Usually when Im hiking, camping etc. I use a combination of a small traditional puukko and a small hatchet. However, sometimes I like to carry a bigger knife to be used for batoning as well as for various smaller tasks, a jack of all trades so to speak. For this purpose, about a year ago, I purchased a Sissipuukko M95, made by J.P. Peltonen.
First Id like to give some details about the word "Sissi", just to give some insight about the kind of use this knife was designed for. The word "sissi" is Finnish, and can be translated roughly to "ranger", or "guerilla". The Sissi troops are an existing part of our military, and played an important role during WWII, when Finland was at war with Russia. The purpose of the sissis is to work behind enemy lines, cut out from the main troops. The word "sissi" can also be used in common language to describe a person or an action which is particulary tough and rough. So, please do not confuse "Sissi" with the English word "Sissy", since they pretty much mean the opposite
So, the Sissipuukko is first and foremost a military-knife. As you can see, it has quite a slim shape to it, and since the knife is teflon-coated, it propably would be pretty easy to stab through a military vest, into the unfortunate enemy soldier. However, this is not the main purpose of the knife: to the sissi troops, the knife is first a tool, then a weapon. As I said before, they need to be able to function behind enemy lines unnoticed, hiding in the woods. So this knife is a "survival" knife in the truest sense of the word. The Finnish troops are not issued with any kind of "official" knife, but the Sissipuukko can be purchased from the Army, and many do. While in the army (-97), I also used the previous (heavier) model of this knife, and was really happy with it.
Some technical specs: The Sissipuukko has a 6" forged carbon steel blade with a teflon coating. The handle is ~5" long, and is made out of dark green tempered rubber, so it's warm to use even during winter, and gives a good grip when wet. Based on the overall balance and weight of the knife, Id say its basically a full tang knife. There's also a lanyard hole in the handle. The sheath is made out of thick leather, and features a unique rubber-wheel design, which I will explain later. The knife costs 'round 70 EUROs in Finland, and 'round 150 USD in the US.
Now about the knife itself; the word "Puukko" in the knife's name is a bit misleading. Sissipuukko does not feature a scandi grind blade, is not made out of traditional materials, and the overall design doesn't really resemble a traditional puukko. The word "puukko" is in this knifes name propably because Finns can call almost any knife a "puukko", in common language it's pretty much a synonyme to "knife".
The first thing that worried me was, that due to the lack of scandi grind, this knife might not be suitable for whittling tinder etc. And that same issue became the most pleasent surprise: Sissipuukko really bites to a block of wood, and was more than enough to prepare tinder. Also, as I'm accustomed to 4" blade puukkos, I thought the long blade might be a bit clumsy. But, even though the blade is thick, it was surprisingly handy. Now just to be honest: the Sissipuukko is nothing like a real puukko when it comes to carving wood, but it does seem to handle everything that is required while in the woods. Also the long blade enables me to batton the knife through a larger piece of wood, and the knife can be used as a light chopper. The handle is well designed, and the material is pretty comfortable to use even in freezing temperatures. I used the knife to clean some fish, and the handle provided a solid grip even when it was bloody and slimy
Preparing tinder
About the structure and durability. I used the knife on several hikes during last year. I also recently spent 4 days on my summer cottage, and while there, I used the Sissipuukko exclusively for splitting all the firewood required for our barbeque (I dont use a gas grill) and for warming up the sauna. So, I battoned the knife through well more than a hundred pieces of wood. The only sign of wear I noticed, was that the teflon coating began to wear out on two spots. Other than that, the knife is as good as new. I did not sharpen it during the 4 days, and the knife is still relatively sharp. The blade is however easy to sharpen with a regular diamond sharpener, and I can get it easily sharp enough to slice trough paper.
"Testing" the knife
About the sheath; the Sissipuukko features an ingenious leather sheath, with a small rubber wheel that locks the knife in the sheath in a way, that it can be worn up-side-down in a battle vest without having to worry about the knife falling off. Unlike with velcros and buttons, the knife can be removed from the sheath and re-sheated with one hand. The great thing about the sheath is, that it really is easy to use; removing the knife takes a second, and re-sheathing it takes maby two seconds, without even looking at the sheath. The sheath is also quiet, and doesnt rattle around like a plastic-one. The belt loop is attached with velcro, so the sheath can be attached for example to a MOLLE loop, or the belt loop can be removed alltogether. Also, the belt loop can be attached in a way, that the sheath is suitable for horizontal carry. The sheath is really sturdy, made out of thick leather. The little lion symbol shown in the pic is the Coat of arms of Finland.
