Puukko Knives Design Features

[ErikMB]

A good buddy of mine who lives in Finland at the moment just came to visit. He brought me a gorgeous puukko. I'm stunned by its beauty, seriously.

There are some curious design features that I don't understand.

Why are puukkos made with a smooth handle? I can imagine it slipping easily when wet, snowy, and being used by someone wearing a glove or mitten.

Also, why do they have no finger guard? These are meant to be some of the best hunting knives ever designed but there is no guard to keep the fingers from sliding forward and getting sliced.

Thanks for your ideas, folks.

 

[kobold]

This thread needs more photos!

 

[NG VI]

This thread needs more photos!

yeah broseph is gonna have to show us what he's talking about, I dunno I'm confused

 

[ErikMB]

Here you go!

It took just one pass to shave that hair!

 

[ErikMB]

Broseph?!?!

 

[NG VI]

It's so nice! Puuko ergos rely heavily on the swelling handle shape vs a guard like everyone else uses

 

[ErikMB]

Can anyone tell what kind of wood that is? Maybe birch?

Just because I like to fiddle with things, I am wondering if I can/should treat it with some kind of oil or something.

Might be wisest to just leave it alone, though.

 

[ferider]

Beautiful knife. I like the lack of finger-guard, makes it easier for small cuts towards your thumb, in the kitchen for instance, peeling something, etc.

 

[cali]

Because both problems are exaggerated in the real world and real work. Also proper technique and experience helps in using it without accidents.
Smooth handle is just more comfortable during use - no forced position, no hotspots. Putting your hand near the blade is very convenient for many tasks, it lets you shorten the lever and put a lot of force almost directly at the edge during cutting.

 

[kobold]

A Marttiini is always great to see. I think it is more versatile without finger guards. I guess knife culture is strong, people learn how to use knives from early on in Scandinavia.

 

[Spears]

Ooh, that is a nice Marttini! Looks like a Lynx Forged model to me, so the handle should be curly birch.

Why are puukkos made with a smooth handle? I can imagine it slipping easily when wet, snowy, and being used by someone wearing a glove or mitten.

Also, why do they have no finger guard? These are meant to be some of the best hunting knives ever designed but there is no guard to keep the fingers from sliding forward and getting sliced.

Thanks for your ideas, folks.

I think a lot of the features you mentioned are likely just from an ease-of-making standpoint than any real intentional design thought.

Traditional puukkos do have a pretty noticeable stretched ellipsoid handle profile that act as a palm swell to prevent movement of the knife in use. As for lack of texturing, good design doesn't require excess; most cases, if the handle is designed well, texturing isn't really needed. While material choice can also have impact on grip, I'd argue that's part of the design process. (Dang it, took too long to type, what N NG VI said)

As for the lack of finger guard, most cuts are done with a draw/pull, cutting this way, there's zero chance of you handle slipping forward. The other benefit of a lack of finger guard that I can think of is you can get the edge right up do your hand. While, this may not seems like much, if you think about it, the closer the knife is to your hand, the more power you can put into a downward/push cut. Essentially, the edge contact with whatever you're cutting becomes a pivot point, the length from the edge contact to your hand becomes the arm, and you put force through the handle (it's not really lever system, but the terms still kinda work). The further your hand is from the pivot, the more leverage there is against your cut. I mean, that's why people like to "choke up" on the handle. It's really a way to get the force directly over where the cut is. (Dang it, took too long to type, what C cali said)

Also, if you're hunting/skinning, I'm pretty sure a pinch grip is most commonly used. No real need for a hand/finger guard in that respect since your hand is above the edge and you're utilizing the belly of the knife to do the work.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Can anyone tell what kind of wood that is? Maybe birch?

Just because I like to fiddle with things, I am wondering if I can/should treat it with some kind of oil or something.

Might be wisest to just leave it alone, though.

It's low figured curly birch, and it takes a beautiful dye in my experience.

Also the typical puukko handle has a nice palm swell that will most always do a good job of locking the handle in hand.

The lack of guard provides ease of use, its a beautiful stream lined no nonsense design that has evolved over an eon of practical use

 

[scdub]

Can anyone tell what kind of wood that is? Maybe birch?

Just because I like to fiddle with things, I am wondering if I can/should treat it with some kind of oil or something.

Might be wisest to just leave it alone, though.

Nice knife - I love Marttiini knives.
Yeah that’s birch and it’s probably been waxed from the factory. Wax will discolor/darken the wood less than oil, but you should use one or the other (I suggest Ren Wax or tung oil) to preserve the wood.
As for the no-guard thing, at least in part it also kept production costs down in the old days before everyone started casting plastic handles (many of which now have guards).

