Helle Dokka anyone own one - are they any good?

[greenbear]

I've been mulling over buying a Helle Dokka but am rather cautious as there are no visible steel liners (and without actually handling one it is hard to see how it is made).  Does anybody own one?  If you do is the blade secure when open (I've heard tell of slack in the joint) and, in your opinion, are the liners big enough to do the job?  I guess I'm really asking if you recommend it 

[ducttapetech]

Never have held or used one. Hopefully somebody will be around shortly to answer you question.

[Grathr]

I havent handeled one, but it looks great, and is probably razor sharp, like all Helle knives.


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[Steinar]

I own one, and frankly don't remember how the liners are done, if any. I can check after work, if you like. It's a knife which feels solid, with a generous handle. I wouldn't worry. On the other hand, it's not a precisely built knife, mine has a wider backspring than blade, giving it extremely annoying blade play. I would recommend against buying one uninspected. The design has great potential, though, so if there are good ones, I think they will be fine knives.

[kkokkolis]

It looks very nice. A folding Skandi, that's good news. What is the handle made of, felt?

[greenbear]

I own one, and frankly don't remember how the liners are done, if any. I can check after work, if you like. It's a knife which feels solid, with a generous handle. I wouldn't worry. On the other hand, it's not a precisely built knife, mine has a wider backspring than blade, giving it extremely annoying blade play. I would recommend against buying one uninspected. The design has great potential, though, so if there are good ones, I think they will be fine knives.

Thanks Steinar, it is the reports of blade play that have made me cautious. Obviously being a Helle it will be a good knife but I find any excessive blade play makes me feel insecure when using a knife.  I would be grateful if you could please have a quick look at the liners later.  As I understand it they are there but hidden, some folks on review sites have said it doesn't have any though, hence my confusion. I just need to be sure before I buy - thanks

[greenbear]

It looks very nice. A folding Skandi, that's good news. What is the handle made of, felt?

It's compressed curly birch

[Steinar]

Thanks Steinar, it is the reports of blade play that have made me cautious. Obviously being a Helle it will be a good knife but I find any excessive blade play makes me feel insecure when using a knife.  I would be grateful if you could please have a quick look at the liners later.  As I understand it they are there but hidden, some folks on review sites have said it doesn't have any though, hence my confusion. I just need to be sure before I buy - thanks

NP, I'll post something this evening (CET).

[Steinar]

Hidden steel liners, approx 1 mm thick, on both sides of the knife.

[Steinar]

It looks very nice. A folding Skandi, that's good news. What is the handle made of, felt?

It's compressed curly birch

Not sure what compressed means here (English is not my first language), but the wood does not seem stabilized to me. Birch doesn't shrink nor crack much, so no stabilizing mainly affects strength and durability in this case.

[Steinar]

If you do is the blade secure when open (I've heard tell of slack in the joint) and, in your opinion, are the liners big enough to do the job?

The blade seems secure, but I haven't done any actual testing. The lateral blade play is so bad I don't use the knife.

I guess I'm really asking if you recommend it 

My recommendation is really to buy one of the EKAs built in Sweden instead, if you want a Scandinavian folder. (Unless mine is a rare dud.) This is a bitter thing to say for a Norwegian. E.g. the Swede 92 is ugly as sin, but holding it in your hand is a positive surprise.

[greenbear]

Thanks Steinar, I really appreciate your input on this, and thank you for checking on the liners. I think I may pass on the Dokka and, as you recommend, check out the ESA Swede (my other potential choice is the Enzo BK75 which looks quite good).

Thanks again

[Steinar]

NP.

(I had a Enzo PK70 which I sold off to a fellow forum member, btw. Good looking knife, but I felt the F&F did not match the price (blade play again, I really, really hate blade play, especially laterally). The guy who bought the knife seemed happy enough, though. Then again, he didn't pay what I did. )

[comis]

I have a little different experience for Enzo folders, I owned 3 of them and all of their F&F are excellent. The two Enzo Birk 75 are great, love a scandi grind on a folder.  Borka is new, but I feel there is some design flaw in the thumb stud placement, and they try to remedy that will an extra nail nick, which in my book is really silly.  But if you could use it as a two hand folder, it does have a really solid construction.

[jekostas]

Scandi grinds suck and they require you taking off a huge amount of steel when resharpening unless you add a microbevel, which means you don't have a scandi grind any more.

[greenbear]

NP.

(I had a Enzo PK70 which I sold off to a fellow forum member, btw. Good looking knife, but I felt the F&F did not match the price (blade play again, I really, really hate blade play, especially laterally). The guy who bought the knife seemed happy enough, though. Then again, he didn't pay what I did. )

I hate lateral blade play as well.  It baffles me that my Vic Forester has no lateral play whatsoever and yet it cost about £25 (30 euros) and yet a £100 (£125 euro knife) has play.

I'm now thinking of sticking to a fixed blade (as I fancy a Helle - good Norwegian product)

[greenbear]

Scandi grinds suck and they require you taking off a huge amount of steel when resharpening unless you add a microbevel, which means you don't have a scandi grind any more.

I have to confess to liking a Scandi grind, but I do take your point about taking off a lot of steel

[Steinar]

NP.

(I had a Enzo PK70 which I sold off to a fellow forum member, btw. Good looking knife, but I felt the F&F did not match the price (blade play again, I really, really hate blade play, especially laterally). The guy who bought the knife seemed happy enough, though. Then again, he didn't pay what I did. )

I hate lateral blade play as well.  It baffles me that my Vic Forester has no lateral play whatsoever and yet it cost about £25 (30 euros) and yet a £100 (£125 euro knife) has play.

There are really very few knife manufacturers I "dare" buying folders uninspected from for exactly that reason...