The sheath attached to my daypack
So, what can I say... I higly recommend this knife for all-around camping tool. For me, this knife with a firesteel attached to the sheath is definately my "Survival knife" of choice!
First Id like to give some details about the word "Sissi", just to give some insight about the kind of use this knife was designed for. The word "sissi" is Finnish, and can be translated roughly to "ranger", or "guerilla". The Sissi troops are an existing part of our military, and played an important role during WWII, when Finland was at war with Russia. The purpose of the sissis is to work behind enemy lines, cut out from the main troops. The word "sissi" can also be used in common language to describe a person or an action which is particulary tough and rough. So, please do not confuse "Sissi" with the English word "Sissy", since they pretty much mean the opposite
So, the Sissipuukko is first and foremost a military-knife. As you can see, it has quite a slim shape to it, and since the knife is teflon-coated, it propably would be pretty easy to stab through a military vest, into the unfortunate enemy soldier. However, this is not the main purpose of the knife: to the sissi troops, the knife is first a tool, then a weapon. As I said before, they need to be able to function behind enemy lines unnoticed, hiding in the woods. So this knife is a "survival" knife in the truest sense of the word. The Finnish troops are not issued with any kind of "official" knife, but the Sissipuukko can be purchased from the Army, and many do. While in the army (-97), I also used the previous (heavier) model of this knife, and was really happy with it.
Some technical specs: The Sissipuukko has a 6" forged carbon steel blade with a teflon coating. The handle is ~5" long, and is made out of dark green tempered rubber, so it's warm to use even during winter, and gives a good grip when wet. Based on the overall balance and weight of the knife, Id say its basically a full tang knife. There's also a lanyard hole in the handle. The sheath is made out of thick leather, and features a unique rubber-wheel design, which I will explain later. The knife costs 'round 70 EUROs in Finland, and 'round 150 USD in the US.
Now about the knife itself; the word "Puukko" in the knife's name is a bit misleading. Sissipuukko does not feature a scandi grind blade, is not made out of traditional materials, and the overall design doesn't really resemble a traditional puukko. The word "puukko" is in this knifes name propably because Finns can call almost any knife a "puukko", in common language it's pretty much a synonyme to "knife".
The first thing that worried me was, that due to the lack of scandi grind, this knife might not be suitable for whittling tinder etc. And that same issue became the most pleasent surprise: Sissipuukko really bites to a block of wood, and was more than enough to prepare tinder. Also, as I'm accustomed to 4" blade puukkos, I thought the long blade might be a bit clumsy. But, even though the blade is thick, it was surprisingly handy. Now just to be honest: the Sissipuukko is nothing like a real puukko when it comes to carving wood, but it does seem to handle everything that is required while in the woods. Also the long blade enables me to batton the knife through a larger piece of wood, and the knife can be used as a light chopper. The handle is well designed, and the material is pretty comfortable to use even in freezing temperatures. I used the knife to clean some fish, and the handle provided a solid grip even when it was bloody and slimy
Preparing tinder
About the structure and durability. I used the knife on several hikes during last year. I also recently spent 4 days on my summer cottage, and while there, I used the Sissipuukko exclusively for splitting all the firewood required for our barbeque (I dont use a gas grill) and for warming up the sauna. So, I battoned the knife through well more than a hundred pieces of wood. The only sign of wear I noticed, was that the teflon coating began to wear out on two spots. Other than that, the knife is as good as new. I did not sharpen it during the 4 days, and the knife is still relatively sharp. The blade is however easy to sharpen with a regular diamond sharpener, and I can get it easily sharp enough to slice trough paper.
"Testing" the knife
About the sheath; the Sissipuukko features an ingenious leather sheath, with a small rubber wheel that locks the knife in the sheath in a way, that it can be worn up-side-down in a battle vest without having to worry about the knife falling off. Unlike with velcros and buttons, the knife can be removed from the sheath and re-sheated with one hand. The great thing about the sheath is, that it really is easy to use; removing the knife takes a second, and re-sheathing it takes maby two seconds, without even looking at the sheath. The sheath is also quiet, and doesnt rattle around like a plastic-one. The belt loop is attached with velcro, so the sheath can be attached for example to a MOLLE loop, or the belt loop can be removed alltogether. Also, the belt loop can be attached in a way, that the sheath is suitable for horizontal carry. The sheath is really sturdy, made out of thick leather. The little lion symbol shown in the pic is the Coat of arms of Finland.
The sheath attached to my daypack
So, what can I say... I higly recommend this knife for all-around camping tool. For me, this knife with a firesteel attached to the sheath is definately my "Survival knife" of choice!
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