The Puukko

Luke_Chambers said:
I found one of these ages ago. It has sat in my drawer since then, because I'm worried to chip the edge. Somewhere (forgot where) I read that the blade is a bit delicate. Could you comment on your experience with these knives?
uOy0dIt.jpg

Wirkkala by the way designed the cutlery that I've been using every day the last 40 years, "Taille".
1280px-Taille-rosenthal_hg.jpg
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I'm not sure as I've never been able to get hold of one- they're very over priced here in Finland and often in dubious condition....However, I doubt if the edge is fragile unless you opt for battening through fence posts infested with old nails :eek::D

That tableware is really beautiful, must be a great joy to use at meals 😍
 
Luke_Chambers said:
I found one of these ages ago. It has sat in my drawer since then, because I'm worried to chip the edge. Somewhere (forgot where) I read that the blade is a bit delicate. Could you comment on your experience with these knives?
uOy0dIt.jpg

Wirkkala by the way designed the cutlery that I've been using every day the last 40 years, "Taille".
1280px-Taille-rosenthal_hg.jpg
Click to expand...
Use the knife if you want to! It is not a Mora, so the blade will not hold up to the kind of abuse common in Bushcraft circles nowadays (you will notice it has a lovely and distinct distal taper). It will cut twine, leather, and paper, carve wood, trim plant materials, butcher game and do all the sorts of things you would expect of a knife its size and grind. I used my first one for decades as a fishing and backpacking knife all over the world. It never let me down. (It was actually the first knife I ever bought with my own money, purchased from the Leichtung catalogue in the early '80s in my teens. Yeah, Gen X all the way, baby!)

There are many tens of thousands of Wirkkala puukko knives out there (more 3.5" than 4" models), so unless you are wanting to preserve the knife for a public collection, or you have a commemorative or special model (I have one whose sheath is somehow stamped for the newspaper industry), it is really just an unusual knife that was intended by its designer and manufacturer for use.

Enjoy it and take pictures!
 
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As always, it´s very inspiring to read this thread 🙂 Unfortunately my imgr is not working so i can’t post pics of my latest build 😕
Anyway, it is my first build with birch bark handle. A very nice material indeed, I will definitely make more builds in the future
 
Barbababa said:
As always, it´s very inspiring to read this thread 🙂 Unfortunately my imgr is not working so i can’t post pics of my latest build 😕
Anyway, it is my first build with birch bark handle. A very nice material indeed, I will definitely make more builds in the future
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Look forward to seeing it!
 
IMG-1419.jpg

Bought this old Marttiini Lapinleuku from rompetori, a sort of huge open space flea market event held every summer. Would A Arathol know the age and if it's some sort of "special edition" (referring to the sheath)?
I gave some leather balm for the sheath that is otherwise in good condition. The blade is also in very nice condition but probably needs some sharpening. I will use it lightly, most probably for our cooking events.

There were also a lot of other beautiful puukkos I should have taken pictures of. I admired some really beautiful lapinpuukko's but I have to prepare my arse for the coming summer expenses.
 
A.L. said:
IMG-1419.jpg

Bought this old Marttiini Lapinleuku from rompetori, a sort of huge open space flea market event held every summer. Would A Arathol know the age and if it's some sort of "special edition" (referring to the sheath)?
I gave some leather balm for the sheath that is otherwise in good condition. The blade is also in very nice condition but probably needs some sharpening. I will use it lightly, most probably for our cooking events.

There were also a lot of other beautiful puukkos I should have taken pictures of. I admired some really beautiful lapinpuukko's but I have to prepare my arse for the coming summer expenses.
Click to expand...
That blade looks like its engraved rather that etched right? Marttiini stopped doing the deep engraved blades years ago, late 1970s maybe according to the people I talked to at Marttiini. Other than that, it looks like a older model, probably 60s or early 70s. Marttiini used a number of different sheath stamping over the years. Try asking at shop@marttiini.fi, they are usually pretty helpful.
The blade also looks to be more or less convex unlike newer models from the 1990s onwards . It should sharpen up easily using varying grades of fine emery paper on a mousepad or a piece of leather, stropping like you would a straight razor.
 
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Arathol said:
That blade looks like its engraved rather that etched right? Marttiini stopped doing the deep engraved blades years ago, late 1970s maybe according to the people I talked to at Marttiini. Other than that, it looks like a older model, probably 60s or early 70s. Marttiini used a number of different sheath stamping over the years. Try asking at shop@marttiini.fi, they are usually pretty helpful.
The blade also looks to be more or less convex unlike newer models from the 1990s onwards . It should sharpen up easily using varying grades of fine emery paper on a mousepad or a piece of leather, stropping like you would a straight razor.
Click to expand...
Thanks! Yes, it's deep engraved and convex that were giveaways for the older production time. I'll send some mail to Marttiini!
 
A.L. said:
IMG-1419.jpg

Bought this old Marttiini Lapinleuku from rompetori, a sort of huge open space flea market event held every summer. Would A Arathol know the age and if it's some sort of "special edition" (referring to the sheath)?
I gave some leather balm for the sheath that is otherwise in good condition. The blade is also in very nice condition but probably needs some sharpening. I will use it lightly, most probably for our cooking events.

There were also a lot of other beautiful puukkos I should have taken pictures of. I admired some really beautiful lapinpuukko's but I have to prepare my arse for the coming summer expenses.
Click to expand...
Thats a beauty👌
 
Arathol said:
That blade looks like its engraved rather that etched right? Marttiini stopped doing the deep engraved blades years ago, late 1970s maybe according to the people I talked to at Marttiini. Other than that, it looks like a older model, probably 60s or early 70s. Marttiini used a number of different sheath stamping over the years. Try asking at shop@marttiini.fi, they are usually pretty helpful.
The blade also looks to be more or less convex unlike newer models from the 1990s onwards . It should sharpen up easily using varying grades of fine emery paper on a mousepad or a piece of leather, stropping like you would a straight razor.
Click to expand...

Got a reply from Marttiini. One of their experienced worker was on summer vacation, hence the delayed reply. He stated that the sheath model is from 1960's. Blade is polished and it gives an impression of stainless steel but it is actually carbon steel (makes sense since there's slight patina at one part of the blade, although the blade is very very well kept!). Likely a model 260, no longer in production. No knowledge on the sheath pattern or what it means.
 
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