Malanika CPM M4 Puukko Ongoing Review ( videos, pictures)

[DeadboxHero]

Intro

[YouTube]3TNt1647Zjw[/YouTube]



Out of box sharpness from Daniel via 1k,6k king stones
[YouTube]km26wcGSDT0[/YouTube]

Overnighter in the mountains, field use

[YouTube]ivK8B70EhTA[/YouTube]

After action report


[YouTube]qviCjIJqYxk[/YouTube]

Maintenance on CPM M4

[YouTube]pMj86hlB33M[/YouTube]


Axe handle carving (practice) and comparison to other Puukkos

[YouTube]ulXUc4CFyGw[/YouTube]

How is the edge after all these videos?

[YouTube]_fjMHgS8rps[/YouTube]

How well does the edge strop after use?


[YouTube]SOxOxhidpM0[/YouTube]

How well does CPM M4 sharpen?

[YouTube]Vhe2bjFUfVc[/YouTube]


Wrap up

[YouTube]ssmMtwN9AoY[/YouTube]



I'm still working on the pictures and a write up.

I'll post soon 😂😂

 

[Rockywolf]

Been following this on your YouTube channel. Great knife. I own several of his knives and am hoping for more of this steel to come out.

 

[Mistwalker]

Very Nice. I really like Daniel's work. I was just messaging him to see if he would be open to the idea of doing a slightly modified Finish Puukko with a slight swell on the lower side of the hilt. For me any knife with the profile of a spike, that doesn't have at least a slight speed bump between the handle and the edge is going to be a fair-weather-only knife for me, and I live and work in a temperate rain forest

 

[dogrunner]

I share that concern, particularly because I am out in very cold temps and wear mittens or gloves that don't necessarily provide a lot of traction. I know this will be sacrilege to some, but my ugly solution to this is to wrap a few layers of hockey tape around the hilt to make a modest hand guard to give a little resistance (both because it creates a bump and because it creates some drag). I hope mine is already on its way so he does not change his mind Most of the handle will still be as delivered of course.

 

[DeadboxHero]

Very Nice. I really like Daniel's work. I was just messaging him to see if he would be open to the idea of doing a slightly modified Finish Puukko with a slight swell on the lower side of the hilt. For me any knife with the profile of a spike, that doesn't have at least a slight speed bump between the handle and the edge is going to be a fair-weather-only knife for me, and I live and work in a temperate rain forest

Howdy Brian,

It's not that spiky

It has a subtle swell to it already







I wouldn't change anything

I share that concern, particularly because I am out in very cold temps and wear mittens or gloves that don't necessarily provide a lot of traction. I know this will be sacrilege to some, but my ugly solution to this is to wrap a few layers of hockey tape around the hilt to make a modest hand guard to give a little resistance (both because it creates a bump and because it creates some drag). I hope mine is already on its way so he does not change his mind Most of the handle will still be as delivered of course.

You should be fine


I've used it with gloves, no issues.

 

[Frederick89]

Barrel handles on puukkos usually tend to have teardrop section and to be slightly tapered in both height and thickness, at both ends. It may sound strange but, once grasped, it's a self locking handle, that nevertheless keeps a great liveliness in the hand and allows for the best controll, whatever the knife grip. It's the kind of handle that feels like it melts in the palm.

 

[spyken]

I want one but in CPM3V or M390. Next round perhaps?

Corrosion resistance is a must for me.

 

[mete]

Spyken CPM 3V is not stainless though it has enough stuff in it to make it somewhat resistant to rusting . Normal care is all you need !

 

[Mistwalker]

Howdy Brian,

It's not that spiky

It has a subtle swell to it already

I wouldn't change anything

Hi Shon,

Oh, I know. It's very nice. It's not really an issue with the knife I have, or nature for that matter. I'm certainly not knocking Daniel's work in any way. He does gorgeous work. I have a few nice knives with no real guard to speak of, or serious forward swell at all. But I have a form of PTS that left me with trust issues with people and life in general. So when I carry them I always have to back them up with something with a little different focus to the design in order to relax and enjoy the day out

Lately I have been seeking out less military looking models that I can carry for my work in the field that still offer some of the same attributes that will allow me to carry less and still be more relaxed while I am out.

I like Daniel's style very much, so thought it was worth asking him if he was willing to try a variant, but he isn't interested in the idea. I still love his traditional Finnish Puukkos, so I will likely add one later when I have a chance, after I find all the knives I want for my work. It would be perfect for another project I am working on. I do almost exclusively hand made knives these days, so finding the right makers for the knives I need takes time, and the cost is higher, so they come fewer and farther between. But nicer and more personalized to me.

