Wabakimi… Just say that a couple times in your head. Wabakimi is such a cool name. “Hey Bro, what knife is that?” “Oh man that’s the Wabakimi“. Helle makes extravagant blades, but not so extravagant that they lose the quality of the blade for appearance. It’s a compromise on each – beauty and blade.
The definition of how this beautiful blade was crafted on the Helle website states: “The third in a series of Helle knives designed with Les Stroud, the Wabakimi combines Helle’s 85 years crafting traditional Scandinavian knives with Stroud’s mastery of primitive skills. The latest addition is a medium-sized, well-balanced knife small enough for hip carry, yet amply sized to make precise cutting and long carving sessions comfortable and efficient.”
First things first, The handle, who doesn’t love curly birch? It’s a beautiful light wood with hints of darker grain. Although the handle is a bit on the larger side, it’s not overly large. I have smaller hands and with that being said it is hard to find a good quality handle on a knife, at first I was scared that the Wabakimi would be too big and uncomfortable, but the width of the handle is actually ideal for bushcrafting, carving, and everyday outdoor life. I’ve even taken it on deployments and it has lived up to the saltwater challenge.
The Blade is made out of triple laminated stainless steel and it is truly remarkable how beautiful that blade stays even after using the hell out of it. At times when I would’ve thought I would’ve scratched the blade, it came out unmarked. The blade is 3mm thick so it’s not going to be flimsy and shakey. It is durable for even the toughest of jobs. The weight of the blade may seem like a lot at first (135g) but in my opinion, it makes an ideal weight ad this is one of those situations where I’m okay with a little more weight. I try to stay as light as possible in all aspects without compromising my gear, but I’m only with carrying a little extra weight in this knife. The blade is incredibly sharp and after about a month of using it daily and constantly, I never have had to sharpen it. That’s a huge plus in my book, as I don’t want a knife that won’t keep it’s edge.
All in all the Wabakimi satisfied my need for that hunting knife/deployment knife duo. It’s incredibly beautiful and you can see the craftsmanship throughout the whole entire handle and blade. The “sharp things” experts are the Scandinavians and it is really fitting that they created a badass blade called the Wabakimi.
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