sport Hansa booth # BR 317). Contact Matt Huff (matthuff@sport-hansa.com) to book a retailer appointment or James Graven (james@treehousepr.com) to book a media appointment.

About Helle of Norway
Since 1932, Helle has earned a solid reputation for quality, craftsmanship and producing aesthetically stunning and highly functional knives made to withstand a lifetime of rugged outdoor use. All Helle knives are handcrafted in Norway to exacting standards based on over 80-years of tradition blending form and function. It takes up to 45 manual processes to complete each Helle knife, from sanding and polishing of the handles to forming the Scandinavian ground blades. The result is an authentic, truly one of a kind knife made to last a lifetime of rugged outdoor use. For more information visit www.helle.no.

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