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

I really wish Marttiini would increase their hardness and figure out a way to get rid of that grinding hitch.

I always thought their Arctic carver could have been such a good user.

 

[ErikMB]

I like the answers here of "learn how to use it properly." That makes good sense. However, we have guards to protect us from accidents which can happen to anyone, even the best. Heck, even pro swimmers drown sometimes.

I cannot see it being difficult to put in some kind of guard, be it a dip in the handle material, brass, or the shape of the blade, like a kick on a good pocketknife.

So, I'll go with it being an intentional design feature based on use cases as the reason for having no guard. That seems to make the most sense to me.

And thanks for the idea of using Ren Wax. That's a great idea.

Does anyone have a smart way to protect the carbon-steel blade, too? Other than keeping it dry?

I used to put my carbon Opinels in a grapefruit overnight and that seemed to help. I don't want to do that to this puukku, though!

 

[Spears]

I like the answers here of "learn how to use it properly." That makes good sense. However, we have guards to protect us from accidents which can happen to anyone, even the best. Heck, even pro swimmers drown sometimes.

I cannot see it being difficult to put in some kind of guard, be it a dip in the handle material, brass, or the shape of the blade, like a kick on a good pocketknife.

So, I'll go with it being an intentional design feature based on use cases as the reason for having no guard. That seems to make the most sense to me.

The puukko design dates back over a millennia. While obviously speculation, I'm pretty sure, back then, less time was spent on "designing" a tool and more just "make simply and use." That's not to say complexities can't arise - Kris style blades also date back over a millennia - but simplicity has its merits.

You're right, for modern manufacturing methods it isn't difficult to add a guard, finger choil, etc. "Modern" renditions can and do have finger choils/guards/full tang, and a myriad of other contemporary features that we're used to. Currently produced traditional puukkos are designed with more of nod towards... well... tradition.

Does anyone have a smart way to protect the carbon-steel blade, too? Other than keeping it dry?

I used to put my carbon Opinels in a grapefruit overnight and that seemed to help. I don't want to do that to this puukku, though!

I kinda like the consistency and lack of odor of camellia oil. Though, any food oil should work fine. Apparently RenWax is great for long term storage but I do not have any experience with it.

I really wish Marttiini would increase their hardness and figure out a way to get rid of that grinding hitch.

I always thought their Arctic carver could have been such a good user.

Right? Though, supposedly the forged stuff hits 59-60 HRC.

I think they should use more of their Carbinox. Whatever that steel actually is, it is suppose to be an 8% Cr class steel; so, we at least know it can potentially be very balanced (no mention of other alloying elements, unfortunately). They probably could also push the hardness above 60 with that stuff and be fine, as well.

 

[Richard338]

Here's a couple.

 

[Spears]

Here's a couple.

I need to get me one those rhomboid puukkos. Love that design.

 

[Arathol]

Can anyone tell what kind of wood that is? Maybe birch?

Just because I like to fiddle with things, I am wondering if I can/should treat it with some kind of oil or something.

Might be wisest to just leave it alone, though.

Its a variant of the European white birch. Its generally known as Karelian or curly birch.
Usually the wood is treated with a clear finish, like tung oil, linseed oil or maybe nowadays with urethane. If its untreated, any sort of wood finish oil will do. Traditionally in the past many puukkot had a reddish lacquer finish.

A puukko isn't necessarily a hunting knife. It more like the pocket knife is/was here in the US. A daily carry piece that was used for just about anything and everything. Its part of the Finnish national folk dress also. Every man was expected to have one on his belt. Even kids had small ones on their belts.

Just FYI a guy named Randy Bagwell makes kydex sheaths for some Marttini knives in case you don't want to mess up the leather.

 

[Arathol]

The puukko design dates back over a millennia. While obviously speculation, I'm pretty sure, back then, less time was spent on "designing" a tool and more just "make simply and use." That's not to say complexities can't arise - Kris style blades also date back over a millennia - but simplicity has its merits.

You're right, for modern manufacturing methods it isn't difficult to add a guard, finger choil, etc. "Modern" renditions can and do have finger choils/guards/full tang, and a myriad of other contemporary features that we're used to. Currently produced traditional puukkos are designed with more of nod towards... well... tradition.

One thing to remember here is expediency. Many older puukkot were a blade with a rat tail tang. The handle was just a round piece of wood that was fitted onto the tang. When the handle wore out a new one was easy to make and install. The blade was the important thing, handles were expendable. The handle design has carried over to more modern designs used today.

And a pic of a couple older Marttiini knives with new clothes.....just because....