This is one Kyle VerSteeg made for me for this project

 

[DeadboxHero]

Hi Shon,

Oh, I know. It's very nice. It's not really an issue with the knife I have, or nature for that matter. I'm certainly not knocking Daniel's work in any way. He does gorgeous work. I have a few nice knives with no real guard to speak of, or serious forward swell at all. But I have a form of PTS that left me with trust issues with people and life in general. So when I carry them I always have to back them up with something with a little different focus to the design in order to relax and enjoy the day out

Lately I have been seeking out less military looking models that I can carry for my work in the field that still offer some of the same attributes that will allow me to carry less and still be more relaxed while I am out.

I like Daniel's style very much, so thought it was worth asking him if he was willing to try a variant, but he isn't interested in the idea. I still love his traditional Finnish Puukkos, so I will likely add one later when I have a chance, after I find all the knives I want for my work. It would be perfect for another project I am working on. I do almost exclusively hand made knives these days, so finding the right makers for the knives I need takes time, and the cost is higher, so they come fewer and farther between. But nicer and more personalized to me.

This is one Kyle VerSteeg made for me for this project

I completely understand Brian.

[YouTube]ktPC3ydy-CY[/YouTube]

But it shouldn't be an issue.

There are some really cool things to research too

Such the "Puukkojunkkari" basically cowboy outlaws in Finland with Puukkos thenstead of Colt 45s



Also the "Winter war" which pitted the under equipped Finnish Ski commandos against the massive Russian army.


And just for fun check out "half swording"





That Kyle VerSteeg is a beauty!

I look forward to your projects

And it goes without saying I'm am huge fan of your detailed reviews

 

[Mistwalker]

I completely understand Brian.

That Kyle VerSteeg is a beauty!

I look forward to your projects

And it goes without saying I'm am huge fan of your detailed reviews

Thanks man.

One is sort of a crazy art project I am working on that has a Tolkienesque theme to it. I definitely want to get one or two of Daniels knives involved in it. I will talk to him after the first of the year. It's a pretty extensive project. I have had, and am having made, custom crockery, plates, and bowls by a local artisan who is a neighbor, custom cuts of meats and custom sausages, custom bottles of honey, mead, wine, and beer. I am making some custom tables and cutting boards, having a couple of custom packs and garmets made, and I am using knives made by craftsmen whose work I admire. It is going to be quite an extensive project. These are some of the test shots from checking out ideas and various colors to know what I want to make and have made.

Ok, I'll go away and stop munging up your thread now . I'll go studdy Daniels photos and figure out what wood I will need on the handle. Other than the ivory G10, I am going with all organic handle materials in this project. Daniel certainly does some gorgeous wooden handles!!

.

 

[DeadboxHero]

Right on, Thanks Brian, good luck with your project




Alright time to start this review!

It's always daunting to start these reviews

Ill just start with what I was doing yesterday

My gracious friend allowed me to use his high grit,very expensive high end chosera waterstones

I was curious to see how CPM M4 behaves with such a high polish with such a high amount of carbide volume.

I started on the last stone I own and used before
The chosera 3k



I then moved up to the chosera 5k





The 5k is unusual in the chosera series, it needs a light soak compared to the splash and go on the other stones.



It's a great feeling stone, rockhard but great feedback low dish and minimum load up. Builds more mud the the 3k

Here is the edge after


Next up is the 10k Chosera

Wow, what a mysterious stone.
What I mean is it leaves an insane polish but can still raise a burr!

Too expensive for me to own. $250

But I would truly need to own this stone to master it's capabilities

What a conundrum

First, a short soak

Then I use a Naniwa stone flattener to level the surface and build a slurry.






Again great feedback, you can really feel it cut the M4.
But the M4 is definitely not as fast cutting on the stone as plain carbon steel.





One of the most challenging aspects of Sharpening on high grit stones is preventing apex rounding.

Basically the edge is still very sharp but not as sharp as it could be

This has to do with angle consistency and if you want to treetop hair and slice paper you have to have a clean apex without rounding.



You can see that the stone is cutting the steel but not as good as a plain carbon steel.


Yet, the desired results are achieved




[YouTube]GbSqVAV3ISs[/youtube]

Haha I'll share more later.

Shawn

 

[DeadboxHero]

Went to the woodpit today to brush up my wood processing skills for my next wilderness camping trip.

A Puukko is a perfect companion to an axe which is the best tool for serious wood processing.



Wood can be broken down to Puukko sizes








This is what it's all about, when the rain comes this will be the only tender available.




