Scandinavian knives have become a worldwide sensation in recent years. Their popularity is growing day by day. Because of that, many non-Scandinavian manufacturers have started to produce their versions of Scandinavian knives.
Since there are so many choices on the market today, we made a list of the 8 best Scandinavian knives that are sturdy, reliable, and good-looking. We tried to include the knives from all Scandinavian countries so that there is a knife for everyone’s preference.
In the review list, you will find Norwegian Helle knives, Finnish Puukko knives, and finally Swedish Mora knives. Along with the reviews, you can learn about the important features of Scandinavian knives in our guide.
Last update on 2024-04-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
- Best Scandinavian Knives
- Morakniv Bushcraft Carbon Steel Survival Knife
- Harmoni – Triple Laminated Stainless Steel – Traditional Field Knife
- Kellam KLKPR5-BRK Puukko
- Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife
- HELLE Knives – ARV – Triple Laminated Stainless Steel
- Kellam KLKLWP6
- Morakniv Eldris Fixed-Blade Pocket-Sized Knife
- HELLE Trofé – Triple Laminated Stainless Steel – Les Stroud Design
- What are Scandinavian Knives?
- What To Look For When Choosing Scandinavian Knife
- Wrap Up
Best Scandinavian Knives
Our Pick
Morakniv Bushcraft Carbon Steel Survival Knife
While it’s hard to choose the best Scandinavian knife since there are many versions of them, we believe that this Mora knife will be an excellent choice for most people.
This beautiful Swedish knife has a high-grade, 4.3-inch carbon steel blade with a black coating that prevents corrosion. It’s incredibly sharp and is hardened to resist batoning pressure. It’s super durable! With proper care and oiling, this blade can last for decades!
The knife has a unique Scandinavian type of grind. It’s a single-grind type of blade that is designed for extra sharpness and very easy honing. Because of that, it’s perfect for outdoor use!
We like the handle very much. It’s made out of high-grade rubber and feels great in hand. The balance of the handle and the blade is on point. It’s super easy and enjoyable to handle this knife.
This knife comes with a few interesting accessories as well. The sheath that comes with the knife is very sturdy. It has a removable belt clip and belt loop that will hold your knife in place securely. The sheath is also equipped with a diamond sharpener that you can use outdoors wherever you go!
Another amazing add-on is a fire starter that is located on the sheath. Just start pulling the knife across the fire starter, and you will create sparks in no time!
This knife is very affordable for a Scandinavian knife as well! It’s so worth it for all the features you get and the quality of materials used.
Harmoni - Triple Laminated Stainless Steel - Traditional Field Knife
Known for their stylishness, Helle knives are one of the most beautiful knives ever made. And this knife is a classic example of that. It’s gorgeous!
Apart from its looks, this Norwegian Harmoni knife has a lot more to offer. The blade is produced by Helle and its unique and high standards.
It’s triple laminated, which means that it has two layers of stainless steel and one layer of carbon core. This special blade manufacturing process gives an unimaginably sharp and sturdy blade. The length of the blade is 3.5 inches and the thickness is 0.12 inches.
The lovely handle is made of curly birch, walnut, and leather spacers. It’s 4.5 inches in length and feels amazing in hand.
The sheath that comes with this knife is the real deal. It’s a genuine leather Scandinavian sheath that looks and feels amazing. It holds the knife securely and is well made. It will last a lifetime for sure.
This knife is handmade in Norway with lots of love put into it. 45 different operations are done before the knife goes to the final quality control test. It’s amazing how much work is put into these beautiful knives.
We know that this knife isn’t for everyone, and it shouldn’t be. It’s handcrafted for the true knife lovers that appreciate the remarkable history of these knives. It’s a special knife for a special owner.
Kellam KLKPR5-BRK Puukko
This is a true Finnish knife, a Puukko! It’s the one all the other Scandinavian knives were made after. If we had only two words to describe it, we would say beautiful and sharp.
The blade is 5 inches long, and as previously mentioned, extraordinarily sharp. It’s made of high-grade carbon steel and will cut through anything that comes your way!
The handle looks astonishing. It’s made of curly birch reinforced with ferrule and pommel that are made from brass. The grip of the handle is great, it doesn’t slip and is pretty lightweight. The whole knife is very lightweight, and the balance is excellent.
