Puukko Selection Help

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knight63

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Jan 17, 2014
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Hello, I'll start by saying I know very little about knives so any help you give is greatly appreciated. I have decided I want a puukko style knife. I have a mora already and would like to upgrade a bit. The problem I am having with picking one is that to me, as an example, a forged $75 knife looks the same to me as a $175 forged knife. Can somebody explain what the difference might be between them? In general are the more expensive knives going to perform better or last longer? Also, is a forged puukko generally going to last any longer or perform better than a stamped one?

There are two at [A Non-BF Dealer] I am especially looking at. The wood jewel "carving knife" which is stamped for $45 and the "handforged" which is $75.

Thanks for any help!
 
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Between those my preference would be the hand forged. It is perfect size wise for an all around camp knife. The steel should be the same on both models so size and aesthetics might be the deciding factor.
 
I've used, collected and made puukko for years. Go with the Wood Jewel carving knife. The hand forged isn't worth the difference IMHO. My preference for a user is the Roselli carpenter (not the UHC one - I have both and the carpenter is great while the UHC is a pain in the arse to sharpen, even with a diamond hone and IMHO the edge isn't significantly better on the UHC). It is the same price as the hand forged Wood Jewel, but better IMO also Wood Jewel sheaths aren't that nice - rather flimsy I think. If you go with the Wood Jewel, look around for a Ramakko sheath. Unfortunately I can't post where to get them on this board :-( If you Google Ramakko sheath, the first choice is the best (Scandinavian leather sheaths). Another good choice would be the Ahti Metsa - unfortunately it's out of stock at the moment on [A Non-BF Dealer's site]. Most any of the Ahti would be fine - I've been told that he makes the puukko for another major US puukko dealer (which IMHO are grossly overpriced) but I can't verify that.
Rich
 
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Rich S pretty much said it all. I also like Martiinni knives, the ones with a carbon steel blade. As you are only getting to know puukkos I would certainly recommend you to try them as well.
Hand forged blades are nice but not necessarily for a practical reason. And when I say hand forged I mostly mean made by a knifemaker with a name, not a brand. And even then it is not so straightforward, like I doubt that Roselli would be hand forged (I like his knifes and have his "hunter" for many years now).
 
Thanks a lot for the advice everyone. I don't see myself having too much extra money in the future to spend on things like knives, therefore I want to make sure I get a good knife that will last me a long while. In general, will a forged knife last longer than stamped? Besides how I use the knife, are there any other factors I should look for that will effect the longevity of the knife? Thanks
 
From personal experience with what [non-BF dealer] offers I can fully recommend the Helle Symfoni. Until I moved to a custom puukko it was my go-to knife for the woods.
I also own the Roselli Hunter - love the blade, but the handle is not as comfortable in my hand.
I have handled, but not used the Järvenpää Aito and it was a very nice knife.
 
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Your fine going with the stamped, it will not hurt the life of the blade. Forged is just has a different look. As far as factors you might consider stainless blades require less care but carbon is usually easier to sharpen.
 
If all you want is a simple cutting tool, then the production puukkos on the market these days provide an incredible value. As to the question of whether they perform better or last longer, that is a really difficult question to answer. It depends as much on the end user as it does anything else.

The problem with "better" is that it is a very vague term. Better how? Bang for the buck? Aesthetics? Craftsmanship? I think that the more expensive, made-one-at-a-time-by-a-single-smith puukkos are better than their factory made counterparts, but with them you have the problem of diminishing returns. How much are you willing to pay for "better?"

I've never seen a production puukko as good as this knife. I don't expect them to, they cost significantly less.







 
The problem with "better" is that it is a very vague term. Better how? Bang for the buck? Aesthetics? Craftsmanship? I think that the more expensive, made-one-at-a-time-by-a-single-smith puukkos are better than their factory made counterparts, but with them you have the problem of diminishing returns. How much are you willing to pay for "better?"
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I certainly agree that the made one-at-a-time knives are truly better. However, right now I cannot justify paying more money solely for aesthetics. I do not really have a set price limit, but lets just say $100. I am basically looking for a working/hunting/bushcraft puukko. Overall performance, reliability, and longevity are the most important factors to me. Is paying more than $100 going to increase these factors at all? Thanks!
 
knight63 said:
I am basically looking for a working/hunting/bushcraft puukko. Overall performance, reliability, and longevity are the most important factors to me. Is paying more than $100 going to increase these factors at all? Thanks!
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I think so. But there are some people who can make a Mora Classic last a lifetime.

Unless you feel compelled to go for a handmade custom, knives like Ahtis and Rosellis will serve you well. They're good knives. For something a little nicer, I suggest taking a look at the Enzo Nordic. It should fall within your budget.
 
You folks need to read the posting guidelines sticky.
[h=1]Vendor Links, Referrals & Endorsements[/h]Please leave vendor names out of your posts unless they are BF Dealer Members. There is a link in my signature line to the list of such dealers.
 
Speaking of longevity of a knife thinks about not only the uses it will see, but also the frequence of sharpening and the style of sharpening. A zero edged blade will wear out quickier than one with a small microbevel.

In addition to Ahti and Roselli I'd suggest you to take a look at YP-Taonta knives. Here you have some readings about them.
https://nordiskaknivar.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/yrjo-puronvarsi-blades-yp-taonta/

Basically they combine rhombic blades forged by a smith, grandson of an old master, machine made handles and Rämäkkö sheaths.
 
Frederick89 said:
Speaking of longevity of a knife thinks about not only the uses it will see, but also the frequence of sharpening and the style of sharpening. A zero edged blade will wear out quickier than one with a small microbevel.
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Agreed. Not a fan of 'zero edge' blades personally. But it's my understanding that the 'zero edge' was not something traditionally found on Scandanavian knives anyway, but a more recent addition (along with the term "Scandi grind").
 
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Smithhammer said:
Agreed. Not a fan of 'zero edge' blades personally. But it's my understanding that the 'zero edge' was not something traditionally found on Scandanavian knives anyway, but a more recent addition (along with the term "Scandi grind").
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Absolutely true.
 
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