Educate me on the Puukko.

[SAK Guy]

Enzo gets a good review in this video
[video=youtube;ccaYdn2p4Uk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccaYdn2p4Uk[/video]

Thanks Jon!!!!! :thumbup:

 

[kamagong]

This is really doing nothing to help me resist caving and getting one. I've been looking at the Kainuun website for months!

*sigh* I will haft my YP blade some day instead.

I think you should go for it. Besides the Kainuun smithy there are many other puukkoseppa who make Tommis. A quick check of the puukkoseura website reveals the following names -- Pentti Kaartinen, Mikko Inkeroinen, Raimo Mikkonen, Petri Pakkunen, Manu Kartano, Erkki Heikkinen. There are many others.

- Christian

 

[jon_slider]

Fair enough. I'm going to go ahead and suggest the Tommi. It's iconic -- one of the most widely reproduced puukko designs.

Stunning! Thanks for the great picture.

Does anyone make a Tommi pattern in stacked birch bark?
The only stacked birchbark (bark only, no stag, no frills, no colored layers, no leather) I find so far are

Aito Puukko with Bark Handle, the blade is stubby, not a Tommi profile (photos cropped per BF rules to hide vendor, PM me if you need the info)

Eräpuu - Tuohitako, the pommel is flared like a Leuku, not Tommi profile

Pasi Hurttila - Tuohipää, handle seems taller as does the blade, than a Tommi profile

 

[Thomas Linton]

Thanks Jon!!!!! :thumbup:

Note that he calls it a "Scandi edge," although his close-up shows the secondary bevel.

But if you eliminate the secondary bevels, convex edges, and even slightly hollow-ground blades (due to major bevels being cut on a wheel), there would hardly be any to call "Scandi."

 

[SAK Guy]

Note that he calls it a "Scandi edge," although his close-up shows the secondary bevel.

But if you eliminate the secondary bevels, convex edges, and even slightly hollow-ground blades (due to major bevels being cut on a wheel), there would hardly be any to call "Scandi."

I noted the secondary bevels. I too put them on my Moras as I really don't do any serious wood carving and don't want to chip one of those HRC 61-62 laminated edges....they will still shave. :thumbup:

 

[Frederick89]

Does anyone make a Tommi pattern in stacked birch bark?

Any maker crafting Tommis will fo them in birch bark too. Just prepare yourself to pay more, since bark handles are way more time consuming to make.

Knowing Hurttila quite a bit I can tell he won't probably make any real Tommi puukko, since there are already plenty enough smiths crafting them. Canonically Tommis should have polished blade, ridged pomell and two colour sheath (black/red), but this last is bit less strong character.

Pasi's puukkos keep forge finish, more or less brushed, don't have a ridged pomell and are generally sligtly bigger and heavier than what is normally seen. Just to get an idea of the guy, before being a full time backsmith he worked as wilderness guide for 10 years and in his own words he aims "to craft tools, not microscope proof knives." This to say his attention to performances comes way before his attention to fit and finsih, which is anyway quite remarcable.

 

[Thomas Linton]

I noted the secondary bevels. I too put them on my Moras as I really don't do any serious wood carving and don't want to chip one of those HRC 61-62 laminated edges....they will still shave. :thumbup:

I have several knives used by a German-born professional wood-carver, my wife's great-grandfather. He decorated private rail cars -- Pullman cars -- for the big shots of the Gilded Age. You would be stunned at the inlay work and 3-D carving with these simple knives. Each one has a convex secondary bevel, the natural result of free-hand sharpening.

For decades, every time I met a wood carver, I asked to see their knives. I asked not for purposes of discussing this issue (which I didn't know existed) but because I was interested in knife-sharpening. Except for the guy that used the disposable blades, they all had convex secondary bevels -- as my grandfather had taught me.

I first heard the the legendary "Scandi" was just the thing for wood-carving in a UK forum. I am sure it can carve wood. But somehow, all those wood-carvers whose knives I held got along without the "Sacandi," as does almost everyone in Scandinavia and Finland if you go by my pile of knives from those areas.

(We may now hear "But it's only a micro-bevel." A "little pregnant" anyone?)

 

[kamagong]

Stunning! Thanks for the great picture.

Does anyone make a Tommi pattern in stacked birch bark?
The only stacked birchbark (bark only, no stag, no frills, no colored layers, no leather) I find so far are

Aito Puukko with Bark Handle, the blade is stubby, not a Tommi profile (photos cropped per BF rules to hide vendor, PM me if you need the info)

Eräpuu - Tuohitako, the pommel is flared like a Leuku, not Tommi profile

Pasi Hurttila - Tuohipää, handle seems taller as does the blade, than a Tommi profile

I've only seen one Tommi with a stacked birch bark handle. She's a real beauty, my friend received it for his 30th birthday from his mother.

image by JVoutilainen

It should be a simple matter to get one made. Find a puukkoseppa (puukkosmith) you like who makes Tommis. Upon making contact just tell him that you want your knife made with a birch bark handle instead of the typical birch burl.

Please take note that making this type of handle is a labor intensive process. There is a reason it isn't used in budget puukkos.

Here are some more birch bark handled puukkos to whet your appetite.

- Christian

 

[jon_slider]

Knowing Hurttila quite a bit I can tell he won't probably make any real Tommi puukko, since there are already plenty enough smiths crafting them. Canonically Tommis should have polished blade, ridged pomell and two colour sheath (black/red), but this last is bit less strong character.

Thank you Frederick89, Pasi makes a great looking stacked birch puukko. Im enjoying all the photos and education. Ive also discovered your posts on the bushcrafters forum.

I've only seen one Tommi with a stacked birch bark handle. She's a real beauty, my friend received it for his 30th birthday from his mother.

image by JVoutilainen
...
Here are some more birch bark handled puukkos to whet your appetite.

Thanks for the pictures! and the link, those are beautiful and very useful at illustrating the handle shapes that Pasi Hurttila makes. I believe he also designed the Spyderco puukko. His stacked birch starts just above 2 Benjamins. I like his work.

The Aito Puukko with Birch Bark Handle, and the Eräpuu - Tuohitako with Birch Bark Handle, are both entry level, under $100. I prefer the longer more slender blade of the Eräpuu, and the unflared handle of the Aito.. fun stuff learning to spot all the differences in Puukko designs.

I can see how choice of materials and manufacturing processes all impact cost and quality.

 

[kamagong]

Actually the Spyderco puukko was designed by Pekka Tuominen. Speaking of whom...

- Christian

 

[neeman]

I see these great looking Puukko knives and am thinking about getting one. I'm trying to figure out what is what when it comes to the Puukko. I have a Mora, which I guess is a modernized version of the Puukko, but I'd like something a little more traditional or nicer.... or both. I've been looking at the Kellam Knives, but what else should I consider? I plan to use it as a camping/hunting knife and don't want anything longer than 4" in the blade.

Thanks for the help.

PM sent with links to some very good online stores

Do you mean spesifically Puukko, or scandinavian knives in general?
A classic 4" knife need not cost more than $55
You can get a laminated Mora with a plain wood handle and a leather sheath for $25, a classic swedish knife
Or a Wood Jewel with a curly birch handle with reindeer antler spacers for $55, a classic Finish knife

Many of the Finish knives use blades forged by Lauri and they are excellent blades
Noregian Brusletto and Helle use thier own blades

 

[markksr]

...(photos cropped per BF rules to hide vendor, PM me if you need the info)...

Lamnia.fi is a paid dealer here at Bladeforums (as member Ainmal) and therefor allowed to be named.

They are also a pleasure to deal with.

 

[Thomas Linton]

I was under the impression that the standard Lauri blades are stamped out of rolled sheet stock. Not that I am clear on forging actually producing an advantage.

What I love are the diamond cross-section (rhombic) blades. They just look beautiful to me.

 

[sitflyer]

Firstly, I want to say Thank You to Woodrow for starting such a fantastic thread :thumbup:

So much great information has come together in one place here...I feel like I have learned quite a handful in a little time about Puukko's from all of you guy's sharing here :thumbup::thumbup:
(bookmarked and going to print this thread out for future reference!)

I've only seen one Tommi with a stacked birch bark handle. She's a real beauty, my friend received it for his 30th birthday from his mother.

image by JVoutilainen


- Christian

^This Tommi knife, the blade shape with the high bevel grind and narrow profile, this is the feature which drew my eye to the ones that really appeal to me...

Eräpuu - Tuohitako, the pommel is flared like a Leuku, not Tommi profile

^Again, to my eye this blade looks similar, though not as high a bevel grind line, and the handle shape, excluding the flare at the butt looks close...

I guess what I am trying to say is that some of these details can be hard to nail down at first, but some of the differences that have been pointed out here have been a great exercise in determining what features I am seeing in the many types of Puukko's.
Many years ago I was drawn to the Tapio Wirkkala Puuko when I saw it in the Brookstone catalogs back in the day, but I never pulled the trigger on one, and it still remains a kind of grail knife to me, now seeing some of these finer distinctions between the different styles, I get a tiny bit of appreciation of what I saw in that knife which still intrigues me...

 

[jon_slider]

Thanks Kamagong
Pekka not Pasi, made the Spyderco, thanks for the crash course and gentle landing
the Butt pictures are very informing to grip shape in the link you gave above
I also found this excellent thread, in which I discovered you, Neeman and Frederick89 also share a love of Puukkos, great reading,
http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php/68078-Not-Moras?p=1205047#post1205047

Kellam sells a nice selection of knives, but does not make knives. Pretty much everything they sell can be purchased directly from the maker, less Kellam's markup

- Wolf Pack; Puukko; Wolverine Made by Ahti

Kellam Wolverine, made by Ahti, called the Vaara ("Northern Hills), thanks to info from Thomas Linton

 

[Thomas Linton]

Thanks Kamagong
Pekka not Pasi, made the Spyderco.

As you probably know, Pekka designed it and a company in Taiwan tried to execute the design.

 

[HFinn]

Let's not forget the Kullervopuukko. It has the Tommi profile but at significantly lower cost and has a birch bark handle. Kellam has those.

Mine after years of use (on the top):

Edit: after seeing the price Kellam has I must say that here in Finland I could get this knife at 145 euros. Kellam is way overpriced.

 

[kamagong]

What I love are the diamond cross-section (rhombic) blades. They just look beautiful to me.

I agree.

- Christian

 

[SAK Guy]

I agree.

- Christian

What model is that Christian? It's a "drooler"!

 

[scruffuk]

Christian - You shouldn't be allowed to post that. It really is pure puukko perfection.

As it happens, I was admiring one of Jonaas'birch bark creations on his blog last night.