Pukka as light General Outdoor Knife

israelpiper · **on:** February 12, 2018, 09:55:32 AM

Marttiini Puukka from Finland:

Scandinavians, Finns, and Sami have obviously influenced each other's working knife traditions. But there is nothing like the Finnish PUUKKA for plain utility, undecorated, and handy. Always look at what the traditional hunters and fisherman have developed and still use. The Puukka is sort of the Opinel of Finland for light, cheap and practical. Well, cheap at one time. 30 or more years ago, my folks spent 6 months in Ooulu, Finland, and picked up this knife for me. They are long gone, sadly, but this Marttiini soldiers on. I have neglected it for years at a time, while using it. Needs only a few passes over the stone and up and down the strop once in a long while. Paired with good small Swedish hatchet (22 or 23 cm), most any camp and wilderness chores can be done. Great for traveling light. I have a few SAKs that weigh more.

SteveC · **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2018, 03:30:28 PM

styx · **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2018, 05:36:46 PM

be careful, you'll soon be addicted

hiraethus · **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2018, 05:54:02 PM

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2018, 06:16:23 AM

That general kind of knife has been in use since the Viking era from Scandinavia at least across Western Russia. I think it reached what is essentially a perfect form and hasn't much changed in 1000 years.

Here's a pic of a bone handled version circa 9th or 10th century, in the Yorkshire Museum.

I went looking for a pattern for a Seax to make for a friend who's in the SCA, and discovered that there are some very old knives that in general form look pretty much like a Morakniv or Puukko.

And I think that is pretty cool.

israelpiper · **Reply #5 on:** February 15, 2018, 02:27:12 PM

Interesting archaeological specimens! Since the Scandinavians and the Finns came from separate directions, and do not share language groups, or culture, it goes to show how basic tools cross lines that language and politics cannot. An east-traveling Scandinavian meets up with a Finn, likes his knife, and probably with sign language and show of coins or something to trade makes a deal. He then goes back to Scandinavia and uses the Finnish knife as his model. Scandinavians traded and sometimes conquered and colonized from Greenland and Iceland to the west, and down the Russian rivers, and even to Sicilia. Finns are part of an eastern peoples, but whose origins are still not entirely understood. He rubbed shoulders with the Sami, Karelians, Ugrians, Balto-Slavs, Russians. The knife was so central in pre-modern times that men, women, and even older children carried them. Migrating peoples and locals must have developed thousands of hybrid styles.