OT: Project "Po' Boy Puukko"

Sarge,

As soon as I read your post I returned to a second hand store I had visited recently and picked up 12 old files for $10.

I finished my first file knife today, per your method. It looks nothing like yours. I used a section of antler for a handle.

I appreciate more now your skill in grinding. Excellent job! I ground the file down somewhat so it doesn't catch on things, but decided not to expend the effort to grind off all trace of the lines. It is quite evident that my knife used to be a file. I left the "Nichelson" and "mill bastard" markings on the base too.

I just baked my file in the oven at 500 degrees for 20 min or so, and then cooled it in lukewarm water. I'm not sure how brittle it is, but time will tell.

Thank you for taking the time to post your method.
 
Originally posted by Howard Wallace
Sarge,

I just baked my file in the oven at 500 degrees for 20 min or so, and then cooled it in lukewarm water. I'm not sure how brittle it is, but time will tell.

Thank you for taking the time to post your method.
Click to expand...

Howard what color was the blade after you baked it?

Somehow 20 minutes doesn't seem quite long enough and 500 degrees seems a bit high, but all ovens aren't the same which is why an accurate thermometer is recommended for use when drawing the temper.
I usually draw for an hour and then let the blade air cool.
 
Originally posted by Howard Wallace
Note the notches in the tangs of the KJ Erikson blades. If the tangs don't already have notches I usually grind a couple in to give the epoxy a better grip.

There are some very good Skandanavian stainless steel blades also, also very inexpensive. A good selection of these blades is available from http://www.ragweedforge.com/BladeCatalog.html . Some of them come blister packed on cards, with the little hole in the top for hanging the card on a peg. They create images in my mind of a kind of local hardware store where it might not be unusual for someone to come in and buy a knife blade for hafting.
Click to expand...

Ragnar seems to have a great guy running it. However, here is the biggest selection of build it yourself Scandinavian blades I've seen. Plus, tons of other knife making stuff including some marvelous wood for handles. I know nothing about the seller so you're on your own.
http://www.brisa.fi/start3.html
 
"What's the shipping costs from Finland?"

Site now says flat rate of 10 euro to US. Dunno if any fees get assessed by customs though.
 
Originally posted by firkin
"What's the shipping costs from Finland?"
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This is why I lamented losing Gary Harjus. His site and the brisa.fl site were the same - in fact he helped Gary set his up.

...Gary lived in the US, so no international shipping costs. I need to get back in touch with him. Maybe he's got some new contact information...
 
Well, Brisa's costs for shipping to the US are less than shipping to Europe!

As I recall it used to say free for orders over about $100 to US. I guess that they save something by not having to deal with VAT on US shipments.

In any case, thier prices seem pretty good...looks like the Lauri series range in price from about 3-16 euro, about the same as you said Harjus was charging. The new progression-tempered Luari puukko blade with edge at 61-62 RC for 11.5 euro seems intriguing.

Wouldn't be that hard to put together an order where the 10 euro shipping cost wasn't a big deal, if one had the money to spend.

I just don't know what the potential hassles/added fees of customs might be. Though I guess one never does.

EDIT:

Hmmm, this interesting store in Germany charges a LOT more for shipping to the US.

http://www.fine-tools.com/index.htm

But of most interest is the the fact that they say:

"We already shipped many packages to the USA and for the most of them there is no request for payment of duty. Up to now it was reported only one time that U. S. customs was charged. This customer wrote us: "...that the U.S. Customs charge 5 % on the value of shipment plus $ 5.00 handling fees. The package comes with a C.O.D. tag to pay for this plus a $4.25 handling fee from the post office." On the offical site of the U.S.Customs you find detailed information, the following seems to be the most important for you:"Mail-order goods from overseas-those ordered from a catalogue or over the Internet, for example-will also pass duty-free if they are worth less than $200." Many packages worth more than $200 go through without charges, customers report. But we cannot guarantee this!"

Looks like something worth $201 bucks can get slapped with about $19 of import fees though. Guess that's still better than lthe 16% VAT that folks in the EU are stuck with.

They note that a customer in Brazil reported 60% of the value of the goods plus shipping was required!!! Yikes, I hope that's a typo.:eek:
 
Originally posted by Sylvrfalcn
Not too shabby of a little knife for less than ten bucks
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Wendy says "The pictures do not do it justice. It's now the best kitchen knife I have (second is the Bilton). It is the perfect paring knife. And the sheath just makes it perfect."

Well, there ya go, Greg!
 
Few things give me greater pleasure than to know something I made with my hands is giving good service to others. My knives aren't very fancy, but to handle one is to know it was made to be used.

Sarge
 
Sarge is not stretching the truth one bit. Anyone that has one of his khives knows they are to use.
One of the knives was so good that my wife gave me back my 15" Sirupati and took one of Sarge's Scandinavian knives to the kitchen. When I asked her what she was doing she said that both knives were sharp but the smaller knife was easier for her to use. Mama feeds me pretty good so why should I complain. Sarge said he likes to know that his knives are being used. she sure does and so do I. All I have had to do to the knives he sent me is strop them. The one Mom has in the kitchen I strop after each time she uses it and it will shave pretty good.

The wife said to thank you Sarge. She sure does like the smaller of the carbon steel knives. :)
 
Pappy, I'm glad to hear the kitchen is well equipped and you got your 15" Siru back as a result. Got to love those Swedish blades, nothing fancy, just good honest carbon steel. Ragnar says they're hardened to about 60RC. They take such a fine edge, I have on occasion shaved with one.

Give your missus my regards, and tell her I'm tickled the knife is earning it's keep.

