There are several, actually, and a regional thing as for varieties, and the puukko/knife in general a national emblem, with own museum, promoted by the state (as with all traditional hand crafts) at state supported schools......and unlike the 1960s/1970s, where handmade a dying art, and a promotional effort just starting in order to save the the art, there are now thousands of aspiring puukkoseppa vying for market attention.

This all should sound very familiar to USA readers, and likewise no suprise that this also has generated a further familiar subset, the art knife versus the traditional work knife...most makers today are concentrated on the minimalist modern art highly polished and perfectly fitted knife.

Then you have old-school such as the Kainuun Puukko and its famous Tommi style, including its long version of Winter War fame, and the style brought to national and international attention by the President of Finland (from the Kainuu region, I believe), from 1956-1982, having a Kainuun Puukko Tommi on his desk and gifting them to visitors....the style now also a nationally recognized thing, and often copied (as are all the regional styles), by makers nationwide, and now by makers literally worldwide since the explosion of knife interest in general.

The lineage of the knife style, being a regional thing, surely actually predates the recognized beginnings by perhaps even generations of influence in what works as for handle shape and blade style, but, a brief synopsis is worthwhile, in order to show the links.... The shop lineage in Hyrynsalmi, Kainuu region was (mid/late 1800s) Halle and son Setti Keränen (early 1900s-post WWII) who trained Antti (actual famous name-brand shop founder of KP-TOMMI in 1950s) and sons Olavi and Alpo Kemppainen who trained and then sold shop to Veijo Käpylä circa late 1980s/early 1990s, who trained and sold shop to Marko Lindelä circa 2010, who moved shop 130 miles east to own home town of he and wife, Oulainen.....back to the founder, Halle was the guy who left the stix of Kainuu and went to work for Fiskars in the mid-1800s at same time new smithing technology/metallurgy was being brought from England, and who studied under the English....but tired of regimented city and factory life, and went back home where he could be his normal Suomi redneck self and drink hard and swap tall tales and smith...his son was famous for the WWII knives....the successors the most famous and responsible for the style becoming recognized and copied nationwide.

As to the latest maker and owner of the shop/name, Marko is true to the heritage....he is not the art knife guy, but a maker of the famous Tommi, as well as a few other styles. His knives are working knives and even in the more finished versions of the Tommi, have no aspirations to perfection of mirror polish and seamless jointing of the art knife crowd, and PLEASE keep in mind his work is MUCH more highly finished than the work of the earlier folk who made the name famous.....he simply does as any traditional puukkoseppa, and does every scrap of it by himself (with exception of fancy/tourista/Sunday barbeque silver bolsters marked suchlike "Finland" and the animal head pommels purchased from a jewlery findings company), otherwise all brass and silver castings, sheaths and birch liners, blades hammered from round barstock of Silversteel (think O-1 Enhanced), and enough forging to reduce and distribute carbides, and 60-61 Rc type edge hardnesses....he makes the types of knives which inspire the owner to carve 2×4s into toothpicks, all day long and in complete comfort, blades which cut like blue blazes, and handle/blade design the result of uncounted generations of regional residents who needed a knife which worked, as near everything away from any city was made from birch or reindeer or moose, whether furniture, bowls, spoons, etc....they designed knives which worked...

The below photos simply and mainly highlight things for scale and contrast....firstly, to show what a difference 1/2" in blade length makes when buying a puukko.....also a quick contrast between the work of rising young knifemaker Tapio Syrjälä who apparently has gone stock removal nowadays and who does impeccable modern art work,..compared to that of a classic maker and his knife as delivered straight from Finland, and still with polishing dreck on brass and wood......also, the sophistication of lines and curves, and perhaps a visual as to why a real puukko needs no guard, the offset of curve peaks of top and bottom handle arches denying any tendency of hand to slide towards blade, and also simply that grasping too far forward simply does not feel right and hand instinctively adjusts to best hold, which also provides best leverage...... Also, this is not, obviously, a higher finished blade, the more rustic type blade a bit more expensive since it requires forging all the way to final thickness rather than to thickness sufficient for grinding to remove all trace of scale or hammer....and ALL blades forged from round bar...no shortcuts....a real puukko......and for the curious, this would be the T55 Tommi Moose model in shorter 100mm length...weight a feathery 4.3 oz bare and beltline pleasing 6 oz sheathed.....his prices for standard classic Tommipuukko circa $170-$260, depending on size....and Marko a very nice late 30s age guy with beautiful wife and growing herd of beautiful children and sole wage earner with wife in school and also new baby.....good knives and good folks....

his wait times are considerable more than the two weeks as stated in the web site he inherited from Veijo would suggest....think more like 6mths......unsure as to why website not changed except a) he speaks rudamentary english and for all i know, does not realize what pages mention the two week wait on english pages and him able to recognize what it says, b) him no manner of website guru, and c) bumper crop family leaves little funds to pay a website guru, and d) too busy making knives and taking care of family to mess with it all...anyhow, email first and find out wait times.....also, several retailers carry the knives, i noted thenovicewoodsman has better prices than you could get after $30 Finnish privitized post











As you can tell, I am a great fan of the knives. The prices are incredibly good for the amount of handwork which any of the puukkoseppas do, and I strongly urge anyone and everyone to own at least just one. They are flat out some of the best working knives in the world.