The knife comes with a stylish brown leather sheath that will hold the knife securely.
This knife certainly has the looks but is also a great puukko knife overall. If you like the beauty and the sharpness of these Finnish knives, this is a perfect choice!
Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife
Here is another Swedish Mora knife on our list. This one is an excellent choice if you don’t want to spend a fortune on a Scandinavian knife since they tend to be quite expensive.
This knife is very simplistic but effective. The blade is made of superb Swedish stainless steel and is very sharp. It’s great for bushcraft as you can rely on the blade to do any kind of job. It’s 4.1 inches long and .1 inches thick.
The handle is very comfortable in the hand. Thanks to the patterned grip, it won’t let you down in either cold or wet conditions.
You get a color-matching sheath with this knife as well. It looks great and stores the knife securely.
This knife is manufactured in Sweden and comes with a limited lifetime warranty which is a really nice addition in this price range.
This is a convenient and versatile knife you always want to have with you on an outdoor trip. It’s reliable and easy to handle. It’s super affordable too, so if you want a budget Scandinavian knife, this is your best bet!
HELLE Knives - ARV - Triple Laminated Stainless Steel
This is probably one of the most beautiful knives we’ve ever reviewed! It’s handmade in Norway by Helle and is of exceptional quality through and through.
We will start with the blade. It’s made of triple laminated steel like all other Helle knives. As we mentioned earlier, this kind of blade manufacturing process is unique to Helle.
The blade is extremely sharp and sturdy, as we expected from a Helle knife. It’s 3.4 inches long, and the thickness of the blade is 0.1 inches.
The handle is absolutely superb! It looks cool and feels incredible in hand. It’s made of staghorn and birch. The balance of the handle is perfect with respect to the weight of the blade. Handling the knife feels effortless with this kind of quality handle.
The sheath that comes with this knife is made from genuine leather, as we expected. It was designed by Helle in 2016.
This knife is very expensive, but the price is very well justified. You are paying for a knife of the highest quality, a knife with tradition and a story behind it. Helle is a knife for those who want and appreciate only the best.
Kellam KLKLWP6
Handcrafted in Finnland, this Kellam knife is light, razor-sharp, and very stylish. It’s a quintessential Kellam knife that you can’t stop looking at.
The blade is made from heavy-duty carbon steel that makes the blade dangerously sharp. The blade is also very lightweight, making it super easy to carry and handle.
The handle of this blade will make you fall in love with it. It’s made of birch and is very comfortable in hand. The grip is excellent, and the handle is perfectly balanced with the blade. It’s a joy to use this knife.
The knife comes with a Kellam embossed leather sheath that holds the knife securely and looks very stylish.
This knife would make a perfect gift. The birch handle and the shiny carbon steel blade will make anyone adore this piece of art. It’s a knife for those who enjoy finer things in life.
Morakniv Eldris Fixed-Blade Pocket-Sized Knife
Are you looking for an inexpensive, super versatile utility pocket knife? This is the one to go for in that case. It’s super handy and serves great as a secondary knife that you would keep in your pocket or rucksack.
This Scandinavian mora pocket knife is super light and compact. It weighs only 0.16 pounds, and the length of the blade is 2.2 inches.
This little Swedish knife has a great cutting capacity despite its lack of size. The blade is made of Swedish stainless steel that is 2mm thick. You’ll have no problem cutting rope or whittling and carving with this little Scandinavian knife.
The handle is where this pocket knife shines. Unlike most of the other low-quality pocket knives, this handle has enough room for your palm to grip it. The grip is great, and the handle feels very comfortable in the hand.
The sheath that comes with the knife is excellent. The knife fits great and stays fixated inside the sheath. The sheath has drainage holes in the bottom, which is a nice and useful feature to have.
Overall, this is an amazing and very versatile pocket knife. It’s for sure the best Scandinavian pocket knife on the market. If you’re looking for a nice pocket knife to pair with your regular Scandinavian knife, this would be a perfect choice!
HELLE Trofé - Triple Laminated Stainless Steel - Les Stroud Design
Another Helle beauty on our list. It’s truly a classic Scandinavian knife that brings with it such a rich history.
As we expected, the blade is exceptional. Triple laminated steel provides you with an unreal sharpness that is hard to beat. If you don’t have another Helle, this will probably be the sharpest knife you’ve ever owned. It’s 3.6 inches long and 0.12 inches thick.
The blade is corrosion resistant and has a classical Scandinavian blade shape. It’s straight, narrow with almost no belly. The spine is straight, which is another common trait of Scandinavian knives.
Darkened oak, Staghorn, and curled birch make the handle of this knife one of the all-time beauties. Apart from its marvelous looks, this handle offers a strong grip and is really comfortable. It’s excellently balanced with the blade and feels amazing in hand.
No matter how large a collection of knives you might have, this knife will stand out from the rest. Its supreme materials and handcrafted features will ensure that this knife lasts for decades. It’s one of the best Scandinavian knives out there
What are Scandinavian Knives?
Scandinavian knives are knives that originate from the Baltic region. Specifically, the knives originate from Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Other countries in this region had their specific knives but the most popular ones are those three.
All Scandinavian knives have a few identifying features that separate them from others. The blade is usually narrow and straight and has almost no belly.
Blades tend to be short, with most around 3 to 5.5 inches long. The Scandinavian blades are also known for their extreme sharpness. They have developed a unique grind that is different from any other in the world.
It’s different because it has a single bevel while other knives have a primary and secondary bevel. The bevel on Scandinavian knives starts from the center of the blade to the edge, and the beveled portion of the blade closes to the edge at around 12 to 25-degree angle.
This type of grind makes Scandinavian blades unbelievably sharp and don’t need sharpening that often.
All of the countries have their respective designs and features, but all share the same base. We will quickly go through every type.
Sweden
Sweden has probably the most popular knife type of all the Scandinavian knives, the Mora knife.
It became increasingly popular lately because of its affordable price and unbeatable sharpness.
Norway
Norway knives tend to be a lot more expensive than other Scandinavian knives. The Norwegians put more emphasis on the style and quality of their knives.
The most popular knives from Norway are Helle knives. They proud themselves of their homemade knives. Their knives are of the highest quality and are rarely under $100.
Finland
In Finland, we have the popular Puukko knife. It’s known as the first Scandinavian knife made. All the other Scandinavian knives were made after a Puukko knife.
What To Look For When Choosing Scandinavian Knife
In this section, we will look at the most important features that you should consider when choosing your next Scandinavian knife.
Type Of The Knife
As we mentioned in the section above, three main types of Scandinavian knives are most popular today. Mora, Puukko, and Helle knives.
Mora knives are great if you’re looking for a reliable knife at an affordable price. They are simplistic but very effective.
Puukko knives are usually very high-grade. They are a bit more expensive with an average price of around $100. They have beautiful designs and are mostly handmade.
Helle knives are the most expensive of all. Their knives are strictly made by hand and last for decades. The quality of their knives is exceptional, and you most likely won’t find a knife better than a Helle.
There are other brands of Scandinavian knives such as Marttiini and Brusletto, but we won’t go into detail about them in this article.
Blade
All the blades of the Scandinavian knives are incredibly sharp, thanks to their unique grind. But, there are differences in terms of quality between the countries and models.
The Mora knife has an excellent blade that holds its edge well. It’s exceptional for the price but is inferior to Puukko and Helle blades since those are more expensive.
Puukko and Helle blades are usually handmade and use high-grade steel in their production. Between the two, Helle probably has a bit sharper blade since they use a unique triple laminated blade.
If you’re looking for the sharpest, best quality possible blade, then choose Helle. If you, however, want a good versatile blade that is very sharp, go for a Mora blade since those are much cheaper but offer excellent quality beyond all other knives in the price range.
Looks
If you want a knife that stands out, you should probably choose a Puukko or a Helle knife. Those two have spectacular designs and look gorgeous.
The handles are usually made of 2 or more different types of wood and look really attractive. There are hundreds of different designs between these two, so you should have no problem finding one that fits your taste.
Wrap Up
That about covers it for everything you need to know about the best Scandinavian knives. There are many choices for every type of budget and application.
We reviewed only the best models that were reliable, sturdy, and sharp. You can’t go wrong with any of them.
Remember to buy only from trusted brands that are actually from Scandinavia since there are many cheap copies available as well.
Now grab your Scandinavian knife and go for your next outdoor adventure!
