Norway

We’ve recently been to Norway and, while I was there, I bought a knife.

No surprises there!

knife bought in Bergen by Trond Nerli

There were endless opportunities to buy knives made by Helle and other larger Scandinavian makers at very reasonable prices, but I found myself looking for something a little more niche and handmade—something that felt connected to the maker rather than the production line.

Eventually, in Bergen, I found exactly that.

The knife was made by Trond Nerli, and what really interested me was the collaborative nature of how it came together. Trond made the knife itself, the blade was forged by bladesmith Asbjørn Solheim, and the sheath was made by someone who specialises purely in leatherwork.

I really liked that idea.

A process where each person focuses on the thing they do best. It feels very Scandinavian somehow—practical, collaborative, and quietly confident.

The knife itself has a simplicity to it that I admire. No unnecessary flourishes, just clean lines, good materials, and craftsmanship that speaks for itself.

Since returning home, I’ve been in contact with Asbjørn and have bought a blade from him which I’m very much looking forward to turning into a finished knife using Tasmanian timbers.

The blade is an absolutely astonishing piece of work.

It uses a mosaic Damascus pattern that I still struggle to fully understand when I look closely at it. The complexity of the patterning, and the precision required to create it, is mind-bending to me. It’s one of those pieces that makes you stop and stare for a while.

mosaic pattern damascus by Asbjørn Solheim

Because I’m very conscious of wanting to make a knife worthy of such a beautiful blade, I decided I should spend some time making a few Norwegian-style knives before committing to the final build.

These are the first two.

my own attempts at this style of knife

2nd attempt

I’ll probably make at least one more before I tackle the Norwegian blade itself… or perhaps alongside it. Part of the enjoyment is learning the style as I go—understanding the shapes, proportions, and feel of these knives before trying to make one truly my own.

And because I’m a photographer first, and the main reason for travelling to Norway was to make photographs rather than knives, I thought I’d include a few images from the trip as well.

I hope you enjoy them.