Me and my Puukko's

thejamppa

thejamppa

Joined
Aug 20, 2009
Messages
2,907
Hello everyone!

As I am a Finn, puukko's are something close to me, more than ever now as member of blade forums. I've had many puukkos in my life, ranging from cheap but good Mora's into more expensive puukko's.

I've sold many, trade few and given away few but I still got plenty puukko's. I love Swedish Mora as their bring good puukko's for very affordable price and quality for price is superb. I love Norwegian Helle as they use good steel and laminations. Plenty great models.

But Finnish puukko in my humble opinion is quite different beast. While Mora and Helle (and other big firms) in Scandinavia and Iisakki Järvenpää and Marttiini in Finland are big firms that make excellent puukko's, I think the true essence of real puukko are born in in two places: small shops in Finnish municpal of Kauhava. Kauhava is the puukko place to be. Their crest has puukko and they got plenty small shops working many puukko's. Usually few man or family business.

Simo Passi puukko that I had but sold it was one of those. Beautifully made Finnish puukko by a craftsman of Kauhava. I got another Passi in order as I found good deal.

and another place is muncipal Kainuu, more north and closer to eastern border than kauhava. Kainuu county. In Kainuu they make the classic TOmmi puukko a jewel I haven't had money yet to purchase as real Tommi's cost alot but its one thing I dream to own.

I got my first own puukko when I was 8. Ever since I've had one puukko and when my older brothers either destroyed their sheaths or abused their tips broken and edges shattered I got new one.

For long time I had single puukko that was my companion. Now its well over 12 years old made in Kivimäki (Stone hill) family in Kauhava. Its so worn these days that I should thin out the blade to make it cut as deep as it used to cut but in 12 years it survived numerous camping, my military training, batoning, twisting prying and quite hard other type of abuse (like temporary stepping stone for tree in army) cutting metal wire and dig dirt. Its still all solid tool.

I never thought much about puukko's when I used them. After joining this forum and getting bunch of knives I started to realize how great design puukko is in woodcraft and bushcraft. I always took it for granted as Finn. Having bunch of high quality knives to compeare puukko's I've owned and I own I've come to appreciate greatly my puukko's and I enjoy using them now way more than I did. I hope sometimes that I get kids of whom I canpass down my old companion which has become kinda lucky tool for me. I got another user puukko while ago that I use now (and I ordered another to have again Simo Passi puukko) and try to save my old companion but he still gets alot time to use. Its hard for me to put my old trusty friend into retirement, even he doesn't cut so deeply. I don't really have time, expertise nor tools to thin out blade that it would need for deeper bite, so I got another puukko that performs brilliantly.

My new user stacked leather and high carbon puukko from Kauhava:
DSC_6140.jpg


This is my old companion in which I hope sometimes to pass down my own kids if I ever get kids:
DSCF4194.jpg
 
Interesting Jani,If you would trust the mail service and my meager talent,id be happy to reprofile and sharpen your treasured Puukko Knife for no charge.But i would think those knife shops you speak of would do it for very little money.It appears to have plenty of good steel to work with.Oh,and your new one is a real beauty.:thumbup::D
 
Thanks Don, I wouldn't call your talents meager at any scale ;)
 
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Two fine knives!

I also like Puukkos.
I have what Ragar @ Ragweed calls Wood Jewel Knives.
When I look @ Brisa they come up as Kauhava knives.
Which is it?
They are with bone at the beggining and end of the handle with the bone as a crown at the end.
I am in the process of grinding down to come to a very small secondary grind.

I also have a Helle Harmoni, it has a very full well designed handle with a sandwitch laminated blade. Very sharp and very comfortable to use.

And a Mora #2 in a sandwitch laminated blade.

They are all very sharp and are great woods knives.
 
I'll repost the one Jani gifted me last year. It's a very fine knife with no bells and whistles to get in the way of using it as intended.

shortpuukko.jpg


Ed J
 
Nice puuko's there Jani. I still have the one that I won in your giveaway late last year. Very nice and much appreciated. I use it from time to time, but it's too nice to get all messed up. I have it sitting on my desk in my man-cave. Will be taking it afield when turkey season starts. Thanks again....Paul
 
Beautiful puukkos, Jani. I too am fond of Scandinavian knives, especially Finnish puukkos. In my opinion, they are among the most practical and useful knives ever created.
 
So Jani...that second knife you show, that is they knife you had in the Army right? I remember that from an earlier post. I think that is so great that you can have your own knife in the Army in Finland. That is true up to a point in the US Military but is not really a tradition, just a necessary thing...especially in Afghanistan and places like that.

That looks a lot like a Kellam. Those are fairly readily availably here in the US from the Internet. Oddly, Ragweedforge, the American go to place for Scandinavian and Finnish knives, doesn't carry Kellam...but they have Iisakki Jarvenpaa and Helle and Mora etc.

I too love the Puukko. I have many Moras. I have an Iisakki Leuku and a Roselli hunter. I plan to pick up Iisakki Puukkos (maybe the two piece set) or a Kellam soom.

Thanks for sharing your story,
 
HoosierQ said:
That looks a lot like a Kellam. Those are fairly readily availably here in the US from the Internet. Oddly, Ragweedforge, the American go to place for Scandinavian and Finnish knives, doesn't carry Kellam...but they have Iisakki Jarvenpaa and Helle and Mora etc.
Click to expand...

Not so odd. IIRC Kellam is a combination of the Kellokoski (owners of Kellam Knives) and America.

- Christian
 
Great knives, one of my favorite designs. Have the large and small Tapio Wirkkala design. Great users. Would like to get some of the older, more traditional ones.
 
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