OT: Project "Po' Boy Puukko"

[ErikP]

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.

In the local knife club, this is SOP, some of the baldesmith's dont notch the tangs (club blades are 98% hadforged, we get supplies from individuals sweating iy out over their forges....)

Of those listed I would put Helle on TOP!

Because Helle is superb quality 3-layer steel, from the old school scandinavian bladesmiths (they have interesting knives as well)

Strømeng is a 100% top notch knifemaker rooted deeply in the Saami tradition. He started making his own blades some years back, before that he got blades both from Helle and Brusletto (Helle has a nice saami knife in their catalog), his blades are famous for strength and sharpness, the 9"+ tools are formidable weapons, carried by most of our troops in the north, eagerly sold off to NATO forces on winter exercises as well.....

Karesuando makes superb blades, you can shave every day with one, and Frost and Eriksson are one and the same company these days, merger, but keep their separate production facilities - lets hope they can keep it that way!

Over here in Norway, Eriksson is the more common, Frost did somehow loose out in the marketplace a little (a victim of *modernization* of their product line??), the Eriksson blades, even if durn cheap is made to the best standards shaving knife material no doubt!

Having a look at Ragnar's books, I found "Antlerknife" which is something I have been looking for for a long time and haven't found in scandinavian language. Thanks for the link, the Net is so wast, its impossible to find evrything on your own.

EP

 

[ErikP]

Sarge,

I have heard that some modern files are case hardened. Do you do anything to distinguish case hardened files from other ones. Case hardened files would be much easier to grind but they might not hold a very good edge.

Thanks.

Matt and Yvsa,

Case hardened could easily be re-casehardened, even in a BBQ!

When I dipped my toe into blackpowder shooting, one of the first items I got was a small box of some case hardening Pulver, from Germany

There was some scant info on/in the box: simple: heat, apply powder, heat some more, and quech.

This was supposed to be used on Italian lockwork parts, they apparently plum forgot to harden them in Italy, before sending the to Germany & Norway....

Still have the box, so I guess I could try it out.

Anyone happen to know what's usually inside such boxes, case-hardening powder, to be used on steel with the wrong carbon content?

EP

 

[ErikP]

Sarge, that is just awesome!!! You've really gotten some gears turning in my brain. I've gotta start saving for a grinder.
--Josh

Speaking of grinders (and I'm sure this has been beaten to death, but I'm the poor greenhorn, just throught the door....):

What do you guys recommend for a grinder, and what should I expect to pay?

 

[ErikP]

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.....

Yupp, gypsies are up here! Some of my friends are gypsies, never belive all the bad stories you hear about them. Honest guys that appreciate and honor friendship.....

They have made some of the most beautiful knives in scandivia IMHO.....
And the collctors are picking them up like crazy and prices have skyrocketed.
I have mine already!

 

[ErikP]

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

TLM

Keep in mind, over here the knife was more of a general tool for everyday use on the farm, than being a specific hunting and dressing-out tool. That is reflected in the grind as well.

Most of these knives are ground to be whittling knives, but the shape and size makes them excellent hunting knives as well.....

Woodworking, whittling and such makes the ricasso in the way, for making small but important stuff on a farm from wood, like pegs in a rake, one uses the inch closest to the handle only, a ricasso would make you use 1,5 to 2 inches of the blade, longer blade = more leverage = you get tired quickly.

The oldimers knew their way around knives, and knew how to use them too!

 

[ErikP]

Thanks guys. Tonight's project, a traditional deep pouch dangler sheath. Those are so easy to make I can do it while watching television.

Sarge

Sarge, thanx for your excellent pictures, a real eye-opener for one used to hand forged blades only. I currently don't make my own blades, but want to get more involved!

Only gripe: you promised pictures as you go along: never saw that knife in its proper sheat!


BTW the total impression of the knife, blade, handle and all, although the blade is deeply rooted in the fenno-scandinavian tradition, is more german.

The germans used to have fighting nives with handles like that during both WW1 and WW2, I handled one yesterday also with a handle material like that, yours is almost an exact copy!

Nice work!

 

[ErikP]

Real blast from the past, thanks Dan

Sarge

Awww, you know Sarge, anything you ever posted on the net is still out there, some place, unless you own the server and blast it!

Anyways this was an eyeopener for me!

 

[TLM]

Keep in mind, over here the knife was more of a general tool for everyday use on the farm

You are preaching to one who is already converted. I am a Finn.

