Norwegian Knives from Brusletto

The Norwegians want their knives to look good, and work very well. The patterns have been refined over the last thousand years or so, and tend toward elegant, functional, simplicity. Most of the styles are very traditional, and many will suit the reenactor very well.

Brusletto knives are made from high carbon stainless steel (Sandvik 12C27) hardened to about 58 on the Rockwell "C" scale. . They come in a variety of elegant, but traditional styles. Workmanship is very good. Most of the sheaths have a molded plastic insert to protect the sheath and owner. Unless otherwise noted, they come with a gift box.

Falken

The Falken is a modern looking hunter with an aluminium ferrule/guard. The 9cm (3 3/8") blade has a hollow grind and an upsweep that is well suited to skinning.
The price is $85

Fjord

The Fjord is designed for boating. The blade is short and wide at about 3 1/4" long and 1 1/4” wide. The generously sized handle is mahogany with aluminum end caps. It has a finger cut out and laser cut checkering for improved grip under wet and stressful conditions. Like most sailing knives, It has a lanyard hole to help prevent loss at sea. The knife has a solid feel in the hand, but is quite lightweight at about 3 1/4 ounces. The sheath has a plastic insert and will take belts up to 2”. The knife is a bit over 7 3/4” overall, and feels like a worker. The price is $110

Troll

The Troll is a very traditional style with an oval "barrel" shaped handle of curly birch. I like this style of handle because it has just enough shape for control of the knife, without restricting you to a single grip. This is an advantage for carving and utility use. The stainless blade has the black heat treat finish left on the sides for a rustic look. The sheath is nicely tooled brown cowhide with a reinforcing band at the top. There is a stud on the pommel that engages a keeper strap on the sheath. The blade is 8cm (3 1/4") and the length overall is 7 1/4". The weight with the sheath is a bit less than 4 ounces. This one feels very good in my average sized hand. Current stock has plainer wood than the one shown in the picture.
The price is $89

Nansen

The Nansen commemorates the great arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen. Among many other accomplishments, he founded the Norwegian Refugee Council, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The knife is a joint effort of Brusletto and the Council, and a portion of the proceeds help support their work. If you're interested, there's a short biography.

The knife itself has a rather wide 3 3/4" (9.5 cm.) blade with an etch of Mr. Nansen's signature. The blade is about .096" thich and is wide enough to grip with the fingers when doing fine work with the point. The handle is curly birch in a very traditional style. It's typical of knives used in the far North, where draw cuts are used almost exclusively due to hands that are often gloved or numb with cold. The sheath is also traditional, and hangs from a suspension thong. The price is ~~$89~~ Out of stock

Norgeskniven

The Norgeskniven has the same blade in a more conventional setting. The handle is comfortable in a variety of positions, and feels really good in my average sized hand. The sheath hangs from a belt loop and there is a strap to engage a stud on the end of the pommel. The blade is 3 3/4", and the length overall is 8".
Price is $94

Brusletto-Kniven

The Brusletto-Kniven is a working knife. It has the same 3 3/4" blade as the Nansen and Norgeskniven, but with a plain birch handle rather than curly birch. The 4 1/4" handle is done in the style of current Scandinavian custom knives, and gives excellent control. The knife comes in a simple carton rather than the usual gift box. It's quite a value at only $54.

Rognald

The Rognald is a stubby work knife. With a 7cm (2 1/2") blade and generously proportioned handle of curly birch, this would make a great whittler or utility knife. It's named after Rognald Brussletto, the farmer-knifemaker who founded the Brusletto business in 1886. I suspect he would have liked it.
The price is ~~$65~~ out of stock

Hunter

The Hunter is a large, but fairly light knife with an aluminum guard. The 5 1/4" (13.5cm) blade is wide but thin (.089") for effective slicing. I understand this is a very popular knife in Norway, where hunters often have to quarter and partially butcher their game in the field.
The price is $80.

Spikkekniv

The Spikkekniv ("whittling knife") is a joint effort of Brusletto, Norges Husflidslag (The Norwegian Folk Art and Craft Federation) and Skogselskaper (The Norwegian Forestry Society). It's really quite sweet. It's just a bit larger than the Balder, with about 2 3/8" blade and 4" of handle. The blade is shaped for carving, and is made of carbon steel hardened to about 59 on the Rockwell scale. It's the only Brusletto knife with a carbon steel blade. It's used to provide easier sharpening along with excellent edge retention. The knife is intended as a carving knife for children to interest them in whittling and woodcraft. The handle is sized for a child's hand, but is still usable by an adult. Actually it fits my hand quite nicely. The handle is stamped with an image of the project's mascot "Spikketrollet" which is suggested as an easy first carving project. As you can tell, I really like this one. It comes without a box, and the price is $38.

