Benchmade Leuku?

G

goatslinger

Joined
May 4, 2020
Messages
7
Anyone got their hands on one yet? Mine is out for delivery but just wondering if anyone has gotten one already and what you think of it? I've had the puukko but always just wished it was a little bigger for bushcrafting. So i'm thinking this leuku is going to be perfect.
 
Have several leuku; Jarvenpaa, Marttiini, Helle, some old Finnish makers. What make is it?



Rich
 
You can find info on Benchmade's website. Looks like a larger puukko, similar construction, steel, etc. Still impressed with my BM Puukko 200.
 
Alberta Ed said:
You can find info on Benchmade's website. Looks like a larger puukko, similar construction, steel, etc. Still impressed with my BM Puukko 200.
Click to expand...

Yeah I love my puukko 200 as well which is why im pretty excited to get my hands on this leuku.
 
Arathol said:
Neither of those are really a leuku or a puukko. Just variations on the bushcraft knife fad capitalizing on the names....
Click to expand...
bushcraft isn't a fad at all. it has been popular for years and it's not going out of style anytime soon although I agree that Benchmade is capitalizing on it.
 
Its the knife design thats supposedly intended for "bushcraft" that the fad. What did all those people do before the current bushcraft knife design was introduced? They used whatever they had in their pocket or bag. Humans have survived for millenia without a "bushcraft knife" in fact, at least not whats being touted today as one.
mk4Hcr7.gif
 
To bad they havent done anything with the sheath. Looks like the same piece of s... sheath that comes with the puukko.

Good thing is they have bumbed the 3V quite a bit(60-62HRC)!
 
But why not just get a real Finnish puukko or leuku? Lots of good, great makes/makers around. Is it the fancy brand name that attracts folks? Or is it that most folks aren't familiar with the real thing?

Finnish puukko and leuku were made/designed/manufactured by folks who needed/need a good knife for real, life threatening, deep woods and arctic survival as well as everyday tasks for over hundreds of years. Although I suspect (?) they have never heard the word "bushcrafting", they just call it life. Same for Norwegian, Swedish knives.

Rich
 
Last edited:
353 said:
Good thing is they have bumbed the 3V quite a bit(60-62HRC)!
Click to expand...

LOL...just wait until you have to sharpen it in the field after it chips out while trying to baton it through a piece of firewood...

Rich S said:
But why not just get a real Finnish puukko or leuku? Lots of good, great makes/makers around. Is it the fancy brand name that attracts folks? Or is it that most folks aren't familiar with the real thing?
Click to expand...
Most likely because those are not made from the "right" steel, don't have fancy Micarta grips etc.
kzNRc8c.gif
 
the reasons people buy the Benchmade and not the traditional leukus and puukkos are because
1: the real thing is usually expensive. (however, you do pay for quality)
2: the real thing may have "outdated" materials (not always the case)
3: the real thing doesn't come with a lifesharp warranty
4: brand loyalty
5: most traditional leukus and puukkos don't have a full tang
6: not enough research
 
You can find the "real thing" quite easily; Ragweed Forge carries a variety of Scandi knives. My favorite traditional is Roselli's carpenter's knife (except for the lousy sheath, but that's easily remedied). But I think Benchmade's puukko is a well thought-out update to the concept of a compact, one-knife-to-do-it-all design, with top quality steel and grip. Uh, except for the sheath, which is a good design concept but cheap execution. Again, that's easily remedied; I used mine for a pattern and made a better one out of thicker latigo saddle leather.
 
Maxrez74 said:
CPM 3v is quite tough. i don't think that will be such an issue but we will see
Click to expand...

Yeah, but normally 58-60 is where the steel manufacturer suggests is best for a knife. 62 might be a bit much....

Maxrez74 said:
the reasons people buy the Benchmade and not the traditional leukus and puukkos are because
1: the real thing is usually expensive. (however, you do pay for quality)
2: the real thing may have "outdated" materials (not always the case)
3: the real thing doesn't come with a lifesharp warranty
4: brand loyalty
5: most traditional leukus and puukkos don't have a full tang
6: not enough research
Click to expand...
Expensive? No, the Benchmade is more expensive than most decent factory made Finnish knives.
A handmade puuko would be no more expensive than any other handmade knife.
Outdated materials? What does that mean? 3V isn't exactly a new steel, and there are better steels if you want a long lasting edge. The handle materials used by Finnish makers are just as good as any other maker, sometimes better, and stacked birch bark is better than any modern non-slip handles if done properly.
What good is a "Lifesharp warranty" (whatever that is) if you are actually using the knife for what it was intended to do? If you are camping in Alaska what do you do, send it in for sharpening while you use a more useful knife that you can actually sharpen yourself with an Norton stone? What advantage is that, except for those who never actually use the knife for anything except cutting veggies in the kitchen? If you can't sharpen your own knife, what does that say about your "bushcraft skills"....
JdpXRWX.gif

Brand loyalty is silly. If you need a knife you can depend on, you don't buy it because you like the name, you buy it because it does what its supposed to do without issues.
Most traditional puukkot and leukut have tangs that extent all the way through the handle. Not full slabs but not just a blade stuck into a handle either. I have a stag handled Randall Model 1 that doesn't have a full tang. Lots of Webster Marbles knives had stick tangs. Didn't bother anyone for decades and it doesn't bother me....
Not enough research.....yup.....
 
Maxrez74 said:
bushcraft isn't a fad at all. it has been popular for years and it's not going out of style anytime soon although I agree that Benchmade is capitalizing on it.
Click to expand...

Bushcraft is absolutely a fad. People were camping out in the woods, and carving spoons and bowls, and setting up figure 4 traps for hundreds of years before the term "bushcrafting" and the idea that you need a special Mors Kochanski-approved shaped knife to do it with, came about.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top