"A
knifeless man is a lifeless man.” Nordic
proverb.
I
recently bought a set of puukko knives.
The set has the curious name of Double Big Hunting (Knives) and was
designed by Harri Merimaa. Harri is from
Bothnia, a providence of western Finland and is a third generation knife maker. I think they are very nice knives and I'm very happy to have them. Nice job, Harri!
 |
| Double Big Hunting Puukko set |
The
blades are high carbon steel, the smaller knife is 84 mm (3.3 inches) while the
larger is 154 mm (6 inches). Both rest
in a single brown sheath. It’s the
handles I found especially interesting. Each
handle is chiefly dyed curly birch capped with elm wood. The rakish cut of the handle butt provides a
stop to prevent your hand from sliding off.
Puukko
knives are so characteristic of Nordic countries, it’s hard to mistake them for
any other knife. Surely you recognize them? Most puukkos have a slight shoulder but no
ricasso because where the edge ends and the handle begins is where most power
can be applied. The blades have a long
flat edge with no secondary bevel. To
sharpen, the bevel is place flat on the stone and then polished.
Nor
do puukkos typically have a guard to protect your fingers. A puukko knife is primarily a cutting and
building tool and not a tactical weapon.
A
classic blade would be the width of your palm, but you’ll find them 90-120 mm
(3.5 to 4.7 inches) long. This creates a
market for both men’s and women’s puukko knives. Women’s, (hey, it’s a sexist world) are
typically shorter bladed for ease of food preparation.
In
the Nordic countries, the puukko is an everyday knife that is used for
everything from hunting, fishing, and garden work to opening boxes in the
warehouse. Despite being an everyday
item, receiving a good puukko as a gift is considered a great honor in
Finland. Both Boy and Girl Scouts
consider the puukko their scouting symbol as well as a handy tool.
In
1977 Finland banned carrying knives in public because, (wait for it…) they
could be used as a weapon! This law
appears to be seldom enforced. In my opinion,
any law that depends on the personal outlook of a police officer is
discrimination.
As
an aside, the puukko is the only civilian item which can be openly worn as a
part of a soldier's combat gear without breaching the regulations of the
Finnish Defense Forces. Because puukkos
are traditionally considered to be very personal items, the military does not
supply conscripts with them, and most bring their own with them. It’s hard to imagine basic training with
knives, but what do I know?
