Henri Tikkanen PUUKKO from FINLAND with bio info too

It’s lovely! Congratulations. Those end caps are a neat touch. Thanks for sharing it here.
 
RayseM said:
Hi folks - just have to share this - made for me puukko, newly arrived from Finland. The style is a Karjalan Puukko.

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Sounds like a real gentleman who excels at his craft.

This little lovely by Henri Tikkanen. I found his name as an "also mentioned" on another Puukko question thread and decided to email him as I have been very keen to purchase a working man's puukko. Didn't want spit shined and glossy - just good carbon steel, stacked birch bark handle and - why not? - Made IN FINLAND :D

I first contacted Henri by email at the end of September with a google translated English to Finnish email. He replied within a day in near perfect English. Over a few emails we discussed what I hoped for and by October 1, I had this one in my hand.

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By Henri's description (and on his certificate of authenticity) he explains:

"This Puukko Knife is based on Eastern-Karellian puukkos of Finnish National Museum. The knives it is based on are collected from region of Aunus, North- Western Russia, an area inhabited by Finno-Ugric Karelians. Karelian puukkos can be recognized from Finnish ones by their triangular profiled blades with upturned tips and sheaths with their own kind of simple yet beautiful decorations and shape.

Bolsters of this unique individual (in photos) are made from 2 Finnish 10 pennies from 1916, because (I asked :)) and by tradition Karelian traveling salesmen often traded goods with Finns and old coins became common features as end caps on Karelian puukkos.

Material of the blade is old spring steel of horse drawn harrow, made by traditional blacksmiths methods. Sheath is made strong barked leather with alder blade shield inside."

Overall length is 7 1/2" with a 3-1/2" blade. I asked Henri to keep the swell of the handle a little small and he accommodated my request very well.

This shows the very cool upturned tip.

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1916 coin bolster and on the other end too!

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Blade is flat on top but is full flat grind to the edge.

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This puukko turned out as everything I wanted. Price was excellent. Service was very fast and Henri was very willing to accommodate my requests and answer any questions. You folks would like Henri just fine :) :cool: - and his knives too.

Hope you enjoyed the share.

Cheers. Ray
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Wow that is soooooo nice. I love the character in the handle. Congrats on that fine knife!
 
That's very nice. I got my first puukko a week or two ago now and I think I'm going have to get a few more. I've liked that look of them for a while but stuck to the more traditional bushcraft knives from US makers but there's such a different character to the Scandinavian puukko.

Nice pictures and description of the buying process.
 
Beautiful knife and I enjoyed reading your story - thanks!

mqqn
 
Thank all for the enthusiasm :thumbsup: I'm really loving the birch bark handle - warm, grippy and ever so slightly giving (not a good description but I lack the word - resilient implies too spongy).

Anyway - great knife!

Ray
 
I have been really wanting a puuko like yours, shes a beauty, thanks for sharing
 
Very nice puukko. I love the coin integrated into it. Love the stacked birch too.
 
Thanks for sharing your story & photos. I’m a fixed blade guy and puukkos are my favorite variety of fixed blade knife. I just had to view this thread when seeing its subject. Congratulations on a very handsome looking knife.
 
Congrats I bet that cuts great
G2
 
Something about the Puukko that just says "Bushcraft." I've mainly used Moras, but think I'll have to get myself a Puukko. That and a ferro rod, and we're good to go.
 
Looks like a very refined beast of a working knife right there! Ruggedly gorgeous.
 
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