Guard on a puukko?

J

JohanB

Joined
Apr 11, 2004
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67
What do you think about the idea ?

Would it look silly? Do you think it could get popular ?

Thanks in advance,

JB
 
Ragweed forge has several puukkos with guards.

Here's one with a metal double guard:

http://www.ragweedforge.com/90-184.jpg


He also sells some brass and nickel silver guards for knife making.


I can see if you were doing any serious stabbing motions with some of the puukkos the potential for some nasty cuts. Especially on ones like my Mora where the edge extends beyond the ferrule.

On the other hand, a guard can get in the way, especially in food preparation on a cutting board.

I guess it just depends on how you're going to use it.


PS: Gorgeous knives on your website, by the way.
 
I agree that the use of the knife dictates the need of a guard. If you need something with a guard, maybe try one of the Marbles hunters.
 
Ive seen those knives Sharpthangs. I can get them for 11 dollars over here on a local shop.

I might try to make a knife and see if it sells :)

Btw, thanks for the replies, and thanks for the comment on the knives on my website :)
 
Before I would go for a guard on a puukko, I would consider a finger choil or slight shaping of the handle. I think the simple design is one of the puukko's strengths.
 
Fingerguard doesn't belong in puukko. It doesn't need one and they don't look good. Here in Finland only boyscoutpuukkos has double guards and somepeople like me thing they aren't real puukkos. I think the sameway as DRM if it has a guard it's not a puukko. Still same makers make guards, even Mora puukkos has startered to have guards, that is something I don't like a bit.
 
That's true... you can't call it a puukko.... but I've used one before, and how most of them have a palm swell that kind of coasts INTO the blade edge...

... I have no problem calling it a "sharp knife" instead of a "puukko" and retaining my fingers, rather than calling it a "puukko" and be missing functionality in my index finger.

Those things are sharp. And the handles are slippery as hell. I have no idea how people use them and not cut themselves on a regular basis.

Maybe they're only used for draw cuts?? Even in the kitchen, I do a lot of forward push slicing (chopping) and I usually choke up right into the drop/heel of the blade.

-j
 
Erik and DRM are right. The pukko doesn't have a guard on purpose. It allows the knife to be used, "choked up" for more EDC type chores. For a pukko, I bet guards have been added as a "safety" function to help those who need the extra protection.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Before I would go for a guard on a puukko, I would consider a finger choil or slight shaping of the handle. I think the simple design is one of the puukko's strengths.
Click to expand...


I'm with Esav, I love the fact that the knife sits in the sheath without a strap and they are fairly secure, the only time I've even heard abot one being lost was when I found a sheath to one dangling from a beautiful 7 ft wormwood herding staff :cool: in the country, on a side road,(must have belonged to an irate sheep dude who threw it at something to chase it away) I still have the sheath and the staff :) , I wonder what happened to the sheep herder? :confused:
 
Ok, maybe i must continue making normal ones then. BUT i will make a knife or two with a tactical style guard. Wonder how that would look ? :)
 
A knife that gets used wet, bloody, or with frozen hands needs something to stop your fingers from slipping onto the edge. A single-sided finger guard actually helps when you want to choke up on the blade. I would never use a basic puuko as a hunting knife. I wouldn't use one as a survival knife either. It's nice around the homestead, but I wouldn't want to depend on one. They make nice novelties and fashion accessories.
 
Like Eerik said; traditionally puukkos don't have guards here in Finland.

A puukko with a guard is a bit like a totally round tip on a blade. Both make the knife safer, but are unnecessary for people who know how to work with a puukko.
 
Glasgow_kiss said:
A puukko with a guard is a bit like a totally round tip on a blade. Both make the knife safer, but are unnecessary for people who know how to work with a puukko.
Click to expand...

Ok, I'll bite.

How, and with what duties, does one use a puukko correctly?

I obviously don't know how, and that's why I'm leery to use one. Even when dry, I found myself creeping forward toward the ricasso and past when in light duty.

I've heard of tucking the butt into your palm, preventing the knife from sliding forward, but I can't get that technique to work for me with the puukko I've tried.

Thanks,

-j
 
biogon,

nowadays a lot of commercially made puukkos have a slippery varnish applied on the wood. This is really bad if you want to use your puukko with wet hands, so it's best to get one with a wax or oil coating on the wood. The handle of the puukko should be more or less the same size as the width of your palm. With a correct size handle, you can tuck the butt in to your palm if you need to. Another tip would be to use your thumb on the blade for added control at times.

There are a lot of ways to use a puukko depending on what you are using it for. It might be also good to keep in mind that most adult men in Finland have used a guardless puukko for utility chores all their life and naturally are pretty good at not cutting themselves with it. The only safety tip I was given as a child was "don't whittle towards yourself". :)
 
True there Glasgow kiss. I got the same tip when i was younger aswell "don't whittle towards yourself" :D
 
I have a number of Finnish knives, like the Ranger puukko (sissipuukko) with a shaped rubber handle, and the leuku & puukko set that Ragnar sells.

Since these blades are so sharp, I usually push cut through food, or alternate a draw cut with a push cut, say, when slicing up a tomato or onion. It's not like I'm going to forget I have a knife in my hand, or which edge is sharp.

The sissipuukko won't let my hand slip forward, that's different from the traditional, simpler handles, but that knife was designed for survival and combat.

With the others, it's a matter of familiarity. Like the man said, "most adult men in Finland have used a guardless puukko for utility chores all their life and naturally are pretty good at not cutting themselves". What keeps you from cutting yourself with a slipjoint, like a stockman, or a trapper?
 
I use puukkos for everything from moosehunt to konstruktion work. This type of knife runs strong in the Swedich knifeheritage. If you are used to them from childhood the grip comes naturaly. Last year I cut myself working inside a moosebelly with a Martini Lappinleuku. It got slippery bekause of varnich and I cut the indexfinger. Not bad though. With cold hands and a lot of fish to clean the slipperyness also can be obvious. But as I said its part of a herritage so I live with what I consider a wery small risk to realy hurt myself. The dangler cheat style is very good when its not used. Besides I always considered the "other" hand the risky one.
 
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