Hello,
some really nice Puukkos you have!
I have an old one given to me by an uncle as a kid, once I was ill, he knew the best medicine for a boy
It's made by Johannes Lauri in the 50's


Thanks for sharing!

Regards
Nicolas

Yes,these are fantastic knives. I have a Tommi by Juka Hankkala, it looks a lot like the smaller one on the photo.

The Roselli knives by Heimo Roselli are nice too, and even more basic. Great users.

Jukka is one of the acknowledged masters of the modern art knife crowd in Finland, and is a master, and no doubt an inspiration for young Tapio, who (unbelievably) has only been making knives for about three years and is already doing tapered tang Loveless-style hunters and fighters...I bought a knife of Tapio's thinking him headed for real fame if he keeps it up.

As for large shop/factory, and old, there are the couple of Swedish knives from several old makers in Mora, the knives dating from the late 1930s and early 1950s respectively (Jonsson Bros. and Erik Frost) , as well as a more Saamipuukko style from the Passo father/son team using an older Altti Kankaanpää blade (they now use Laurin Metall Oy blades as does most any smaller maker such as Ahti, Art Jewel, Lapin, etc.), with the traditional high grind strong thick puukko blade which works far better and far safer than the Swede or Norwegian abrupt grind and handle designs.

I formerly thought all northern European knives were as dangerous as old Mora laminated straight-razor sharp knives with protruding corners and slick tapered spool handles, and then I found the knives of Finlandia.

The real Tommi puukko (or even modern art versions such as Tapio's), as opposed to large shop/factory blades even of Finland, also typically has the rhomboid/katana cross-section with spine thinning from top of blade primary grind, and allows the blade to be laid over for fine controlled cuts rather than it submarining as Swede grind blades.

Thought you might enjoy this history link...only in English and Suomi, but your knife was made in a little house after shop destroyed by the War...they still assemble even pricier knives and use outsourced high quality hand forged blades by a somewhat reclusive smith, and him using probably a handheld hammer.

http://www.lauri-tuotteet.fi/eng/

Unrelated to your knife, or even their latest handforged collectibles, but wanted to mention the also unrelated Lauri blades (Laurin Metall Oy)....they use Thysen Krupp clean high carbon steel, which as with the Bohler Uddeholm used by Mora, can be taken to circa 60 Rc without embrittlement, and in between the steel and blade grind, will outperform many more expensive blades even of custom makers worldwide, and these blades used on knives which retail for circa $30-$100.....just good solid knives for real knife use from Finland.

Thanks for getting this going and for all of the information Lofty. I just ordered a couple of knives from the link you provided. Nothing high end but interesting and traditional.

A good source of info about various commercial makers is

https://www.ragweedforge.com/index.html#catalog

where he lists by country and maker with a little info about each...as mentioned prior, many of the less expensive versions will use same source blades, sheath liner might be plastic instead of birch, or even a half-liner against body.

I often carry a puukko as they are very light, work extremely well as a one-do-it-all knife, and the dangler sheath allows the knife to rest inside front slash pockets of trousers....sure, the top of sheath and pommel shows, but very non-tactical or even mountain-man appearing, quite dressy or ethnic looking, and the hard lined sheaths allow safe carry in such a manner....also, the form fitted mouths of most sheaths mean great retention while no keeper strap to accidentally cut....a great KISS rig.

PLEASE make sure you post a picture of your felt boots when they arrive!!!!

if you ordered from Lauri, I cannot speak of handles or sheaths, but the blades are quite good, indeed...here is a profile of the smith, and an American's site with great info and cross-links to all manner of traditional smiths....
https://nordiskaknivar.wordpress.com/2014/11/16/kullervo-review/

Another good source of info and goods is Lamnia out of Finland, their site easily googled, but that is an expensive way to go....stateside, Kellam carries many makers rebranded under own confusing "lines", even Marko's stuff hiding somewhere in there, and them also not exactly the cheapest.

Some of these makers, inexpensive to super expensive, often show up on ebay.

I was thinking the Barbie pink ones.


Another really good smith profile from the Nordiskarkniv site, enjoyable reading and good photos.....
https://nordiskaknivar.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/martti-malinen/

And back to Marko and the Tommi Puukko, here is a little slideshow of previous owner Veijo at work from 8yrs ago....nothing has changed, and I think you can see the knife actually folded and built up in forge welding to shape....NOT just simply banging out an edge....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djAY1UbHQNQ

and also essentially same slideshow but a few extras such as the past President of Finland showing off by shaving with his Kainuun Tommi puukko knife, and bit more emphasis on handle and sheath making at the expense of few blade forging shots....note the hand powered Singer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElBb2uqu0n8

As to the steel being used, "Silversteel", I had mentioned to think O-1 Enhanced or Improved....the actual steel used by puukkoseppa in Finland, when they say silversteel, is the super-pure Bohler Uddeholm K510, very high 1.2% carbon, good doses of chrome, vanadium, silicon, closest I can think of as far as composition perhaps the Hitachi Blue Steel Aogami #2 (though not as clean) and can be taken to very high hardness with very good resilience and toughness.....and this apart from all the forging. If a guy knows what he is about, he ends up with a very impressive blade.

Thanks Lofty!!!
I actually asked these guys a couple of years ago about the origin of my knife and they confirmed, that it was made by Johannes Lauri.

