Ahti Vaara and Lapin Puukko... 1st impressions

[Cosmic Superchunk]

Yesterday I received 2 Finnish knives from Ragweed Forge and I thought I'd share some quick 1st impressions of these rustic and beautiful knives.

First is the Ahti Vaara, with a 92mm (3 5/8") carbon steel blade. Comes with a nice traditional leather sheath. Looks quite similar to Kellam's puukko offerings which should be no surprise since Kellam knives ARE made for them by Ahti.

Next is the Lapin Puukko "Camping Knife", also with a 92MM (3 5/8") carbon steel blade with a traditional pouch sheath. This one has a more rustic look and feel.

Both knives come "scary" sharp, although the Lapin does have a very small secondary bevel. Fit and finish on the Ahti is quite nice and the handle is very comfortable. The Lapin Puukko is a bit more rustic and by that I mean that the handle is a bit more simple looking and the blade spine is a little rougher compared to that of the Ahti, but that's what gives these knives their charm. I can't wait to put them to good use! These knives were meant to be used and as is typical with Scandinavian grinds these blades are insanely sharp. So sharp that the hair on my arms jumped off screaming in horror before I even began to test how shaving sharp they were.


Here are a few comparison pics:

Size comparison pics (from top to bottom): Marttiini M571, Ahti Vaara, Lapin Puukko, Cold Steel Finn Bear puukko wannabe.

 

[thejamppa]

*snip* hair on my arms jumped off screaming in horror before I even began to test how shaving sharp they were.*/snip*

This made me laugh . Beautiful puukkos, thank you for sharing!

 

[Corpus]

Very nice. Especially the Ahti Vaara.

 

[Rich S]

I've two Ahti knives; the Metsa and the Juhla - both truly fine knives. I love Nordic knives, esp Finnish. Ahti (Reino Kamppila) like most production Finnish knives use Lauri Metallica Oy blades. That includes Lapin Puukko, Wood Jewel, Woodsknife, Kellam and many others. I've crafted many knives with Lauri blades and they are really fine; taking a good sharp edge and holding it with hard use. I must add that IMHO the Cold Steel Finn Bear is a real disappointment. It came with an edge that wouldn't cut hot butter; after taking time to actually sharpen it; it wouldn't hold an edge even just using it as a kitchen knife. I do like the Marttiini 571 - good knife for a little money (of course the crummy plastic sheath leaves a lot to be desired).

Rich S

 

[Cosmic Superchunk]

I've two Ahti knives; the Metsa and the Juhla - both truly fine knives. I love Nordic knives, esp Finnish. Ahti (Reino Kamppila) like most production Finnish knives use Lauri Metallica Oy blades. That includes Lapin Puukko, Wood Jewel, Woodsknife, Kellam and many others. I've crafted many knives with Lauri blades and they are really fine; taking a good sharp edge and holding it with hard use. I must add that IMHO the Cold Steel Finn Bear is a real disappointment. It came with an edge that wouldn't cut hot butter; after taking time to actually sharpen it; it wouldn't hold an edge even just using it as a kitchen knife. I do like the Marttiini 571 - good knife for a little money (of course the crummy plastic sheath leaves a lot to be desired).

Rich S

Yeah, I love that little red handled Marttiini. It's amazing how well they cut considering they cost next to nothing. The plastic sheath was the first thing I got rid of, so my Marttiini rides in a JRE Bushcraft sheath. Incidentally, the Lapin Puukko fits in the same sheath too.

As to the Cold Steel Finn Bear. I got it because it's basically a cheap version of the Cold Steel Sisu which in turn is a copy of a puukko design by Tapio Wirkkala. Too bad it lacks the true Scandi grind. I guess the Finn Bear is Cold Steel's attempt to compete with the plastic handled stainless steel Moras, except Moras are better. The steel on the Cold Steel Finn Bear is very soft and dings quite easily. Still, I like the design of it even though the knife itself is made in Taiwan.

 

[BlackMamba426]

Yes, Ahti makes some very nice knives. I too own a Metsa, and i like it so much its pretty much the only fixed blade i carry. You made a good choice :thumbup: