LV...you will be more than impressed with Danijel's work. His knives are spot on amazing and worth every penny. You will love that 80crv2 blade steel!
While Danijel lives in Croatia, he has studied from the best Finnish knife makers so that his puukkos are based out of the history of the knife and you'll find that he uses a puukko for all tasks from kitchen duty and hunting to woodwork, as the design was intended. (He owns many knives from Finnish makers).
The areas of distinction carry a gray area and some crossover but I can tell from your responses that you see that and can make a good determination on what constitutes a puukko and what would fall under the "puukko style".
Be sure to post up your thoughts on the Malanika when you get it! I sold the one I bought from Danijel but I'm either going to order another or wait for the right one to pop up on the exchange.
Jsega,
I think you pretty much nailed for me.
In reading about Danijel. I was was drawn in by his story of finding his perfect knife. And how after trying many designs from other people and factories how he came to discover what for him was the perfect knife.
Obviously the phrase "Perfect Knife" is very subjective. And I'm fine with that. Mostly because I only looking for mine. I'm not looking for other's. My needs, wants, and skills, have evolved over time. So my requirements have changed also.
What drew me to start looking for puukkos was exactly what Danijel describes in his own experience. Versatility comes to mind for me. The ability to seamlessly go from making breakfast, to cleaning game, to making camp, to fire prep. There are certainly better dedicated single purpose knives out there for each task. But the ability to do most well pulls me in.
As I read his story, I couldn't help but see parallels. I have draws full of blades from my own search. All, or at least most, wonderful knives in their own right. And many may be the perfect knife for someone. Some come very close for me.
As I age, a process I sometimes wish I could stop. I come to view life through different eyes. Simplicity rocks my boat these days. I see great beauty in thing like candle lantrens, kerosene lamps, dutch ovens. And many other such items.
Perhaps this is what drives me toward the puukko. It has such a simple elegance about it. From the blade to the sheath. It has all it needs, and nothing it doesn't.
I saw the Aito here on blade. And I was impressed with its lines. Most of the reviews were positive. So I took a chance. I was just as impressed when it arrived. In truth it could have come sharper. I was less than impressed with its level of sharpness. So I tinkered a bit here and there, in between other projects.
After the other knife challenge ended. I was eager to pick up the Aito. It still wasn't where I wanted/needed it to be. Yet I missed using it. I have been using it steady for close to two weeks. And working on the edge as I went along. Recently, as I sat in the woods by a fire. I couldn't help but marvel at the thing. The birch back handle is visually stunning. But in hand it is amazing. Especially in temps at or below zero. With my use, and continued stropping it came into it own. I could feel it improve with each passing day.
Yesterday afternoon, I was up in the woods prepping for a fire. And suddenly, almost like magic. The Aito began rolling curls down a piece of seasoned beech with almost no effort. Maybe it was the piece of wood, maybe I was on my game, maybe it was the knife. I'm not sure, nor do I care. As long as I can repeat it most of the time I will be pleased.
Fast forward to this morning. My wife is out of town. So I chose to treat myself to a traditional American breakfast delicacy, Spam. Now Spam is not hard to cut. It can be done with a spoon if need be. But I chose to use the Aito. It is the first time in my life I ever cut a piece of Spam and went wow!. I needed two pieces. I cut three, just because I was having such a good time. Cutting Spam, how ridiculous is that?
If I can derive joy from cutting Stuff Posing As Meat. I may have very well found my perfect knife. I have been carrying it in the traditional Finnish location. At the left front. As a young child, I always carried my knife on the weak side. Because I always had some sort of a toy gun on my strong side. So it seems natural to me.
I read somehwere recently, maybe even on here. That in Finland they used to take puukkos away from young children in school. And give them other cutting instruments. To force them to learn other techniques. They could do almost all of the tasks required of them with such ease using their puukkos that teachers felt itwas not of enough of a challenge.
That type of familiarity come with years of use and practice. And it doesn't hurt to start at a very young age. This was another thing that draws me in. If young children can accomplish all they need with this blade. Why can't I do the same.
This could be a fling, or it could be the early stages of a life long love affair. To be brutally honest. I'm not sure which it is yet. I have to believe Danijel's knife will be a step up from my Aito in just about every aspect. I already know, it will be difficult for me to put it into that first piece of wood. But I plan on forcing myself to do so.
I have had a lot of fun with a lot of knives. Much of it documented on here. Making breakfast with my SP-10 Raider Bowie. Building bucksaws with a Nessmuk. Making chairs and spears with my KA-BAR. Celebrating New Year's with the Opinel, and many more good times. I enjoyed each and every one of them. But I have always been driven to keep searching.
I can't help but wonder, If I stand a the edge of that rainbow?
It certainly doesn't hurt that I find these knives beautiful to look at either. Here is my Aito resting on my hat after earning its keep doing fire prep.
I am really liking this knife,
and I agree. I'll take Bulgarian Feta over Greek any day. There is some Chicago-made feta that is marketed as "Bulgarian Style"...but it's not 