The cpm m4 shreds especially with such a thin rhomboid geometry.



Notch carving is a breeze as well, very nimble without any guard or finger grooves or choils to inhibit use and manipulation.


Batoning can be done but it must be done intelligently. Knot free smaller pieces. While possessing relative toughness the blade is still at 63hrc!
Of course there are some cool techniques with using wooden wedges to split bigger pieces of wood we'll have to check out later.



Using a chest lever technique the knife just keeps cutting



Really separates the wood



Cuts it in half




Killer geometry for wood



We'll check out more later.

Also I want to geek out about CPM M4 with you guys some more

Next time

 

[dogrunner]

great thread !

 

[mycough]

Just curious what made you want to go to 10k with M4? Also, not totally up on your project, what was the heat treat at?


Russ

 

[DeadboxHero]

Just curious what made you want to go to 10k with M4? Also, not totally up on your project, what was the heat treat at?


Russ

Why 10k?

Why not hahaha!

Heat treatment is 63hrc with cryo.

What do you want to know?

 

[Comprehensivist]

Hey Shawn,

I just want to say thanks for all the time and effort you put into this review and all the useful videos. The sharpening and blade care videos are particularly useful to me because I own two of Daniel's wonderful Puukkos now.

I hope you continue to follow your passion with knives and posting your comments about them for us to learn from.

Thanks,

Phil

 

[DeadboxHero]

Hey Shawn,

I just want to say thanks for all the time and effort you put into this review and all the useful videos. The sharpening and blade care videos are particularly useful to me because I own two of Daniel's wonderful Puukkos now.

I hope you continue to follow your passion with knives and posting your comments about them for us to learn from.

Thanks,

Phil

Thanks Phil, I really appreciate it brother.

 

[mete]

Here's my question Shawn. That stone is very soft .Is it really appropriate with a steel like CPM M4 ? would it be better to use a very fine alumina stone ?
My old question also - make a burr then remove it ?? Why bother making one , then removing it ? Just do fine hand work to bring it to a great edge. I'd still like a logical answer to that without " everybody does it " or " you have to do it that way " WHY ? My sharpening was mostly self taught as a little kid [wood carving at 7 years old ! ] We know today that it takes very little to damage the edge from heat with machines .We also know that a thin sharp edge can actually be bent forming a burr with enough downward force. So gentile hand work to make a burrless edge. Explain that guys !

 

[DeadboxHero]

Here's my question Shawn. That stone is very soft .Is it really appropriate with a steel like CPM M4 ? would it be better to use a very fine alumina stone ?
My old question also - make a burr then remove it ?? Why bother making one , then removing it ? Just do fine hand work to bring it to a great edge. I'd still like a logical answer to that without " everybody does it " or " you have to do it that way " WHY ? My sharpening was mostly self taught as a little kid [wood carving at 7 years old ! ] We know today that it takes very little to damage the edge from heat with machines .We also know that a thin sharp edge can actually be bent forming a burr with enough downward force. So gentile hand work to make a burrless edge. Explain that guys !

That stone is actually incredibly hard, it's a Naniwa Chosera or "professional" stone it is packed with ceramic abrasives with a magnesia binder.

Notthing like the muddy "clay" stones

It's one of the few high grit stones that can actually raise a detectable burr on.

There are alot of secrets to this stone in particular because of its usual qualities. But it's not in my budget and is very specialty.


As for burr making.

That's the only way to make the sharpest edge possible.

Fatigued metal is abraded away

And fresh steel is revealed.

The burr confirms the apex point has been created and damaged steel is removed.

The burr is fatigued and removed leaving a crisp V apex that can tree top hair, and cut paper towel.


That's the only way to get the sharpest edge possible consistently and timely.

I honestly wish I could get the same results with out forming a burr.

But without a burr the apex is like a ballpoint pen. It will never be as sharp and the only way to make it sharper is to form a new apex with a burr.

I can understand the reluctantly to from a burr.

It's difficult to remove and there are pitfalls such as a "foil edge" as well as removing too much steel.

Again with the proper understanding and techniques burr removing is a non issue.

As for removing more steel, that is why a small burr is created.

It removes less steel to keep your knife sharp as well rather then waiting until a knife too dull to cut.



Also we can only strop and hone for so long before it's time to Sharpen a new apex.




Here are some resources this gentleman is mostly focused on straight razors but he has access to an electron microscope and has great sharpening knowledge.

https://scienceofsharp.wordpress.com




Here is a picture of a pocket knife edge after sharpening on a ceramic abrasive like the Spyderco fine ceramic.