How To puukko question

B

Bumple

Joined
Jul 17, 2025
Messages
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Hi i am putting together my first puukko and i am going to use birch bark as a spacer between the different handle material layers, only 1 -3 pieces between where the wood transitions to metal/horn in a few spots.
1. should i treat the birch bark in any way before the glue up with oil or something? I could see that interfering with the epoxy. maybe soak those portions in oil after glueing but before sanding? idk
2 should the birch bark be fully soaked in epoxy before i slide it on the tang or should i do a thin layer only between the material.

thanks for any time u take to help me out!

additionally If you have any links to guides or videos that show off the handle peening process that would be cool, there seems to be a few different ways to finish like recessing it then using a thin end cap cover or a simple brass plate that u put a little chamfer in on the outside face and polish everything over after hammering. dont know what im gonna do for that portion yet and i would like to see the different end results.

sorry about any incorrect terminology
 
On the peening of the tang, I glue everything up solid in a clamp and then peen after the glue is set. Make sure the tang end is l annealed before assembly. I use a steel or copper end washer if the end is wood or other non-metal material.
 
DeadPineKnives said:
If it were me I'd leave the bark alone, except for peeling off the outer layer, then rough it up with some sandpaper and stack it with epoxy between each layer like any other knife handle material. :)
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If I peen the tang down while epoxy is wet should I still clamp the assembly?
 
Bumple said:
If I peen the tang down while epoxy is wet should I still clamp the assembly?
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That would be a bit like wearing two condoms--seems like a good idea, might not work out so well. What if you peen it and clamp it and the clamp compresses the material past the peen, so now you have a little tree-shaped protrusion on the end of your handle?

Not being a smartass I promise, just sharing some knowledge I've had to learn the hard way! :)
 
DeadPineKnives said:
That would be a bit like wearing two condoms--seems like a good idea, might not work out so well. What if you peen it and clamp it and the clamp compresses the material past the peen, so now you have a little tree-shaped protrusion on the end of your handle?

Not being a smartass I promise, just sharing some knowledge I've had to learn the hard way! :)
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No no that's exactly why I asked, never done a stick tang before. After spending the time to get the bolster/blade corners even I don't want it to be for nothing thanks for the info fr
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
On the peening of the tang, I glue everything up solid in a clamp and then peen after the glue is set. Make sure the tang end is l annealed before assembly. I use a steel or copper end washer if the end is wood or other non-metal material.
Click to expand...
i am using a brass plate for the end cap bit but i was curious about what people use for washers so ty, didnt know you could use steel just assumed it had to be brass or something softer
 
Bumple said:
No no that's exactly why I asked, never done a stick tang before. After spending the time to get the bolster/blade corners even I don't want it to be for nothing thanks for the info fr
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No problem! If you ever want to message me directly to ask questions, I'll help however I can! I'm no expert but whatever I know, I'm happy to share!
 
Brass, steel, nickel ... all work. The hole should be slightly chamfered and the tang annealed. Leave about 1/8" of tang exposed and peen with the round end of a ball peen hammer.
Peen straight down with firm, but not hard, blows, and then round up a bit with angular blows. Over-peening work hardens the tang metal and it will stop moving or even crack.

If the butt is a piece of bone or ivory, I use a copper disc as the attachment washer. Usually around 12 gauge metal. I glue up the handle and when all is done, I gently peen the tang into a small nub over the copper. I then hand file the copper to fit the butt and sand it lightly with 400 grit paper. Again, the washer could be any metal. I like copper for its older style look.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Brass, steel, nickel ... all work. The hole should be slightly chamfered and the tang annealed. Leave about 1/8" of tang exposed and peen with the round end of a ball peen hammer.
Peen straight down with firm, but not hard, blows, and then round up a bit with angular blows. Over-peening work hardens the tang metal and it will stop moving or even crack.

If the butt is a piece of bone or ivory, I use a copper disc as the attachment washer. Usually around 12 gauge metal. I glue up the handle and when all is done, I gently peen the tang into a small nub over the copper. I then hand file the copper to fit the butt and sand it lightly with 400 grit paper. Again, the washer could be any metal. I like copper for its older style look.
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copper is a good idea a bit easier to get at in-person stores, i kinda am in love with all the variations of handle materials and layer patterns that work on a stick tang. seem like a great use for leftover wood and horn and stuff i have from my last few months playing with knife scales. fairly new to all of this outside of regular polishing and sharpening. i will say that lauri pt blade was a real bastard to sharpen up on the water stone even tho i have lots of blades in 80crv2.
 
I had forgotten to welcome you to Shop Talk. Fill out your profile so we know where you are. It helps us help you.


There are several great books on making puukkos and Nordic style knives. I have several copies of some. If you had filled out your profile I might know if sending you one would be possible, but I don't know if you are in Seattle or Sri Lanka.
 
thanks for the responses everyone ! was a big help.
please show off your work if u are comfortable with doing so, I love seeing custom builds and such its genuinely such a cool medium for art!
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
I had forgotten to welcome you to Shop Talk. Fill out your profile so we know where you are. It helps us help you.


There are several great books on making puukkos and Nordic style knives. I have several copies of some. If you had filled out your profile I might know if sending you one would be possible, but I don't know if you are in Seattle or Sri Lanka.
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sorry didnt realize that was bad etiquette around here, my bad! dont worry about sendin me nothing (though i would like to get into some trades later on after ive been on here a little longer) shoot over the titles of those books tho im sure i can track down a copy on my own, thanks for offering of course ! very kind of ya
 
Knifemaking - A Complete Guide to Crafting Knives, Handles, & Sheaths .... By Bo Bergman

This is considered one of the books every knifemaker should read. It shows how a puukko is made by traditional methods and materials.

It is all about making a classic puukko. Some of the construction and finishing techniques are more modern today, but the basics are really good info. Lots of great photos and a seriously good step-by-step tutorial. You can change materials to meet your desires, and shape th9ings as you wish. The methods Bo used are good guides, but not laws.

Keep us posted of your progress and show some photos.

BTW, use at lest three layers of birchbark as a divider line. One layer won't show the character of bark lamination.
 
DeadPineKnives said:
That would be a bit like wearing two condoms--seems like a good idea, might not work out so well. What if you peen it and clamp it and the clamp compresses the material past the peen, so now you have a little tree-shaped protrusion on the end of your handle?

Not being a smartass I promise, just sharing some knowledge I've had to learn the hard way! :)
Click to expand...
so i took this advice into account and clamped the hell out of it right after glueing and right before peening. prevously i had hammered everything down over the tang with random block that had a hole drilled to soften the blow but clamping added another half inch of tang out of thin air. my go to epoxy is devcon 2 ton and luckily its got a pretty long working time. only bit im really worried about is rouge epoxy i did kinda rush the glueing between layers.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Knifemaking - A Complete Guide to Crafting Knives, Handles, & Sheaths .... By Bo Bergman

This is considered one of the books every knifemaker should read. It shows how a puukko is made by traditional methods and materials.

It is all about making a classic puukko. Some of the construction and finishing techniques are more modern today, but the basics are really good info. Lots of great photos and a seriously good step-by-step tutorial. You can change materials to meet your desires, and shape th9ings as you wish. The methods Bo used are good guides, but not laws.

Keep us posted of your progress and show some photos.

BTW, use at lest three layers of birchbark as a divider line. One layer won't show the character of bark lamination.
Click to expand...
thanks for the resource, heres how the peening went, ended up going with regular g10 slices instead birch bark. what i could get a hold of crumbled apart on me during cutting and peeling only had a few usable pieces by the end.
https://imgur.com/a/5gTwulU
 
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