This guy makes some amazing Puukkos, too!!
http://tsyrjala.blogspot.com.es/

Regards
Nicolas

That first set of photos I posted has a knife by Tapio. But as noted in post, it seems he no longer forges blades, and instead only does stock removal, and is moving on to all manner of other style knives.

I was disappointed to see this move from forging (or grinding without jigs), personally, but it is his life and business....his logic is that his tests show no difference in performance, but the only tests I am aware of is a bit of moose antler carving. He bought a new grinder back this past fall and just started having fun with it. He is doing amazing work for only 3yrs of knife making (already tapered tang Loveless hunter and fighter copies!) and maybe not yet even 30yrs old.

Here is a video of one of his moose antler carving tests which shows some pretty impressive edge retention, no doubt. You need to have the sound turned up for the full effect of just how abusive this is to a fine knife edge....any of the good forged Silversteel knives would pass this test, and this is such a knife.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REqMYleo9Jc

Felt boots? Barbie pink felt boots? Uhh, think I'll pass on that.

well, sheesh.....then I'LL take them......some people are SOooo picky.

Thank you Lofty!

Very interesting information

Only moose cutting, this is not the most difficult test, worse - cutting of felt or thedeckhouse stag.


Here is a pretty useful links:

http://finnish-puukko.blogspot.com/

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fi&u=http://www.taistokuortti.com/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpuukko%2Bpaja%2Bkivimaki%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX&rurl=translate.google.com

http://www.puukkoseura.fi/english.php - Finnish knife Association

http://www.cultur.nu/knivar/index.htm - Norwegian knife Association

http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=_t&hl=no&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fkniver.blogspot.com&sl=no&tl=en&history_state0= nice blog

http://www.paasopuukot.com/

http://www.poropuukko.fi/

http://www.kainuunpuukko.com/perinteiset-tommi-mallit-120/?vo=0

http://www.kellamknives.com/

http://www.puukko.biz/puukkoluettelot.htm

http://www.kauhavanpuukkopaja.fi/

https://www.fonecta.fi/haku/-+Puukot

http://yp-taonta.fi/

http://suomenmuseotonline.fi/sv/selaa?freetextSearch=puukko&action=search -- Finnish Museum

http://tommipuukko.com/

http://www.puukkoseura.fi/doc/suomalainen_ja_puukko.htm
reviews

http://www.puukkopekka.com/

http://www.gotavapen.se/gota/artiklar/knivar/swed_knife.htm

and a pair of the Finnish and Scandinavian knives, especially with the theme of the photo using real knives:

https://translate.google.ru/translate?hl=ru&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Frusknife.com%2Ftopic%2F8320-%25D1%2584%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BD%25D0%25BD%25D1%258B-%25D1%2581-%25D1%2584%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BD%25D0%25BD%25D0%25B0%25D0%25BC%25D0%25B8-%25D0%25BD%25D0%25B0%20-%25D1%2584%25D0%25BE%25D1%2582%25D0%25BE-%25D0%25BE%25D0%25BF%25D1%2580%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B4%25D0%25B5%25D0%25BB%25D0%25B8-%25D0%25BD%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B6%2F

https://translate.google.ru/translate?hl=ru&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Frusknife.com%2Ftopic%2F174-%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B8-%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8-%D0%BE%D1%82-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%83%D1%88%D0%BA%D0%B8-janne-marttiini-%D0%B8-%D0%B4%D0%BE-%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BD%D1%8F%D1%88%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%85-%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B5%2Fpage-1

https://translate.google.ru/translate?hl=ru&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Frusknife.com%2Ftopic%2F711-%25D0%25BD%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B6%25D0%25B8-%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B7-eskilstuna%2F

https://translate.google.ru/translate?hl=ru&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Frusknife.com%2Ftopic%2F108-%25D0%25BD%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B6%25D0%25B8-%25D0%25B8%25D0%25B7-kauhava%2F

What a complete library of links you just posted! Wow!.....that surely needs to be saved somewhere where it can be found.

I wanted to add some important information about Marko and his knives.....many puukko sold as traditional are not made the old way, many things outsourced, or bolsters cut out of thick plate...

Marko makes every bit, casts the bolsters, forges each and every blade, absolutely no simple stock removal sold as traditional,....

AND very uniquely, and importantly, he actually Rockwell tests each and every blade, so that if he says it is a 58 Rc blade, then it is a real and measured 58 Rc, and not just some number pulled off of a heat treat chart which only shows average results plus or minus too many other variables to count. As far as he knows, no other puukkoseppa does this rigorous a testing in all of Finland.

As for Marko and his original Tommi puukko from the original shop lineage and ownership of shop name, one thing I also look for in anyone doing work for me, is knowing my money is going to a worthy cause, a man or woman or business whom I think deserves the business.

I do not care if someone makes the greatest thing in the world, if I think them a foul mouthed self-centered jerk, then they do not get my business, and there are, unfortunately, far too many of that type in gun and knife world. Marko is a genuinely nice guy, with a herd of a family he is supporting, and he does great work......a pleasure doing business with him, and someone I would recommend without hesitation.

And we all know having some personal tie, a face with a name, or some actual link with a real person, or historical link of a shop, something, is hugely important to how we feel about a purchase...as well as knowing they simply do not take shortcuts, where it may not be perfect, but it sure is good.

