Helle knives was founded in 1932 in Holmedal, Norway, by brothers Steinar and Sigmund Helle, whose father, Bernt, was the town blacksmith. The original workshop was run without electricity and the first knives were bicycled through the mountains of Norway to be sold in Oslo.

Helle knives are still made in Holmedal, where hand-work and the use of quality materials is still central to the production of their knives. These knives are tested by Helle team members in the rugged mountains and fjords of Norway.