Favorite Puukko

H

Hoodoo

Joined
Aug 18, 1999
Messages
2,355
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to spend a couple of months in Finland. Came back with a backpack full of Puukko's. Nothing exotic really, all Marttiini's. One puukko with a 3 1/2" blade has become my favorite grouse hunting knife.

Any Puukko lovers out there? If so, which puukkos and why do you like 'em?


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Hoodoo

Doubt grows with knowledge.
--Goethe
 
I have a known weakness for puukkos, which has also become a commercial "bias." Here are four "favorites" of mine:

www.chaicutlery.com/kellam/fourpuukkos.jpg

And here are the sheaths.

www.chaicutlery.com/kellam/fourpuukkos-sheaths.jpg

Until the Finnish knife companies start using known state of the art stainless instead of European Mystery Steel, I think their forged carbon steel knives are more interesting, even with the hammer dings. The VH Puukko in the has a stacked birchbark handle which gives you a good non-slip grip, and the brass-steel fitting is just about perfect - something I haven't seen in a lot of North Country knives. I've met birchbark handled Finnish knives with lacquer all over them that felt awful, but the VH has no finish on it, and feels good in my hand.

But the puukko I actually reach for when I want to carve the mouthpiece for a gemsbok horn shofar is this one:

kellam-allpurpose-x3.jpg


Scary-sharp factory-forged carbon steel, molded plastic, ugly as sin, cheap, and very useful.


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
Here are a couple more solid choices in the same regional style, but they aren't puukkos, since the language isn't Finnish, but Swedish or Norwegian.

Laminated carbon steel, straight tradition, economy class:

www.chaicutlery.com/frosts/fs-137-scan.jpg

Laminated stainless steel (edge c. RC59, according to the specs I saw somwhere or other, versus 54-57 for other North Country stainless), modern variations on tradition:

www.chaicutlery.com/helle/pan-polar.jpg


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- JKM
www.chaicutlery.com
AKTI Member # SA00001
 
I have a Kempainen Tommi, which I love. "Scary sharp" is a good description. Excellent edge retention. The balance is surprisingly good too. Very nice lines, includung temper line. The corrosion resistance is not that good, but I wouldn't expect it to be. The wood handle is the right size and shape for my hand and it works well enough despite the lack of a guard. I'm not a big fan of the traditional hanging sheath, but the wood and leather sheath is a perfect fit and 100% solid. Quite expensive, but you are getting what you pay for.
I'd love to buy another KP and keep it as a showpiece, so I can beat the heck out of the using knife I have, but for the money I probably would be better advised to order or buy a custom Bergh or an incredible mosaic Persson.
 
Beautiful knives, James! I have a Helle Harding that I like.

Over the holidays I'm going to have to make up an order for a few knives from you. You have a wonderful selection. And I think I might be gettin' a hankerin' to carve the mouthpiece for a gemsbok horn shofar and I sure don't want to use the wrong tool.
smile.gif


I also will be interested in a Fallkniven Kydex sheath for my A1 when they finally arrive. Will you let us know? I sent an email to Fallkniven about getting a sheath and they said see you. I guess they've shipped them to Blue Ridge Knives this week.


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Hoodoo

Doubt grows with knowledge.
--Goethe
 
The Kellam Martinni all purpose is one SHARP knife! It has left a large Nike "swoosh" scar on my right forefinger! All I recall was a lot of bleeding and a long time to heal. But yes, it is still one of my favorite all purpose knives. For an added bit of protection I had the carbon steel blade cold blued. It could use a slightly higher grind though as when it comes to some more delicate slicing, the results are a bit messy.

L8r,
Nakano
 
Hoodoo,

Looks like you found the secret to get more than a few words out of Mr. Mattis
smile.gif
I don't have a Puukko right now but I plan to buy a Helle Safari somewhere down the line.

Check out: www.ragweedforge.com for lots of Puukkos. That is where I found my sigline too.

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"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb
 
James, I got four of those red handled bad boys from the knifecenter, had no idea who made them just that they are cheap, tough and sharp. A terrific shop knife.