So, below, a few shots of in-process knives, traditional stacked birch bark Tommi with silver fittings, some of the Texas barbeque fancier work also done with silver, the face behind the name, the in-process family (I think a Christening photo), and latest herd edition from January...the eldest daughter takes most the knife photos for him, and took the photo of the youngest....a puukkoseppa and his puukkos..

Great information and photos!
Direct contact with the master is priceless.
Good man.

Quality control is wonderful, I took some Finnish blades and knives. Indeed forged, but there was a big variation of quality even within the same party - some of the blades are too soft, some too solid.

Here is an example too hard, not Finland, Japan higonokami.
Form blades in the profile is the same as in Finnish.
A little hard work and went chipped blade - too hard blade that is evil.
Here hardness of about 61-62 HRc.

I see Marco used 80CrV2 - steel for knives for planers,
circular knives, circular saws for timber industry.
An excellent choice for the Finnish knife

Yes, many go for too hard to keep the edge. Or too hard for buyer and uses. A good birch carver which holds an edge forever may not be the knife to pound crossgrain through dried oak.

One should discuss uses with a smith before buying, to make sure that smith makes a knife compatible with user, or is willing to do so, if changes needed.

Marko actually adept at Silversteel/Bohler Uddeholm K510, 80CrV2 (no idea if Bohler Uddeholm B400, or PN NcV1, or ?, which can make a difference depending on batch and supplier, all 80CrV2 is not equal and why he Rockwell tests), also a stainless which I did not look into in detail, and likewise damascus which also I could not say one way or another if he forges it himself or not. Steel type dependent on knife and customer requirements.

All that interests me are more traditional. He is making me a WWII/Winter War reproduction 175mm blade Major Tommi (think Finland version of a Randall Model 1 as for national fame) as close as to what was used then as possible, so it will have the oiled raita root burl handle as typical at that time. I could have gone for the Marine/Commando Jääkäri Tommi also used, but a 205mm blade is getting to be a Japanese Tanto by then, which I already have (again, similar rhomboid cross section). And another one of these 100mm Moose versions identical in every way but with more typical/traditional clean upper grind.

There is a story behind Kainuun always putting the stamp on "wrong" side of blade for Finland, but I cannot recall details, and it is driving me nuts. But not nuts enough to bother busy Marko and slow down my knife and everyone else's simply to get an answer.

English is very hard for him, and google-translate is a joke for English/Suomi and makes for very funny reading in trying to study from original sources. Even worse than you-tube captioning.

About 408 views of this thread late at this point, and I feel like a dope for not mentioning, but Marko fully guarantees against blade and handle functional problems, on top of Rockwell testing each blade for perfect heat treat of whichever steel chosen. Really stupid to not have mentioned that.

A late find on the Marko Lindela knife which I think is neat.

I knew he charged more for the rustic look knives due to forging "to final thickness" as he said, my assumption spine forged more to final thickness in order to leave rustic appearing material, and rest would be forged/ground as normal.

Not so....he meant entire blade forged to near finished shape, and rough grinding only to level surface, the rough grinding unique to these more rustic blades.

All his knives are forged out, but on others he leaves enough material to eradicate all signs of forging via grinding for "nicer" look, but not on these, not anywhere.

I thought, in typical USA fashion, that what I saw on initial receipt was a blade which had been roughly and minimally forged, roughly ground and thrown in a bin to rust a spell, and then surface rust ground out at final grind/finish. Leaving shadows of the rust in the grind. Hey, I'm American and used to it....

But what I was looking at was a blade forged almost to completed shape, where shadows of scale not completely removed and carrying down to near final edge.

Lotta forging going on with this humble appearing knife. And much could have been skipped with no one the wiser.

The language barrier partly to blame for my misunderstanding, and also misunderstandings of his website, where he lists this finish as "forged", while other finishes do not use the f-word, leading even to typical forum chatter of making up what one does not know, and comments of "sounds like a short cut to me!" regarding his other blades.

The other part to blame is buyers frequently sold things misrepresented by makers in either outright or inferred statements as to how things are made, and Americans especially so misled by many domestic makers and sellers at every turn.

But, it seems with Marko that one gets what one pays for, and then some...such as, check out lines in the spine passing through points both high and low, and only erased on high points, where the more you zoom in, the more you see. I did not notice this until I looked at my own photo. Yep... Lotta forging going on here.

Nice knives!
A typical rustic style - saving time and effort.
However, excellent results, as well as the quality of work
I saw similar, only entirely forging,
just a little bit of sharpening the cutting edge - no sanding,
no dremel. Specifically this on photo Russian knife (1-2 photo)

There is still a Finland master YP Taonta.
Also complete forging, but it's a budget option (3-4 photo)

There is also a Ahti and other, they use blades the company Lauri.
It is stamped blades with minimal processing (4-5 photo)


In fact Marco great master, this style is, rough processing blades.
Hilt, scabbard, gaps, cracks, interfaces handle and blade - everything is fine
Not to be confused with style and quality.
So I do not recommend Ahti and Iisakki Jarvenpaa later than 1960.
Build quality is unstable and low
Good Finn knife - 1890-1950's, the rest is necessarily to touch himself.

the main purpose of forging to final shape would have been to save waste of precious, hard to make, steel. And also save on grinding minus power tools.