I'm now thinking of sticking to a fixed blade (as I fancy a Helle - good Norwegian product)

I like them, the only ones upholding the tradition of laminated blades in factory knives. The steel is French and already welded when reaching Helle, but still...

[Grathr]

I like them, the only ones upholding the tradition of laminated blades in factory knives. The steel is French and already welded when reaching Helle, but still...

This is why I like Helle knives so much as well.

Btw speaking of Norwegian knife manufacturers, have you checked out Bruslettos new Lars Monsen knives?
http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19951&ledd2=1371319

http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19952&ledd2=1371324

http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19953&ledd2=1371328

Not sure I like them, and way to expencive.



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[greenbear]

NP.

(I had a Enzo PK70 which I sold off to a fellow forum member, btw. Good looking knife, but I felt the F&F did not match the price (blade play again, I really, really hate blade play, especially laterally). The guy who bought the knife seemed happy enough, though. Then again, he didn't pay what I did. )

I hate lateral blade play as well.  It baffles me that my Vic Forester has no lateral play whatsoever and yet it cost about £25 (30 euros) and yet a £100 (£125 euro knife) has play.

There are really very few knife manufacturers I "dare" buying folders uninspected from for exactly that reason...

I'm now thinking of sticking to a fixed blade (as I fancy a Helle - good Norwegian product)

I like them, the only ones upholding the tradition of laminated blades in factory knives. The steel is French and already welded when reaching Helle, but still...

That's why I'm drawn to their products, but as I already have a very good fixed blade (Enzo Trapper) I was justifying it by looking at a folder 

[greenbear]

I like them, the only ones upholding the tradition of laminated blades in factory knives. The steel is French and already welded when reaching Helle, but still...

This is why I like Helle knives so much as well.

Btw speaking of Norwegian knife manufacturers, have you checked out Bruslettos new Lars Monsen knives?
http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19951&ledd2=1371319

http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19952&ledd2=1371324

http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19953&ledd2=1371328

Not sure I like them, and way to expencive.



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Thanks Grafr, I'll check them out

[Steinar]

I like them, the only ones upholding the tradition of laminated blades in factory knives. The steel is French and already welded when reaching Helle, but still...

This is why I like Helle knives so much as well.

Btw speaking of Norwegian knife manufacturers, have you checked out Bruslettos new Lars Monsen knives?
http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19951&ledd2=1371319

http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19952&ledd2=1371324

http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19953&ledd2=1371328

Not sure I like them, and way to expencive.



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I must admit I don't like them. Also, 440C is not a good choice of steel for that kind of knives. I assume the knives are made by Joker in Spain, like Brusletto Villmann, or what it's called. I have nothing against Joker, but I find Brusletto's marketing dishonest.

[greenbear]

I like them, the only ones upholding the tradition of laminated blades in factory knives. The steel is French and already welded when reaching Helle, but still...

This is why I like Helle knives so much as well.

Btw speaking of Norwegian knife manufacturers, have you checked out Bruslettos new Lars Monsen knives?
http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19951&ledd2=1371319

http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19952&ledd2=1371324

http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19953&ledd2=1371328

Not sure I like them, and way to expencive.



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I must admit I don't like them. Also, 440C is not a good choice of steel for that kind of knives. I assume the knives are made by Joker in Spain, like Brusletto Villmann, or what it's called. I have nothing against Joker, but I find Brusletto's marketing dishonest.

Interesting thoughts Steinar.  Agree on 440C aswell.  I'm now looking at the Helle Fire, mainly because it is a very sweet design.....

[Grathr]

I like them, the only ones upholding the tradition of laminated blades in factory knives. The steel is French and already welded when reaching Helle, but still...

This is why I like Helle knives so much as well.

Btw speaking of Norwegian knife manufacturers, have you checked out Bruslettos new Lars Monsen knives?
http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19951&ledd2=1371319

http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19952&ledd2=1371324

http://www.brusletto.no/index.php?artikkelID=19953&ledd2=1371328

Not sure I like them, and way to expencive.



Sent from a device made from star dust using tapatalk

I must admit I don't like them. Also, 440C is not a good choice of steel for that kind of knives. I assume the knives are made by Joker in Spain, like Brusletto Villmann, or what it's called. I have nothing against Joker, but I find Brusletto's marketing dishonest.

That was news to me, but that explains the new flat sheaths as well. I wondered why they had started using those in stead of the classic "round" ones on their full tang knives.




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[Steinar]

To be precise: I do not know whether the Monsen knives are made in Spain, but I do know Brusletto Villmann is. As the sheath style and steel are the same for the Monsen knives, ...

[Steinar]

Interesting thoughts Steinar.  Agree on 440C aswell.  I'm now looking at the Helle Fire, mainly because it is a very sweet design.....

I have never tested that one, do post a review if you should end up getting it.

[Grathr]

Interesting thoughts Steinar.  Agree on 440C aswell.  I'm now looking at the Helle Fire, mainly because it is a very sweet design.....

I have never tested that one, do post a review if you should end up getting it.

+1


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[Grathr]

To be precise: I do not know whether the Monsen knives are made in Spain, but I do know Brusletto Villmann is. As the sheath style and steel are the same for the Monsen knives, ...

If it looks like a fish, swims like a fish and tastes like a fish, it probably is a fish...


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[comis]

That's why I'm drawn to their products, but as I already have a very good fixed blade (Enzo Trapper) I was justifying it by looking at a folder 

I too do like Enzo knives, for fixed blade or even folder, especially considering the price/performance ratio.  Some do think Scandi is a hassle to resharpen, but the same goes to true full flat grind or saber grind.  I usually do give a tiny micro bevel on my Scandi, so if it's just slightly dull, I could quickly touch it up and it's ready.