- Joined
- Mar 11, 2008
- Messages
- 1,357
I've gone the usual route of discovering scandi's on the knife forums, moving on to shop at Ragnar's, and, ultimately, adding a whole new category to my collection. Among the scandi's I am especially fond of the Finnish blades:
From left to right, that's a leuku by Iisakki Järvenpää, a Fang, Striker and Puukko from Kellam (Ahti), a 10 cm carver and standard carver from Wood Jewel, and the Grandfather and Grandmother from Roselli.
The Finnish blades typically have full concealed tangs, a metal bolster at the blade/grip junction, and blades that are left "in the black" except for the Scandi sharpened portion. (Roselli is the exception in that their knives are not full tang.) The Finns appeal to me because they are a bit primitive and very stout.
My most recent acquisition is the Järvenpää leuku.
This is a large leuku, with a heavy (.137" thick) 7" long, carbon steel blade and a metal butt cap for forcing the knife into game with the heel of your hand. This pommel somewhat compensates for the lack of a finger guard.
Here's an in hand shot to provide scale for judging the size of the leuku: (my hand is XL)
I think this is about the smallest blade I have that is actually appropriate for light chopping. The best technique is to use a three finger grip on the rear portion of the handle with the pinkie tucked in behind the pommel.
This grip should prevent the first three fingers from sliding forward onto the blade during chopping, and it increases the effective length of the knife by shifting the center of mass further away from the hand.
My favorite Finns are the finely built knives of Ahti (Kellam). The Ahtis are sharper out of the box than any other knife I have ever owned. Withdraw them from the sheath very carefully. The light but strong Puukko is going to be one of my favorite take along blades for hiking/backpacking.
Also notable are the unusually stout blades from Wood Jewel. The handles are reinforced with reindeer antler at both ends, and the blades are a bit thicker than those of most other scandis.
So many knives, so little time.
From left to right, that's a leuku by Iisakki Järvenpää, a Fang, Striker and Puukko from Kellam (Ahti), a 10 cm carver and standard carver from Wood Jewel, and the Grandfather and Grandmother from Roselli.
The Finnish blades typically have full concealed tangs, a metal bolster at the blade/grip junction, and blades that are left "in the black" except for the Scandi sharpened portion. (Roselli is the exception in that their knives are not full tang.) The Finns appeal to me because they are a bit primitive and very stout.
My most recent acquisition is the Järvenpää leuku.
This is a large leuku, with a heavy (.137" thick) 7" long, carbon steel blade and a metal butt cap for forcing the knife into game with the heel of your hand. This pommel somewhat compensates for the lack of a finger guard.
Here's an in hand shot to provide scale for judging the size of the leuku: (my hand is XL)
I think this is about the smallest blade I have that is actually appropriate for light chopping. The best technique is to use a three finger grip on the rear portion of the handle with the pinkie tucked in behind the pommel.
This grip should prevent the first three fingers from sliding forward onto the blade during chopping, and it increases the effective length of the knife by shifting the center of mass further away from the hand.
My favorite Finns are the finely built knives of Ahti (Kellam). The Ahtis are sharper out of the box than any other knife I have ever owned. Withdraw them from the sheath very carefully. The light but strong Puukko is going to be one of my favorite take along blades for hiking/backpacking.
Also notable are the unusually stout blades from Wood Jewel. The handles are reinforced with reindeer antler at both ends, and the blades are a bit thicker than those of most other scandis.
So many knives, so little time.