Am still blown away by the lines in the spine of Marko's knife, and assume small bar hammered out flat and doubled back on self multiple times to build up a large enough piece of steel in order to have enough to even start forging the knife. Which is quite the opposite of starting out with a large chunk and then extruding a tang. Which would also go back to very old ways of wasting nothing. I also suppose/hope that 5-7 folds would do it, as by 10-11 folds would be circa 1000 and 2000 layers respectively. All done the very old way in order to preserve it, even when invisible to a buyer on higher finished versions.

The Lauri blades are quite good and often these $15 blades hold up as well as many costing magnitudes more, and prices quite reasonable on Ahti, Wood Art, etc complete knives starting at $50-$60 including leather sheath using the Laurin Metalli Oy blades.

In english, a good little essay on the Taonta name basically brought back by a nephew and starting with junk pile of old shop, hoping to expand and improve equipment. He does more what I term the basic forged blade, of banging out a piece of heavy stock, and forging out tang/edge/point and grind....

https://nordiskaknivar.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/yrjo-puronvarsi-blades-yp-taonta/

Interestingly enough, many of these guys now doing great work have only been doing this for 4-10 yrs, including Tapio, Marko, and the Taonta family nephew. If they continue, one wonders what they will be in 25yrs!

This is a pile of future puukkos, a half dozen to be made for Christmas gifts when weather cools.

The wood is wax dipped Amazon Rosewood (which is as close as to long time banned Brazilian Rosewood as one can get, and likely next on the ban list, most "rosewood" sold today not true rosewood at all), blades are Lauri, wood will be cut to lengths, center drilled and while annealing tangs for peening, will burn tang hole for perfect fit with spare blade bought just for that (at sub-$20, you can afford to ruin a blade and use as a tool), will be epoxied (only for waterproofing interior and joints for kitchen tool use) and tang peened over brass washer on butt.

Mainly showing this to show the Lauri blades. Nothing wrong with them. I think they are stamped-out Thyssen Krupp 80CrV2 run to 58-60 Rc so you might sometimes get one too hard, but normally good rep among knife beaters. Since for mainly female family members, blades will be excellent for daily chores.

A real puukko? Not really, except in the 20th century factory made manner of cheap utility knife. But still a great blade design of strong edge and tip but with high grind for wicked slicer/cutter maintaining puukko strengths.

Thank you Lofty!
Interesting report about YP.

Cool, this blade is perfect for rosewood.
Show, when knives ready

Even I will be interested to see knives when ready, meanwhile dreading the work. All will be done with a hand-cranked drill, roughed out by carving with knife, and hand shaped and finished with rasp, files, and sandpaper. Which on real and oily, hard, abrasive-clogging rosewood will be more fun than I can stand.

There are easier ways, but for family, I wanted as much of self put into it as possible, which they will appreciate. Same as I appreciate all the hidden work a puukkoseppa such as Marko does.

This will be my own poor contribution to having a work ethic rather than mass produced crap. It will still look like mass produced crap, but will be crap with a little soul.

I was insane to choose true rosewood, but flashing back to childhood when Brazilian Rosewood was common and Amazon basin only beginning to be raped. Now endangered species, and was looking for nostalgia and durability for generations of kitchen use. But imported arctic fancy birch (and from Marko) would have been much lighter, just as water resistant (birch wood and bark loaded with wax), and a HECK of a lot easier to work. But....it is here.....so......live and learn....learn to just buy from someone who knows what they are doing, like Marko.

Hey, DS, who was offering the lovely Taonta bladed puukkos accented with the northern Saami bone and carving? I just adore the Saami bone carving and piercing, personally prefer that type of carving over our more florid engraving styles.

Also, should maybe accent that crafts and tourism a very large part of Scandinavian and Bothnian/Ostrobothnian/Saami economies, and have been since railroads. So as far as puukkos (which just means "knife") goes, very developed regional style knifemaking centers developed early on. Team efforts of knifemaking as well.

So, outsourced blades from both factories and small smithies common, and many smiths make far more blades for other houses than they do their own, and these other houses employ people adept in various folk crafts, many working out of own homes, full or part time.

These knives a prime example and just gorgeous.

On second look, they look native craft but not Suomi/Saami....a native American flair?! Still same team effort but spread further than usual?

Gotta add the contrast to traditional puukkoseppa who does it all.



PS- these are outsourced, but just Saami style carving and not Saami style knife, but cannot put finger on all the influences, seems a dash of Amerind, but only a dash. But still western, not something done in Asia. Waiting for answer on this one, for sure. Meanwhile can post uncontested team effort of outsource blades handled and sold under another name, and all domestic, start to finish (no pun).





If anyone was curious as to the literal Saami flair, and how you did not cut the snot out of yourself, most cuts were pull cuts, while for pushing during carving or hide piercing, the force was applied to the wider pommel with the other hand.

Years ago, when traveling in Norway, I bought this knife. I know it is not made by a Sami knifemaker, but is it a Puukko or maybe a Morakniv?

Helle

Good knives.
https://www.ragweedforge.com/helle/h-hist.html

But not Puukko - another form of blade and handle, not rhombic.
Just Norvegian knife.

Thank you.

Most all the northern European blades have a lot to recommend them...they are made to carve and skin and prepare food and survive. And they do it extremely well and for very little money compared to how they perform against most any knife in the world.