TLM

 

[ErikP]

You are preaching to one who is already converted. I am a Finn.

TLM

Hi there, Finns are way popular over here in Norway (our favorite competition in cross country skiing... )

I note that this forum don't make the common mistake of equating Finn knives with Saami knives. (seems to be a lot of REAL knowledgable and cool guys around here)

Over here Saami knives are respected, what is the situation over at yours?

Also ,a lot of influence from Finn knifemakers migrating into a woodland area here in norway a century or so back, the area is named after them today, Finnskogen (wood of Finns), there they lived on small farms, took care of themselves and made excellent knives!

 

[Sutcliffe]

Are you going for a simple leather sheath or a composite? Some Puukkos have more time and materials put into them than the actual knife.

 

[TLM]

Over here Saami knives are respected, what is the situation over at yours?

The Saami knives are a different style from southern Finland, mainly, I guess, because of the different usage. In knife making competitions they have their own class and certainly are treated as equal to the others.

TLM

 

[Kismet]

Posts from Pappy, Bill M. and Rusty...like time travel, PLUS great information by the Artisan knife-maker.

Neat to see it again.


Thank you.

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

As many knives as I tinker around with, I'd still never be without a good puukko close to hand. They're my absolute favorite for roughing out wooden spoons and other such whittling. Here's a couple of my "little friends", one with the bevel ground sharp all the way to the handle, and the other with a small ricasso. Handles are done in rosewood and curly maple. Also couldn't resist showing off the straight razor I made from a very old file Kismet sent me a while back. It's handle is done in a very pretty lacewood. Don't do much shaving what with my new beard, but a fellow still needs to keep his cheeks and neck squared away. This one shaves as good as any of my store bought straight razors, so you can imagine I'm a bit prideful of it.

Sarge

 

[ric0shay]

Wow, There is alot of hidden talent here. I'm going to need eye drops from staring at the computer screen too long


Rick

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

Wow, There is alot of hidden talent here. I'm going to need eye drops from staring at the computer screen too long


Rick

Naw, the nice stuff is at Dan Koster's web site http://www.kosterknives.com/home.htm
No need for eye drops when looking at Dan's work, your eyes will be watering enough.

Sarge

 

[BrentH]

sodium cyanide (NaCN). Hold ya breath!!!!

 

[Fiddleback]

Started one of these poboy knives today. Not sure mine will turn out to be a pukko, but it looks like it'll be a knife. Fun project. Got the file for $1 at a pawn shop. I have been into rusty metal for quite a while, so I know all the pawn shops in the area. I got four files, 3 Nicholson and a Gold Medal, for four bucks. So far I've been grinding between measurement tasks. Maybe about 2 hours total, and it actually looks like a knife now. Grinding the bevel is taking a while. Pretty amateurish, but fun fun fun.

 

[Sylvrfalcn]

Andy,

Just thinking out loud here a second. I've helped several friends make their own knives from old files, and I've noted a common tendency among rookie grinders is to make the edge too thick by making their bevel angle too abrupt. They do this by getting in a hurry to get an edge on the thing, without stopping to think about importance of blade geometry. They satisfy themselves that the edge is sharp, then get very frustrated that the knife doesn't cut well, and forget about slicing anything with it.

It takes more time to thin the blade down properly to achieve good blade geometry, but the payoff is a much more efficient knife. The two grinds I employ most often are the "convexed flat grind", or the Scandinavian bevel with the bevel itself taking up approximately one half of the blade's total width.

Like I said, just thinking out loud. Good luck, have fun, post pics.

Sarge

 

[Fiddleback]

OK I'll keep grinding. I can see that my edge is pretty thick. It's a neat process. I now have a file that "looks" like a blade. I'll spend some more time at the grinder and thin that edge out. I've got some teak for the handle already selected. I've also got tons of brass scraps I've collected. How do you make the brass fit so well Sarge? What kind of epoxy do you use?

I'm having trouble posting pics from my hard drive. Seems to want an url, anyone got any hints?

 

[Yvsa]

I'm having trouble posting pics from my hard drive. Seems to want an url, anyone got any hints?

Andy, do a search on "Free Picture Hosting Services" and pick one to upload your photos too. I use Yahoo because I get it through my DSL ISP but there are several. Once you upload your pix from your hard drive you can then right click on them and then click on properties.
There you will find a URL you can copy and paste.
When you go to post it here put the URL into the little postcard looking icon above the message box where you type your post and it will automatically put the image in your post.