Leukko

[Jimbo]

I got a leukko blade from Ragnar at: http://www.ragweedforge.com
- great guy to deal with!
The knife is working out fine, but I would like to know some details of the history and development of these knives - I haven't been able to find out very much.
Anybody know details?
Anybody interested in a review of a heavy duty Scandinavian knife?

 

[judge]

Check out this lapinleuku, it´s a little bigger

: http://www.marttiini.fi/puukot/english/product.asp?sku=280010
Very light, fast blade for its size, I like it very much.
I´m sorry I can´t offer any substantial info about leukus, but I´d be very interested in a review of yours cause I only know the Marttiini lapinleukus.


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"Peace is not without conflict; it is the ability to cope with conflict" - Leo Giron

 

[Tommi]

I have some knowledge and experience with leukus. There are some that know more as allways...

I've had four/five depending on way to define leuku. Destroyed one while throwing it - separated handle from edge.
I've lost two and both in same day

but it was 10 years ago.

Now I have Marttiini Arctic Lapp knife / leuku and Marttiini hand forged little leuku. The little leuku is actually a puukko with leuku style handle. Pics in my page below hawkbills. Pics are quite large and may take time to load as there are no thumbnails. http://www.hut.fi/~renkku/puukko.html). Another forumite has large but thumbnailed pics. http://www.hut.fi/~hugo/knives/puukko.html

Leuku has been the choise of big bladed tool for lapps for centuries. Like most traditional knives it has evolved to the shape - its not developed by one/some person/s. It has been around in this shape quite a while. In Lapp museum in Inari(or Ivalo) leukus from 18th and 19th century looked like the ones made today (but most had bone handles and no notchs for index finger). Some blades were sharpened like my leuku - like puukkos are sharpened - some had convex grind. Blade lenght was from 15 cm to 25 cm. One must remember that Lapps are smaller and in old days were yet smaller than standard Finnish man (180 cm). I guess that standard Lapp man was about 160 cm tall when those museum leukus were made.

Lapps live in Scandinavin tundra(Some used to live souther but Finnish and Swedish people pushed them norther in 16th and 17th century) where big trees are nonexistent. Leuku is able to cut alpine birch down easily like small billhook. Going light they didn't take axes with them while following their reindeer flocks. It is also good tool for butchering and skinnig (because of tip shape) reindeer.
Now it is favorite among snowmobilists and all that hike in Lappland.