Helle is a good solid brand and I believe they machine forge their own laminate steels?....The Norwegian knives typically are very like the Swede knives with a lower grind. I had a Helle some time back, very intentionally crude Viking knife of basically straight cylindrical shape with slight taper front and back, and tang peened over an iron diamond bit of plate. No photos survive so lifted this photo of what appears to be a well used one....I was after just a good solid basic traditional knife. And got it. And truth be told, I rather miss its basic primitive knifeness, a quite authentically styled knife from 1000yrs ago.



Helle is well enough known and promoted that personally think them priced a bit high, but, that is really up to the buyer. My particular Viking was ground quite lopsided, and even curved to side (easily cured, see below) which is quite common according to seller and also reviews found online...it affects nothing, and if they never cared, then why should I? But a buyer accustomed to other customs/standards should be forewarned to avoid shock.

I no longer use any of the famous Swede/Norwegian laminates, simply because I prefer a stiffer blade which can handle some lateral stress without bending. The laminates are not meant for anything but cutting, in which they excel, with core hardness often 60-61 Rc. As a matter of fact, the laminates are popular up that way due to the fact an owner can tweak/specialize a blade for a certain chore, such as making a bowl.

But with the lower more abrupt grind, they were not quite the kitchen/woods chores, wood carver of personal dreams....had to find the higher grind plus reduced spine thickness/rhombic tommipuukko to get that (think more manueverable clip area of an American knife, except full length of blade), where less drag in deep cuts and blade able to be laid over further for more control of cuts, not every cut a maximum wood removal "power cut".

The rhombic cross-section puukko is actually, as far as I understand, a Kainuun Tommipuukko thing originally, going all the way back to Setti in the late 1800s, even though now percolated far and wide, and why I keep coming back to Marko and his named shop.

But for sure there are prettier actual puukkos made, and by longtime smiths of far more fame, and many even make their own "more perfect" version of a tommi with same typical crested pommel, blade cross section, various levels of finish, etc. And this thread not meant as a bash to great puukkoseppa who turn out highly regarded knives now seen as collectibles as much as users.

But Marko does everything as the shop always has, and you would need ask any other smith if they create blades same old way and what exactly IS that old way, or Rockwell each blade, or etc etc. Marko ignores anything not as originally done. For instance, folk may make a big deal out of a sheath liner being two-piece and completely enclosing blade, while Marko still does the half-liner as ever since the beginning, for reason of fidelity to tradition, weight, trimmer sheath, etc, either version will prevent an accidental stabbling as no realistic way to get point started off to side, and front bolster hard up against wood and handle in a snug leather hug. Often times these big deals are actually made only by buyers from other cultures, bringing own assumptions to bear, and broadcasting as gospel truth, an example being above mentioned Helle grind, where a Norwegian woodsman would say, "so?", or seeing a bit of excess glue on a bolster or slight uneven gap filled with glue as a deathly insult and fatal flaw in knifemaking skills.

There are other REAL puukko of all various traditions and regions, and I might find something more perfect than Marko's work. But would have a lot of trouble finding one made anymore traditionally or from a more direct lineage of a single classic and oft imitated style. This is why I like his work and keep coming back to him as a maker of REAL puukko.....oh.....and it cuts like blue blazes and holds an edge and guaranteed and etc. This is a field in which I will stick to what I know, and will leave to others the picking from such a rich heritage of high performance knives, whether for use, or today, as much as for collecting.

PS- for someone just wanting to try a puukko style blade of higher grind, suprising stoutness, good quality steel, very sharp point, and more "normal" flat side (still works great in angled cuts due to high thin grind), but not wanting spend a fortune or buy into some of the native styles and sheaths, there is a great cheap $15 utility knife which is a lot of fun.

The injection molded rubber/kraton handle kinda wiggles around and a gap around blade, but knife snaps firmly into sheath, can be tied inverted, the large hole in toe also a drain hole, and the clip can also double as belt loop. A good tool box or kitchen utility knife or front porch whittler or work knife. The sort of knife performance where the owner immediately regrets the cheap modern touches as unworthy of the blade.

The one I had was green and with a stainless blade, from another supplier (Ragweed Forge) who maybe no longer carries them. Kellam still carries same knife (whoever in Finland makes the thing for them or Ragweed, I do not recall now, so long ago), but unsure if Kellam has stainless, and it buried under their "other knives" catagory, and THEN under the "S Line" catagory. Good working (really good working) little cheap knife, no matter what. Somebody else stateside may also carry the knife, as well.

I did wish to add a final note on safety.

Which is what brought me to actual Suomi/Finnish/Ostrobothnian puukko as done by Kainuun rather than various other Scandinavian and Nordic knives so commonly encountered.

All of them are quite sharp, and can be brought to a sharpness well above most normally encountered knives, making even a box cutter blade seem rough. This blade design really cuts, even on cheapest versions, the high quality, clean, fine grained steels they use in that part of the world takes the keenest edge, even on the cheapies.

I have cut myself quite badly with several, and not with push cuts , especially with older factory slickly wooden handled versions, the handle squirting or simply falling through inattentive fingertips, the blade a falling razor with mass. And note most modern makes now incorporate more ergo handles with guards, even those plastic handled domestic consumption versions such as Morakniv sold at every convenience store counter in Scandinavia where they are a universal disposable tool.