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA


 
Just now my favorite is Marttiini hand forged little leuku.

I was about to buy a Roselli UHC Eräpuukko a couple of weeks ago (cheper than his wootz puukko and also low amount of carbon only 1,5%
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) but it did not have curly birch handle.
In that fishingstore there was a great looking puukko from some custom maker(I don't remember his name) at 200$. I had set my limit to 100$
frown.gif
so I didn't buy it. If I ever buy it It'll be my favorite. It is now higher in my wish list than Kainuun puukkos Pokara and that is something.

[This message has been edited by Tommi (edited 22 November 1999).]
 
Mine are not Finnish, but I love them. They are Helles, and are of laminated stainless steel. Easy to sharpen, hold the edges very well, and don't cost an arm and a leg like the silvered steel carbon Finnish knives.

Thomas Zinn
 
Martiini Tommi - I love it so much I've got an alligator skin IWB clip sheath and an ostrich leg belt sheath for it (Bob Schrap for both).
 
Guys, I love this kind of talk.
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Tommi, I have a couple of Marttiini leukus but not hand forged. Nice knives though! Bought them in Turku, Finland.

I can see I need to get some hand forged ones.
smile.gif



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Hoodoo

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
Hoodoo, You definitely need some. Hand forged leukus are of carbon steel if I didn't mention.

The little forged leuku is the only of my knives that has got good feedback from women: beautiful, cute, I want one... Still the handle is large enough for me compared to lynx that has too small handle.

You also need a forged large leuku. The handle is longer (about 2 cm) and not lacquered in total a lot better than the 'normal' one.

BTW my home town was Turku for 20 years.

[This message has been edited by Tommi (edited 22 November 1999).]
 
Tommi,

As a single guy, I appreciate anything that will give me an "edge" with women.
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I miss Turku (and Finland) big time. Love those little rice filled pies with egg butter. What were they called? Rissa Pirrikas or Karalian pies (I know I'm butchering this). I also REALLY miss the smoked Muikkua (again, I know I've screwed up the spelling), those little smoke whitefish that are so absolutely wonderful.

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Hoodoo

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
Hi!

My favorite puukko? It's got to be one of my leukus. Here is a small image of my puukkos. You can see a larger photo and some more detailed photos of these puukkos at my web-page (there is some additional info also, like lengths). Here's the small photo:
puukot_768x1024_p.jpg

The one I use nowadays is the large double leuku at the top. For use it's definately my favorite. The leuku in the middle is my all time favorite. I got it a long time ago. It had convex edge unlike the ones they make nowdays. I had to get the bigger one for chopping (the handle was too small in the old one). If I go camping I'll just take the double. Both leukus are by J.Marttiini. They are not the best knives you can get, but for the money, they are quite hard to beat. Handles are just great. The puukko on the bottom is the famous peltiveitsi from Iisakki Järvenpää. No, it is not famous like the Orcrist or the Glamdring.
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Hugo.

[This message has been edited by Hugo (edited 23 November 1999).]
 
Daniel Winkler makes a great Puukko.

[This message has been edited by Running Wolf (edited 23 November 1999).]
 
Hugo,

Those are some sweet looking knives. Looks, like that leuku in the middle has some really fine curly birch in the handle.

It's my understanding that no one really knows what makes curly birch curly. It's still one of those mysteries. What a beautiful mystery!

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Hoodoo

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
My era puukko from Roselli has a curly birch handle, also known as Arctic Birch. The unique grain is a result of the severe climate, I thought, but there may be some Finnish foresters out there who know better. Gorgeous stuff!
 
I have a small knife I bought in old town Stockholm.It has the initials PAB.I remeber the lady saying the maker was berg(sp?)Does anyone have info on this guy?Thanks
 
Alberta Ed,

Some of the experts on curly birch are close friends of mine from the Finnish Forest Research Institute at Punkaharju. The story I gave you is the one they told me about 4 years ago. If they don't know it, no one does, so it comes from an extremely reliable source. But I'm not sure what has changed over time. There is an insect involved but why a particular strain of birch, no one knows.

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Hoodoo

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
 
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