There are few places in the world where knives are more central to the daily life and culture than Finland. The national epic myth, the Kalevala, contains a story of the first 'smith, and to many people the Puukko is synonymous with Scandinavian knife.
Iisakki Järvenpää is one of the leading suppliers of traditional knives in Finland. The knives are of high carbon or AISI 420 stainless and tempered to 57-58 on the Rockwell Scale. Iisakki Järvenpää combines traditional styles with modern production methods to provide outstanding values. The blades are well ground and they are supplied with sturdy functional sheaths.
They are often ground with a very slight secondary bevel. This gives a stronger edge, but one which is not as keen as a single bevel. For general work this is ideal, but if you like your knives really sharp, you may want to sharpen it before use. Just follow the sharpening instructions until you can no longer see the glint of the secondary bevel. This is a chore, but you only have to do it once. These knives are so good, and so reasonably priced, that it is well worth the effort. On the other hand, if you are a hunter, and may be cutting cartilage or other tough materials, you may want a slight secondary bevel.
The traditional Lapland Puukko is the all-purpose utility knife of the Sammi people. As a nomadic people in a harsh environment, they have refined the style over centuries until there is nothing superfluous. The elegant result is a real demonstration that form follows function. The classic Nordic blade is narrow enough to penetrate, has a straight section for slicing, and enough curve at the tip for light skinning chores. The wide, flat pommel allows the use of both hands when forcing the point into something, and also serves as a hammer. The deep leather sheath is an indication of how serious a lost knife can be in the wilderness. The sculpted handle of curly arctic birch gives excellent control for the draw strokes that are favored when the hands are gloved or numb with cold.
There are three sizes:
If you can't decide, here's a combination set with the 5" and the 3 1/4"
puukkos in one sheath. This gives you a large knife for heavy work, and a
small knife for fine work.
#5618; carbon steel, $(out of stock).
#5618-o; stainless steel $89.
#1244; This is one of my personal favorites. The handle is built up from stacked leather with solid ends of red bronze. The leather is not varnisihed, which improves the feel and grip. It fits my average sized hand perfectly. The blade is unpolished carbon steel of a useful size and shape. The sheath has a plastic insert and a brass reinforcing band at the top. The suspension strap is attached to the band with a ring. I can see the whole outfit lasting several generations. The blade is about 3 3/8” long, and the knife is about 7 ½” overall. The price is $85.
#1244-Bark; When the Aito was first introduced it had a handle of compressed birch bark. The handle was
not varnished as is usually done with bark handles. This gave a slightly soft, velvety feel that I liked very
much. Shortly the factory changed to the compressed leather handle shown above. I really liked the
bark handle, so I asked for some to be done this way. I was lucky enought to catch them during a slow period,
so here they are. I sometimes apply a light coat of orange scented furnature wax to bring out the color and
help seal out moisture. If you would like me to do this, let me know when you order.
This is the Järvenpää I'd take into the woods myself. (Handle spacers may vary from picture.) $90 Out of Stock
It’s been a while since I've been tempted to take a knife out of inventory for my own use, but this one has done it. The name has a double meaning. There was a man named Aito Järvenpää who worked at the factory for about fifty years. He was both skilled and well liked. The word “Aito” means something like “genuine” or “original” in Finnish.
The Leuku is the traditional camp knife of the Saami (Lapp) peoples.
It combines the functions of knife and machete, and is the constant companion of
this northern nomadic folk. It is used for gathering firewood, butchering
reindeer and similar tasks. These are supplied with curly birch handles and
nickel silver trim. They have the same flat hammer pommel as the Lappland
puukkos. Again, the leather sheath takes almost the entire knife. The
Leuku is about a foot long with a blade of just over 7 inches (18 cm).
#5229, carbon steel blade, black except for the bevel, about .137" thick, $75, Out of Stock
#5229-o, polished stainless steel blade. $80.
Price reduction; I recently bought out another dealer and got some old stock which
was bought when the dollar was stronger. The price is $60, mostly with rather plain wood in the handles.
A combination of the 3 7/8" puukko and the 7" leuku in
a double sheath.
#5629-b; in carbon steel (shown) with the sides of the blade left black, $125. Out of Stock
#5629-c; in polished carbon steel, $120.
#5629-o, in polished stainless steel, $127.
You can click here for a comparison image of these knives (35KB).
#1156-o; One of the oldest styles of Puukko, with rounded brass pommel and stacked birch bark handle. The handle is particularly comfortable. The tooled leather sheath has brass trim at the throat and tip. The stainless blade is just under 4 inches (10cm) long, and the overall length is 8 inches. This is one I could happily live with for my own use. A true classic at $59.
The Oltermanni is named after the old village chief, and this is
a knife he would proud to carry. The blade is a bit under 4" (10 cm.).