But my thoughts were, "surely the old classic pre-factory versions had to have had more going for them in safety, or the type would not have survived minus a guard for so long? That, or the northern European countries were famous for 1000yrs of sliced tendons."

It took some looking, as many are not made traditionally, no matter the claim, and as much style and art pieces as anything. The iconic Hackman puukko designed by Finnish design sculptor Wirkalla well known in this country from the 1970s, or more recent Spyderco designs by Tuominen, both fixed blade and folders, come to mind, ....this particular folder interesting as Tuominen designed the knife for Spyderco and then made this handmade version for a customer who thought the Spyderco did not do justice to the design. But I would still be afraid to use it much.












But in this Kainuun Tommi style, I found that simple traditional puukko which is safe and secure in handling, for too many reasons to list (again) here. Various design elements keep hand instinctively located further back with no tendency for hand to shift forward or for knife to slip down when held point up, or even in push cuts (although obviously not the ideal knife for overhead stab into a tree stump), and for extra grippyness of any, there is always the stacked birchbark handle, which is quite tennis-shoe-non-skid. This linked German language video shows what I cannot write, which is how the knife handles in a user's hand, only pity the reviewer did not realize the knife out of camera view so much of time, but still, a viewer can see it a very fine and safe all purpose working knife that handles and cuts just great, and that he is in absolutely no danger of cutting himself all through a video filled with rather absentminded handling. This video of same sized knife as the one I photographed, the 100mm Moose (skinner).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6s25R0b_mI


If there is any single reason why I went this route, the handle of this particular style would be it. Otherwise, one might be advised to go for a more modern handle style, and even Marko replicates a finger rest version and guarded version introduced by Kainuun in the 1960s-1970s due to demand. Considering those designs won prizes at the time, the perceived need for such among the general populace accustomed to most other unsafe factory designs might be assumed, and this change swept through all large scale makers with time.

But with this version, I can have that classic lean, spare, puukko and not be in constant danger of maiming hand or requiring stitches. And it has been a near thing with other varieties, both other regional Finnish puukko, and Scadinavian/Nordic knivär.

That's always been the deterrent for me to buy and use a Pukko type knife, was the lack of a hilt or finger groves.

Puukko - a working knife. He does not need guard.
Although the guards were always on the Finnish knife type
scouts and hunters.
But the vast majority - without guard, including combat knives.
This Finnish achievements, their tradition as choil to Randall

with guard







fighting knife



without guard

For fine work do not need a guard on knife - reduced mobility blades in hands.
Here Finnish soldiers make stalk for axes.

A good friend of mine, Nam vet, has had a pinky which will not close since he was a teenager, thanks to hand slipping on some unknown Scandinavian knife. Anecdotally, anyone from Finland will tell you that they are not Scandinavian. One need only look at the language as written (puukko vs knivar, for instance) in order to see they are not Dane/Swede/Norse, but neither are they Rus....they are different.

The young boy scout photo posted by DS is telling, the child training to use the heel of palm on the pommel, and knife with guard until he learns, where normally the adult versions did formerly ditch the guard, and this true across all of northern europe until this last century.

Also, again, one can see in the DS photos that some traditional regional styles are totally different from the knives of the Kainuu region, most of those pictured of Kuahava style and make, (perhaps one Tommi style on most modern soldier shot), mostly shop produced, (I think several of Kankaanpaa make by Altti's dad) large and small, if not a factory, much like typical Rapala fillet knives which came from same area at US importer request of design, and geared ONLY for pull cuts and a slippery slide down to edge on some styles for those of other cultures accustomed to also pushing with hand wrapped around handle.

I have noticed with this style Tommi that when held where knife feels "right" in hand, that the pommel is already braced against heel of palm, and the pommel "crest" as much a reduction of pommel edge to aid in palm getting behind the knife....it has little touches like that, built in, whether on the smaller or larger knives.

But, Pappy, you are not alone and historically, the most ordered Kainuun knife from USA buyers has been the one with a guard (and I think an American retail request as for origin), and Marko makes the several decade old Teho version with domestic market finger rest....there are knives with both, and then others as well.....cannot dig up at moment a photo of one with both, but the Granberg knife has the dip, while several large ones on table have the guard, and the tableful was all a shipment to a US retailer.

BUT, will note that once knives get here, in checking retailers, the ones which move right away are the traditional, while the "better" ones (with guards) as far as maybe their retail strategy seems to show, (and dyed and lacquered) are the ones which take a while to move, and the next fastest to move are the Teho/finger rest. Just going by own looking at what was out there and what was sold out.

Personally, I find the oiled (not lacquered) fancy birch or raita (burled goat willow root) handles seem perfectly fine for traction, the stacked birchbark is excellent.

Just wood-finish trivia, the oil finish Marko uses is a tung oil which is then waxed, and keep in mind arctic birch quite water resistant, and main worry only to keep knife from looking nasty, the dyes and lacquers as much a cosmetic thing. Tung oil can be reapplied at home as it wears, and easily stripped with mineral spirits if desired. Also, both fancy arctic birch and raita are prone to fissures, the raita far worse, and such is considered normal.





Just noticed out of that table full ordered by a USA retailer, not one of the knives a traditional Tommi. The black sheath with solid red front panel reserved for the totally traditional knife. I hate it when retailers know what I want better than I do.

