Some things are worth the wait. We started working on a small folding knife at the same time as we developed Bleja in 2016. The brief was to develop a lighweight folder with a three-finger grip that felt as balanced and sturdy as a small Helle fixed blade. Three years later we are now ready to launch: The Kletten is ready to meet the world.
The final result
In order to reach the this stage we have tested different shapes, mechanisms, different screws and materials. We have ground and sanded by hand. And we have felt and used a lot of small folders. We have carried them with us in our day-to-day tasks, just like you would with a knife that is a proper Every Day Carry knife. The result is a small knife for the small adventures, but one that feels like a regular Helle knife.
A Kletten prototype, 2am on the Norwegian West Coast.
This is how we like to develop knives. By making by hand, testing them in the field and remaking them again. We have whittled, we have use it as a tool, sometimes we even (accidentally of course) cut ourselves. We have carried it with us for a long time (though you might not have seen it given its size). This is part of the Helle philosophy. Only by developing and testing products in this fashion can we achieve the quality criteria we set ourselves.
Sometimes the Kletten has been hidden in plain sight.
The end result is a product we know, that we are proud of and that we think you will appreciate.
Stay tuned for more information on the knife and the story behind it on this blog. It will be available for purchase from autumn 2019. And do see the product page for more pictures and specifications.