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- Aug 20, 2009
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- 2,907
Hello everyone!
I had two Marttiini Kätevä or Handy as its translated in my life. Both were old form Hnady knivs with oval shape handle and rat-tail tang. However both of them were destroyed by my brothers.
My very first true puukko was Handy that I got when I was 6. I abused it and used it well. My brother loaned it and destroyed it when I was 9. I got new one when I was 12 and told my brother to take old one for his car but he took the new one, which was less than two weeks old and busted its blade and tip beyond repair.
Handy is not hunter's puukko or puukko for carving. its a general purpouse utility puukko that was used to make kindling for sauna and peeling off potatoes. Its also very handy knife for kids first puukko due its short blade. Short blades makes it excellent for use where you need accuracy and blade control.
Now 18 years later I finally get new Handy. However changes are quite drastic: New handle type and material was changed rfrom straight birch into curly birch. Blade lengths is same but old Handy's blade seemed higher than this one also
Here's how old Handy looked like in collections of Finnish National Board fo Antiquetes online catalogue:
http://suomenmuseotonline.fi/en/koh...MM+3331:9?freetextSearch=puukko&itemIndex=376
Here's my New Handy:
Specs:
Whole length: 6,9" or 175mm
Blade length: 2,95" or 75mm
weight: I have to find scale for that.
Hnadle length: 3,93" or 100mm
Handle material: waxed curly birch
Blade material: Martiini Stainless Chrome steel @ 53-55 HRC according Marttiini. Usually pretty much 54 HRC when people have tested it.
Fit and finish are superb for $45 puukko (including shipping and taxes) Handy came scary sharp. Handy fits very snuggly into sheath. There's no fear that it would fall off accidently and there's plastic protection in sheeth to prevent blade cutting thru sheath if you fall on it.
Now it may look very like bit odd with short blade and long handle but its very comfortable to hold and in extensive use no problem. Now blade material is stainless chrome Marttiini has been used for ages. I am fan of their Carbon or Carbinox edges as they're harder and hold edges better. However Chrome steel is nearly maitenance free. In my uses wet and other conditions that would have made carbon steel crying, marttini's chrome steel stays clean and resist rust well.
Marttiini leaves their chrome blade softer than I generally like and that means edge holding is not best possible, however blade geometry is great and you can easily sharpen Handy way it was simply with strop and green compound. The blade material with scandi ground makes up more than well the softer steel.
My quick conclusion:
This is my 3rd Handy and handle is great. Its improvement of old ones that I had two and my friend has still one. I would need to try to get it for caomparision shot though. Handy is excellent utility fixed blade for those who look more traditional approach though getting it in the states might be relatively hard. I plan to use this as general utility puukko when going at my friends cabin with them, this will be very handy to use make kindlings, open packages and do everyday chores. Size and weight would makes this excellent puuko for kids aswell. Its non-offensive looking that is still capable of lot. Softer steel though means you need to be prepeare to sharpen it more often than high carbon blades. However keeping handy sharp is very easy with just a strop or just by a belt in woods or field conditions, unlike harder steels which may need diamond sharpener or at least good good ceramic sharpener. I've never had problems with rust in my Marttiini stainless chrome-steel blades. Even lighty salty water or putting it into sheath wet for few hours does very little.
As now, my scandi collection has grown with one. I am eyeying curly birch carbinox Marttiini now and I hope to put chrome steel vs. Carbinox sometimes thru a tests. How they fare in Finnish Summer.
I had two Marttiini Kätevä or Handy as its translated in my life. Both were old form Hnady knivs with oval shape handle and rat-tail tang. However both of them were destroyed by my brothers.
My very first true puukko was Handy that I got when I was 6. I abused it and used it well. My brother loaned it and destroyed it when I was 9. I got new one when I was 12 and told my brother to take old one for his car but he took the new one, which was less than two weeks old and busted its blade and tip beyond repair.
Handy is not hunter's puukko or puukko for carving. its a general purpouse utility puukko that was used to make kindling for sauna and peeling off potatoes. Its also very handy knife for kids first puukko due its short blade. Short blades makes it excellent for use where you need accuracy and blade control.
Now 18 years later I finally get new Handy. However changes are quite drastic: New handle type and material was changed rfrom straight birch into curly birch. Blade lengths is same but old Handy's blade seemed higher than this one also
Here's how old Handy looked like in collections of Finnish National Board fo Antiquetes online catalogue:
http://suomenmuseotonline.fi/en/koh...MM+3331:9?freetextSearch=puukko&itemIndex=376
Here's my New Handy:
Specs:
Whole length: 6,9" or 175mm
Blade length: 2,95" or 75mm
weight: I have to find scale for that.
Hnadle length: 3,93" or 100mm
Handle material: waxed curly birch
Blade material: Martiini Stainless Chrome steel @ 53-55 HRC according Marttiini. Usually pretty much 54 HRC when people have tested it.
Fit and finish are superb for $45 puukko (including shipping and taxes) Handy came scary sharp. Handy fits very snuggly into sheath. There's no fear that it would fall off accidently and there's plastic protection in sheeth to prevent blade cutting thru sheath if you fall on it.
Now it may look very like bit odd with short blade and long handle but its very comfortable to hold and in extensive use no problem. Now blade material is stainless chrome Marttiini has been used for ages. I am fan of their Carbon or Carbinox edges as they're harder and hold edges better. However Chrome steel is nearly maitenance free. In my uses wet and other conditions that would have made carbon steel crying, marttini's chrome steel stays clean and resist rust well.
Marttiini leaves their chrome blade softer than I generally like and that means edge holding is not best possible, however blade geometry is great and you can easily sharpen Handy way it was simply with strop and green compound. The blade material with scandi ground makes up more than well the softer steel.
My quick conclusion:
This is my 3rd Handy and handle is great. Its improvement of old ones that I had two and my friend has still one. I would need to try to get it for caomparision shot though. Handy is excellent utility fixed blade for those who look more traditional approach though getting it in the states might be relatively hard. I plan to use this as general utility puukko when going at my friends cabin with them, this will be very handy to use make kindlings, open packages and do everyday chores. Size and weight would makes this excellent puuko for kids aswell. Its non-offensive looking that is still capable of lot. Softer steel though means you need to be prepeare to sharpen it more often than high carbon blades. However keeping handy sharp is very easy with just a strop or just by a belt in woods or field conditions, unlike harder steels which may need diamond sharpener or at least good good ceramic sharpener. I've never had problems with rust in my Marttiini stainless chrome-steel blades. Even lighty salty water or putting it into sheath wet for few hours does very little.
As now, my scandi collection has grown with one. I am eyeying curly birch carbinox Marttiini now and I hope to put chrome steel vs. Carbinox sometimes thru a tests. How they fare in Finnish Summer.
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