The stacked leather handle is about 4" long, and has the flared pommel
typical of the far North. This not only helps keep the knife in the hand when wearing mittens,
but provides a comfortable surface for the other hand when pushing the
point into something. (The Sammi sometimes butcher reindeer by severing
the spinal cord this way.) The sheath is stamped and stained with a
particularly attractive pattern. The basket weave on the lower part
represents the traditional woven birch bark sheaths of past times.
#5247, carbon steel blade, $ (out of stock),
#5247-o, stainless steel blade, $65.
#2156-o; The famous horse-head puukko. These have a nicely detailed cast horsehead and stacked birchbark handle. The stainless steel blade is a useful 10 cm (just under 4"). The length of the knife overall is about 8 1/2". The sheath is nicely detailed, bound in brass, and should last a couple of generations. $85.
#2251-o Miniature horsehead puukko with a stainless blade of 2 3/16" (6cm). The length over all is about 4 1/2". This would make a neat neck knife! The price is $37.
#2756-o; A combination of the 10 cm. and 6 cm Hevosenpääpuukko in one
sheath. The small blade adds almost no weight,
and can be kept razor sharp for delicate tasks. $112.
#4217; Here's a variation with an Elkhound that could pass for a wolf. It comes with a carbon steel blade of just under 4" (10cm) for $79 .
#4216; Hounds are not forgotten either. The comfortable pommel of this knife is the head of a hound dog. It comes with a carbon steel blade of just under 4" (10cm) for $79.
#1243 This one is built for the big game hunter. The generously proportioned handle is assembled from curly birch, red bronze and leather. There is a guard to keep your fingers off the blade when working inside a body cavity. The carbon steel blade is about 3 1/4" (8.5cm), which allows you to guide the tip with your index finger on top of the blade for delicate skinning. The length overall is just under 8". This is a great worker for those with large hands. $85.
Traditionally, Scouts in Scandinavia use knives with guards, often in snap style sheaths. These are cataloged as Scout knives, but the blade shape seems more suited to the dedicated hunter. They all have carbon steel blades, about .120" thick, stacked leather handles with aluminum guards and pommels. The tang ends are exposed at the pommel.
#3445; This is the smallest, with a blade length of about 3 5/8". The handle has only about 3" between the guard and pommel, so it's suited for children or smaller ladies. $40
#3447; The midsized version seems the most useful to me. The blade is about 4 5/8" long and 1" wide. The handle has about 3 3/4" between guard and pommel and is very comfortable in my average sized hand. $45
#3449; This is the largest of the three. The blade is about 5 7/8" long and the handle has 4 7/8" between guard and pommel. The grip is fairly small in diameter, so it's still suitable for average sized hands. While the use of aluminium keeps the total weight down to just over 4 1/2 ounces, much of the weight is in the blade. It's suitable for light chopping and general camp chores, as well as butchering large game. $55
This is the same no-frills utility puukko in a kalevala style flat
sheath.
#6316, 3 7/8" (10 cm) carbon steel blade, $27.
#6316-o, 3 7/8" (10 cm) stainless blade, $30.
If you are really getting a knife for a school child, you might want to consider one of the models with safety grips shown above. One of the Mora knives with a cross guard would be good choice as well.
#6229-o, The fillet knife is available separately as well. It's a basic fish fillet knife with a thin flexable blade. The blade is about 6 1/4" long and tapers both in width and thickness. It measures about .050" at the center. In stainless steel it is $34.
Shipping and handling is $6 per order (not per item) anywhere in the US. Standard shipping is by Priority Post, insured if warranted by the value of the order. This doesn't actually cover the cost in most cases, but it's easy to calculate, and is my way of saying "thank you". Shipping is available for most other parts of the world, but costs more. Email for a quote. Note; shipping to Canada can be very slow.
New York State residents should add sales tax. If not, I'll add it for you.
Most folks use a credit card and the encrypted secure order form. If you prefer, you can FAX your order to 716-731-3715. I'll need the type of card (Discover, Visa, or Master Charge), card number and expiration date. If course I'll also need to know what you are buying, and where to send it. Please include your e-mail address.
If you don't have a FAX, you can call that same number. If your timing is good, you can just speak to me and give me the order. No collect calls.
If instant gratification is unavailable, you can always send a Postal Money Order or check to:
Ragweed Forge
PO Box 326
Sanborn, NY 14132
The Postal Snail may be slow, but he's faithful and discreet. Checks may be held for clearance, so if you're in a hurry, use a money order.
Everything on the page should be on hand and ready to ship. However some items may be short supply, so if you are ordering by mail, you might want to e-mail first so that I can hold your item (ragnar@ragweedforge.com).
