[HelvieKnives]

Hello
I would like to introduce the new owners of the Helvie Knife Company. Rich & Holli Smithson and Jeff & Carol McElfresh. I worked for Ken Helvie for 10 years and Holli had 2 years under her belt and we took over the business in July of 2004. We have added some new knives and continue to make all the others. Over the past 6-7 months we have been working with C.C.A. carver Gerald Sears to design us a new knife that he would endorse. He made us 4 styles of handles, 2 of them are large handles and 2 about the same size as a normal Helvie Knife. I would like to thank all of the business that sell and all you carvers that use a Helvie Knife, without your knowledge and ideas Helvie Knives would not be where it is today. We welcome all kinds of ideas, suggestions, comments (good or bad) on our knives. Any questions, please ask! I will try to respond to all as quickly as possible.
Thanks
Rich Smithson
Helvie Knives

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Congratulations and good luck. I have a Helvie knife, good knife.....you might consider selling some that are for basswood vs hardwoods. Mine had a severe secondary bevel and never did get it down, so it sits in the box waiting for some hardwood! A choice of edges would be good, like flat from back edge to cutting edge. this is just my opinion however! thanks Dave

[Mark N. Akers]

Welcome to the knife business,all though ya'll are not new to the game,just
keep up the quality Ken did and ya'll will do real good.

[Big_Al]

How do we get in touch with you with suggestions? Big Al

[HelvieKnives]

Hello Everyone

Thanks for the support and ideas we have received so far. The suggestion of making the knife blade with a smooth surface from the top to the cutting edge is something I am working on. I do have a question for you carvers, would it make the blade weaker if I did this? We made an Upsweep knife with no bevel it is now in some retail stores. To send ideas, suggestions, comments or questions via e-mail at helvieknives@yahoo.com

Thanks to all.
Rich

[Kenny_S]

Welcome Helvie Knives! I have a couple of them, one for myself and one for the little bride who has started carving. Mine is a larger blade knife and was used exclusive for about a year as the wife's was a shorter blade and she used it for a while and then we got thinner bladed knives.

Flexcut makes a thin bladed knives and they seem to hold up nicely except they are not good with hardwoods.

Yes a thinner beveled and bladed knife would be wondeful for those of us who are Helvie fans. Of course a carver can't have enough knives.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Hi Rick....I answered this on a p.m. but will answer here for others to see as well. As for weakening the blade a little, grinding flat from back to edge, I believe it does somewhat, I am probably a different carver than most, I try very hard to know where my fingers are ha ha, and....to avoid "flicking" the end of the blade to remove chips or "to clean", my wife does that and every so often, I hear that ching sound and it makes me cringe...but so far, I have broken about 1/16th of an inch off a blade but she hasn't!! "I get no respect" LOL But in my opinion, I think the thinner blade just does so much better job on basswood, that its worth it...now there are a lot of people here that carve hardwoods and some metallugists and blacksmiths that have forgotten more than I know so I have no doubt you will get some expert opinions on this.

[Jerry_K]

I am a regular Helvie knife user. In fact, I just ordered a new mini-detail Helvie. I have wished many times that there was a Helvie that wasn't quite so thick near the cutting edge. However, it is true that "rounding out" an inside cut is relatively easy with a Helvie. I think that when you use one long enough, you become used to the cutting angle needed for the knife to do its work.

I would definitely buy a thinner Helvie. But, I will continue to use the two that I already have.

Jerry