Brusletto Speider

"Speider" is Norwegian for "Scout", and this is one of the Norwegian Boy Scout knives. It has a slightly upswept stainless blade of about 3 1/2". The birch handle is just inder 4" long and there is a stout guard to keep the fingers off the blade. The sheath has a plastic liner and a stout belt loop that will take belts up to 3". The price is $45.

Fisker'n

The Fisker'n (Fisherman) is an upscale fishing knife with a cork and curly birch handle, and a narrow 5 1/2" blade. The handle has an aluminum pierced stud for attachment of a lanyard if you wish. Despite the full sized handle and blade, the knife weighs less than 2 ounces.
The price is ~~$75~~ Out of Stock.

Framtid

The Framtid is a thoroughly modern design, and I believe the first Brusletto to use synthetic materials for the handle. The composite handle is a combination of black rubber and gray polymer. It has pronounced finger grooves for a solid fencing style grip. The blade is about 3 3/4” long, and the knife is about 8 3/8” overall. It has a surprisingly solid feel. The leather sheath is stamped with a modern design and has a plastic liner. $77

Sprettern

The Sprettern, or opening knife, is built on the same handle. It's sharpened on the top curve, and is used in dressing and butchering large game. It's used not only in opening the body cavity, but in stripping the meat from the bones. It has an advantage in that the cutting is done from the flesh side of the hide, so the blade doesn't get plugged with fur as a gut hook sometimes does. This style is becoming very popular in Scandinavia. The blade is about 4 1/2" long, and the knife is about 9 3/4” overall. It's supplied with the typical sheath with belt loop. $77.

Brusletto Skinner

The Brusletto Skinner is also built on the same handle, and has a skinning blade of about 4". Along with the Sprettern it would ideal for the hunter of really large game, which must be at least partly butchered to get out it of the woods. $77.

Ulu

The Ulu is the traditional knife of the Inuit, or Eskimo. It's used for everything from skinning and butchering game, to food preparation and making clothing. If my flea market observations are correct, a lightweight version was quite popular in North American kitchens until fairly recently. This one is larger and more substantial then the typical version. The stainless blade is over seven inches from point to point, and about 1/16" (.073") thick. The curly birch handle gives excellent control for a variety of grips, and the piece feels solid in the hand. A sheath is provided, as shown in the enlarged image. It is part of the Brusletto Langedrag Collection, named after the Langedrag Naturpark. It is marked with the howling wolf logo of the collection.
The price is $75.

There is also a companion cutting board. It's just under 12" square, and has a hollow in the center to contain the food. $45.

Ordering

Shipping and handling is $6 per order (not per item) anywhere in the US. Standard shipping is by Priority Mail, so please give me your mailing address, not your UPS address. The $6 doesn't actually cover the cost in most cases, but it's easy to calculate, and is my way of saying "thank you". Shipping is available for most other parts of the world, but usually costs more. Email for a quote. Note; shipping to Canada can be very slow.

Orders in New York State require sales tax. If you don't know the sales tax in your county, I can calculate it for you, but you should expect it to be added. This applies only to orders shipped to addresses within New York State.

Most folks use a credit card and the encrypted secure order form. If you prefer, you can FAX your order to 716-731-3715. I'll need the type of card (Discover, Visa, or Master Charge), card number and expiration date. If course I'll also need to know what you are buying, and where to send it. Please include your e-mail address.

If you don't have a FAX, you can call 716-731-3715. If your timing is good, you can just speak to me and give me the order. If I'm not in the office it will default to the FAX machine. No collect calls.

If instant gratification is unavailable, you can always send a Postal Money Order or check to:

Ragweed Forge
PO Box 326
Sanborn, NY 14132

The Postal Snail may be slow, but he's faithful and discreet. Checks may be held for clearance, so if you're in a hurry, use a money order.

Everything on the page should be on hand and ready to ship. However some items may be short supply, so if you are ordering by mail, you might want to e-mail first so that I can hold your item (ragnar@ragweedforge.com).

Back to the home page