Sarge
 
I had her read your post. She says to be careful if you wind up in Kuwait or Iraq.

Are you going to have the same address or do you know yet what it will be? :)
 
Sylvrfalcn said:
"cheap skandinavian blades"

I know what your'e saying Firkin, but others that haven't tried Scandinavian blades might misinterpret. The blades from Sweden, Norway, and Finland, are fairly inexpensive. But, you get a very good blade for the money. I'd match good Swedish high carbon steel, hardened to about 60RC (which many of them are), against a heck of a lot of very expensive modern production knives. They'll rust, sure enough, but they'll take and hold an edge like a knife's supposed to.
cb.jpg

These are KJ Eriksson blades from Mora, Sweden. The smallest one on the right is a 3" blade that costs five bucks, ranging up to the big Leukko blade on the left for $29.
SNIP
.:eek: :D
Sarge
Click to expand...

edited to add: check out the third blade in from the right, a nice 4" puukko blade that sells for the princely sum of six bucks. I've made up so many of them you could fill a bushel basket with 'em. There's been more than a few Texas whitetails skinned and dressed by those very capable little blades:D

Hi there, newbie chiming in from Norway. I had my son (11) do one of those came out real nice. Also might I add, these was the preferred blades of the Romani, the travelling people of scandinavia.... Usually they either made nice german silver covered handles and sheats or the more traditional curly birch handle with a leather sheat with metal trimmings....
The traveller's knives always had a special flare to them....
 
Sarge : congrats! I ll do the same thing on occasion, when I m too tired of bowmaking.

Erik : The gypsies get as far as far north? :)


My only comment is that originally these knives (scandi) had no ricasso, what is seen on most modern reproductions.....
 
FYI - very old post...!

Still worth re-mentioning....;)
 
ErikP said:
edited to add: check out the third blade in from the right, a nice 4" puukko blade that sells for the princely sum of six bucks. I've made up so many of them you could fill a bushel basket with 'em. There's been more than a few Texas whitetails skinned and dressed by those very capable little blades:D

Hi there, newbie chiming in from Norway. I had my son (11) do one of those came out real nice. Also might I add, these was the preferred blades of the Romani, the travelling people of scandinavia.... Usually they either made nice german silver covered handles and sheats or the more traditional curly birch handle with a leather sheat with metal trimmings....
The traveller's knives always had a special flare to them....
Click to expand...

Hey Erik, are you the same Erik Pr_ _ _ _ o that is/was the moderator for the Yahoo S&W email list? I dropped off last year as I was getting so much spam I couldn't wade thru all my mails, but I remember your excellent pics of the country up there you posted and your thorough knowledge of those guns. Some of those pictures were just amazing and the beauty and at the same time desolation of some of the landscape really stuck with me all this time.

This is a great site with a great bunch of guys and you were fortunate to find it, so please chime in if you have any questions. (Don't mind Bruise! ;) ) Just as well I dropped off the list as I sold most of my Smiths to get money to buy knives! :D I never thought I would say so, but it was worth every penny.

Welcome and if you're not the same Erik from Norway, welcome anyway! (Like there would be only one ErikP from a country of almost 5 million people! But I figure a guy who loved Smiths would be just the kind of guy to find this place as well.)

Regards,

Norm
 
Howard Wallace said:
Note the notches in the tangs of the KJ Erikson blades. If the tangs don't already have notches I usually grind a couple in to give the epoxy a better grip.

There are some very good Skandanavian stainless steel blades also, also very inexpensive. A good selection of these blades is available from http://www.ragweedforge.com/BladeCatalog.html . Some of them come blister packed on cards, with the little hole in the top for hanging the card on a peg. They create images in my mind of a kind of local hardware store where it might not be unusual for someone to come in and buy a knife blade for hafting.
Click to expand...

Chiming in from Norway...

What you described.."a kind of local hardware store where it might not be unusual for someone to come in and buy a knife blade for hafting" is a picture of the local toy store over here.... think if it as a mini toys-r-us.....

The owner used to be an avid knifemaker, hence the pegboards...
 
Svashtar said:
Hey Erik, are you the same Erik Pr_ _ _ _ o that is/was the moderator for the Yahoo S&W email list? I dropped off last year as I was getting so much spam I couldn't wade thru all my mails, but I remember your excellent pics of the country up there you posted and your thorough knowledge of those guns. Some of those pictures were just amazing and the beauty and at the same time desolation of some of the landscape really stuck with me all this time.

This is a great site with a great bunch of guys and you were fortunate to find it, so please chime in if you have any questions. (Don't mind Bruise! ;) ) Just as well I dropped off the list as I sold most of my Smiths to get money to buy knives! :D I never thought I would say so, but it was worth every penny.

Welcome and if you're not the same Erik from Norway, welcome anyway! (Like there would be only one ErikP from a country of almost 5 million people! But I figure a guy who loved Smiths would be just the kind of guy to find this place as well.)

Regards,

Norm
Click to expand...

Yupp same country boy! :)

I'm crossing over to knives too, partly because handguns is so closely regulated in Norway (getting worse every year....) and partly because the required membership in a pistol club, makes you part of an organization filled with fools engaged in discussion on how to set up MORE regulations&rules, which is thoght to apply for OTHERS of course! :mad:

There are only ONE ErikP on the entire net" :foot:

BTW the S&W list is open to anyone, we DON*T go with stupid european rules, even if the owner is a Squarehead!
:) :)
 
My only comment is that originally these knives (scandi) had no ricasso, what is seen on most modern reproductions.....
Click to expand...

For a good reason too, on certain working tasks the ricasso is really on the way.

TLM
 
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