Today I'll be showcasing the all around handiest bushcraft knife in my field kit......... My Finnish Puukko knife.
I picked this knife up several years ago from a woman who had traveled to Finland and bought the knife there. A little bit of hand finishing, some oil on the leather sheath, a good sharpening of the carbon steel blade, and this knife quickly proved itself to be a great little field knife.
Puukko knives are the traditional knives of the Scandinavian north country, most specifically Finland. There are many subtle style variations to these knives, but basically they are about the length of ones own hand, have a straight backed blade, and no hand guard. The puukko knife is the only civilian item that a Finnish soldier is allowed to carry without violating military regulations and these knives can be seen carried by many soldiers in the military garrison setting, (As an interesting side note, Finland banned the carrying of ANY sharp object in public in 1977 which has lead to the public disappearance of the once common puukko knife. In Finland you can only carry a knife if it is part of your job!).
I added a small stainless steel ring to the sheath and quickly realized that I had hit on the perfect mounting system for these puukko knives. I can add a caribiner, and the knife can clip easily to everything from my belt, to my jacket, or the straps of my pack.
As an alternative carrying method, I can add a leather thong with a double slip knot and it can be carried around the neck. If you look at the photos, you can figure out how this knot is tied (this knot and the bowline are two of the the most useful knots to know!). The two half hitches pulled together make a very strong knot and when the half hitches are slid apart, it makes for an easily adjustable lanyard. Oh yes, and it is VERY easy to untie if you need to remove the lanyard.
Here are a few more photos of my Puukko Knife:
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ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteTraditionally finnish puukko is carried on trouser belt. Your sheath seems to be missing a leather loop to make this possible. See
this picture http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiedosto:Carbon_steel_knife.jpg
ReplyDeleteI removed the belt loop from the sheath and added the metal ring so that I would be able to un-clip and move the knife to other carrying locations quickly and easily. I carry a clip on my belt that I attach the knife to when I am without my pack.
ReplyDeleteGreat observation on the belt loop! I should have mentioned that in the posting text :)
In the old days every man carried puukko in Finland (at least in the country side). Today I take puukko with me when making trips to woods, to make fire etc.
ReplyDeleteAbout the law mentioned in your text: Typically a manslaughter in Finland is made with puukko in drunken state... That fact is probably the reason for that law.
I have a few Finnish Puukkos. One of them has a leather loop that is too small to fit a belt (1 3/4 inch belt). I like your idea of a D-ring as well as the leather thing. I hope your metal ring isn't rubbing on the wood handle, though.
ReplyDelete