Thank you Lofty!
Very nice, Marco well done

I have a knife, but he did not clean puukko.
This more fantasy on the theme of Finnish knives.
The Finns have never made such a thick shank))

I understand now construction of Lappish knives - thick handle is very convenient for planing wood.

wow! talk about born to carve. I bet the birch bark cushy grippy handle is very secure. What is the material at front and back of handle. I love that sheath, too.....born to work.

Lofty, this brass caps, inside the cap birtch wood.
In the vast majority of Finnish knives caps have this design.
after the cap put one layer of the skin and birch bark.

Steel 440B. I was very surprised when I learned that
this originally 440B and 440C steel designed
was for heat-resistant bearings for the oil industry

I pretty much call the style the Kauhava style, with horsehead, or without.

Will point out the little Lap knife of mine has a blade never intended for the Kauhava style, but was produced by one of the elder Kauhava master smiths, Altti Kankaanpää.

He shows up in a youtube video of several famous puukkoseppa working on a giant display Kauhava style puukko for the museum. Altti was almost 80yrs old when this still was taken at same time as the video put together showing them all building the giant Kauhava puukko, he is the one with ball cap and black jacket. They were using the giant calipers ratioed to small calipers used to measure a small normal puukko.






Here is a great older video (old film clip, actually) showing the semi-production Kauhava puukko being made, start to finish, in 14mins. These shops were formerly all over the region, puukko often marked with war of independence dates, Winter War dates, or with the flag of Finlandia. Generally for the tourist trade which came with the railroad, and never stopped.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsXmyKhIoAI

It is a truly great video of a great old smith making the puukko as they had been since the 1800s, again, in his very old shop established by his grandfather, very primitive production machinery designed to take advantage of power sources past human powered, again, much of this came with the railroad.

Lofty thank you so much!
Really informative video

It is a classic style documentary shot on real film, showing work in detail, relaxed accurate detailed narration, and relaxed music.

So different than all the modern hype videos where a modern version of same would amplify shop sounds to deafening levels, have a near screaming breathless narrator, and him shouting over music more fitting for an alien planet destroying monster spacecraft attacking the Earth.

A very nice documentary they way they SHOULD be. You see what I mean about Kauhava style knives, now, I am sure. This is why the Tommi from the Kainuu in the 1950s-1970s was simply considered the best puukko that money could buy. Nothing has changed except the focus in Kauhava (and its museum/shows/judging/awards) on the puukko as a microscope-proof artform.

Liked the film, now I am interested in getting some of these knives. Great more knives to be interested in.

I still like these previously mentioned slideshows from the Kainuu shop, pretty much same slides except more emphasis on blades in one, and handle/sheathing in the other.

The blade one is particularly interesting as you can see the blade a large built-up mass of folded back laminated metal taking shape at the end of the small bar.

Very much different than Kauhava style bolsters, as well, the Kainuu are in-shop cast (except the most ornate versions) solid metal (brass or silver, ornate or plain), and again, the Kainuu tradition is one man does everything.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=djAY1UbHQNQ

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ElBb2uqu0n8

Steven, tell your wife I had NOTHING to do with your getting interested in more knives. (one can never like too many type knives, and that is a fact). But before buying any such knife, make sure it is made the old documentary film way, and not a modern factory version of same.

My wife knows it not your fault Lofty. I have had this sickness for ever. I just love knives.

Your illness may have started 55-60 but mine has been full blown since circa 69 and never once in remission.

But in all that time, never found anything to beat the stark simple pretty Kainuun Tommi puukko for pure heavy paring knife safety and functionality.

What actually started it all was admiring modern Morakniv and thinking how nice a peened full length tang and nice safe pretty handle would be on one. But that is NOT to be found on old knives from the town of Mora.





Added PS- not that anyone else cares, but these two above knives are my NYC sheath knives, they are stout, they are razors, they are very pointy, where every knife MUST be totally concealed (including printing), ANY "dirk or dagger" assumed to be meant to cause harm to another person in the commission of a crime until proven otherwise, ANY blade over 4" totally illegal, and any locking folder which can be somehow flicked open (including loosening a pivot screw while impounded) even once out of innumerable tries by a well practiced cop in front of judge is found to be an "illegal gravity knife". Mentioning this as a warning to any who travel there. Any clip-on knife is an automatic search and easy bust and permanent weapon charge on anyone's record.

To thoroughly hijack own thread, the two folders for NYC are always the below two, one is a locking one-hand knife which normally is suicide in NYC, but small blade, heavy lock spring and non-adjustable pivot make it flick-proof, while the other is a corkscrewless old style German Army 108mm knife by Victorinox ("Pathfinder"), which is a large slipjoint with heavy spring detent, and which also is under 3oz and offers multi-tool capability of slotted/phillips screws, prying/scraping/gouging, can/bottle opener, and wicked useless saw (except maybe ripping boxes).

Had a great Uncle who collected knives he died in 1965, I got all his knives my brother all of his pocket watches. I've been collecting ever since. Mostly Randall and Ruanna.

Ruana was one I always meant to get into since first reading of them at that earliest date, but never got around to it. I regret that. I came close on a Montana smoke jumper knife and so marked, but there was another knife calling at time which limited how much I could offer, (and actually more forgot to offer more until too late), and have regretted that slip ever since.

I have tried to make up in other off the beaten path areas, as anyone who can spot an oddball can plainly see.

But, my stars, has it been fun!