- Joined
- Jun 16, 2003
- Messages
- 20,207
This for puukko addicts.
No reflection on quality, just some word on "authorship," if you please.
YP
When well-known puukko and puukko blade maker Yrjö Puronvarsi retired a few years ago, his grandson Antti Mäkinen took over the business in 2006. Antii marked his blades with the identical "YP" mark that Yrjö had used. There was considerable publicity about this change in maker for the famous "YP" blades, but, given the identical mark and the grandfather's understandable influence on his grandson's blades, it is problematic to determine whose blade you see on the secondary market. An added complication is that Yrjö, born in 1927, continues to make blades part time. I have two puukot that I ordered from Antti, and I am pleased with both.
MK
I ordered a puukko made by Mauno Keränen. He was not as noteworthy as Yrjö Puronvarsi, but was a known quality after ten years of making puukot. He also taught blade-making at a local trade/craft school. I saw pictures of his work on line and wanted one of his puukot. The retailer I ordered from, Lamnia, had an excellent reputation. I had four good experiences ordering from them before. They replied that they were out of stock, but would give me a chance to order again when they were back in stock. Months passed. Lamnia sent word that the Mauno Keränen puukko I wanted was in stock. I ordered and paid, and a puukko arrived from Finland in three days. It had the MK mark. The invoice said "Mauno Keränen puukko." The tag, however, said it was made by Timo Mäkeläinen. Some research turned up the following (Strange grammar and syntax by Google Translate.):
"The desire to do this was inspired by Mauno Kerä[nen] to set up his own company, Manu Pajan in Suomussalmi in 1986.
...
Today, with a long day job, Mauno Keränen has been thinking of giving time to hobbies and giving Timo Mäkeläinen more responsibility. Timo has been interested in doing the work already since being small, learning about different jobs from his father and father maintaining the traditions of craftsmanship.
Manu Pama's products and activities / working methods have been interested [probably interesting to Timo] since the early 2000s, and so Timo has been a member of the Mauno family for more than a dozen years of apprenticeship. When Mauno left the work of the teacher at the Kianta College and when the teaching [position] came to Toma [sic], the idea of continuing Manu Paja was born. Mergers will be completed during the summer of 2017."
So I asked Lamnia who made my MK puukko. After two days, Lamnia replied that Timo had made the puukko, and offered to take it back, paying for return shipment. It appears, that as with YP, MK is now a company brand and not an indication that Mauno Keränen made any part of the puukko.
Timo may turn out to be a famous puukkoseppa, a Reino Kankasnpaa or Eetu Heikkinen, or even a
puukkoseppämestari (master puukko maker) like Jukka Hankala, but he will never be the maker of the puukko that I bought, Mauno Keränen. I cannot find a single comment on Timo's work.
So marks cannot be relied upon to pin down who made a given blade on the secondary market.
mso-ansi-language:EN">
No reflection on quality, just some word on "authorship," if you please.
YP
When well-known puukko and puukko blade maker Yrjö Puronvarsi retired a few years ago, his grandson Antti Mäkinen took over the business in 2006. Antii marked his blades with the identical "YP" mark that Yrjö had used. There was considerable publicity about this change in maker for the famous "YP" blades, but, given the identical mark and the grandfather's understandable influence on his grandson's blades, it is problematic to determine whose blade you see on the secondary market. An added complication is that Yrjö, born in 1927, continues to make blades part time. I have two puukot that I ordered from Antti, and I am pleased with both.
MK
I ordered a puukko made by Mauno Keränen. He was not as noteworthy as Yrjö Puronvarsi, but was a known quality after ten years of making puukot. He also taught blade-making at a local trade/craft school. I saw pictures of his work on line and wanted one of his puukot. The retailer I ordered from, Lamnia, had an excellent reputation. I had four good experiences ordering from them before. They replied that they were out of stock, but would give me a chance to order again when they were back in stock. Months passed. Lamnia sent word that the Mauno Keränen puukko I wanted was in stock. I ordered and paid, and a puukko arrived from Finland in three days. It had the MK mark. The invoice said "Mauno Keränen puukko." The tag, however, said it was made by Timo Mäkeläinen. Some research turned up the following (Strange grammar and syntax by Google Translate.):
"The desire to do this was inspired by Mauno Kerä[nen] to set up his own company, Manu Pajan in Suomussalmi in 1986.
...
Today, with a long day job, Mauno Keränen has been thinking of giving time to hobbies and giving Timo Mäkeläinen more responsibility. Timo has been interested in doing the work already since being small, learning about different jobs from his father and father maintaining the traditions of craftsmanship.
Manu Pama's products and activities / working methods have been interested [probably interesting to Timo] since the early 2000s, and so Timo has been a member of the Mauno family for more than a dozen years of apprenticeship. When Mauno left the work of the teacher at the Kianta College and when the teaching [position] came to Toma [sic], the idea of continuing Manu Paja was born. Mergers will be completed during the summer of 2017."
So I asked Lamnia who made my MK puukko. After two days, Lamnia replied that Timo had made the puukko, and offered to take it back, paying for return shipment. It appears, that as with YP, MK is now a company brand and not an indication that Mauno Keränen made any part of the puukko.
Timo may turn out to be a famous puukkoseppa, a Reino Kankasnpaa or Eetu Heikkinen, or even a
puukkoseppämestari (master puukko maker) like Jukka Hankala, but he will never be the maker of the puukko that I bought, Mauno Keränen. I cannot find a single comment on Timo's work.
So marks cannot be relied upon to pin down who made a given blade on the secondary market.
mso-ansi-language:EN">
