Educate me on the Puukko.

Nice one PT!
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love this thread. I'm a huge Puukko lover. Now my teenage boys are into them as well, especially the stacked birch bark.
 
"OK" was Olavi Kemppainen.

The lineage of the Tommi puukko style, being in part regionally influenced, may well predate the recognized beginnings by even generations of experience in what works as far as handle shape and blade style, but, a brief synopsis is, perhaps, worthwhile. Here is what I gather, having no personal knowledge.


Halle (or Kalle) Keränen (1844-1912) left the stix of Kainuu and went to work for Fiskars in the mid-1800s at the time new smithing and metallurgy technology was being brought from England. Halle studied under the English, becaming the pupil of Thomas Woodward, with whom he further perfected his forging technique and mastered oil quenching. Three years in the noisy south were more than enough for Halle, so he soon decided to return to the rural lifestyle that he preferred, in the Kainuu region.


Halle made puukot regularly after his return from Fiskars and gave his own interpretation of the Kainuu regional style. It was a simple puukko with 11 cm barrel handle and 10 cm rhombic blade with slightly trailing tip. However, the latter peculiarity was abandoned in favor of a completely straight spine. Kalle named the knife in honor of his master, Thomas Woodward, "Tommi."

The shop lineage in Hyrynsalmi, Kainuu region was Halle Keränen to his son Setti Keränen, famous for his WWII knives, (early 1900s-post WWII), who trained Antti Kemppainen, apparently founder of the company now known as "Kainuun Puukko" (AKA " KP-TOMMI") in the1950s, who trained his sons Olavi ("OK") and Alpo Kemppainen ("AK"), who trained and then sold shop to Veijo Käpylä ("VK") circa late 1980s/early 1990s, who trained and sold the shop to Marko Lindelä ("ML") circa 2010, who moved shop 130 miles east to his own home town, Oulainen.


This puukko historian believes Olavi deserves more credit for Tommi lineage: "When Antti Kemppainen died in 1972, there were no Hyrynsalmi Tommi specialists. However, the boy, Olavi Kemppainen, continued in his footsteps and got the know-how preserved to further the family legacy. From that turning point, the number of blacksmiths began to grow slowly. Today, the new blacksmiths are produced mainly from community college knife-making courses."

Some believe Olavi was the best of the Kemppainen Tommi-makers.
 
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Thanks Thomas Linton Thomas Linton , that’s really interesting and educational. I appreciate your sharing what you’ve learned.

And, congrats on having an example of Olavi’s work. :thumbsup:
 
Thomas Linton Thomas Linton : are you sure of the autentichity of the sheath? The puukko looks like Kemppainen work, though the combination of wood and birch bark is a bit unusual, but the sheath doesn't ring for me. You have a classic Kemppainen Tommi as well and the sheath on that one is on par with the quality of the knife. This one doesn't look so.
 
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Tutone said:
Thank You pistonsandgears pistonsandgears for reviving the thread! That is a beautiful Saku Honkilahti, does he have a website? Sure would like to purchase on of his Puukko’s.
Jelio also does a flat grind slicer blade Puukko as see on the birch bark/ironwood and dyed maple burl belowView attachment 918074
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Very nice, I will have to look into picking up one of his knives. Sent you a PM with the contact info for Saku.
 
Frederick89 said:
Thomas Linton Thomas Linton : are you sure of the autentichity of the sheath? The puukko looks like Kemmpainen work, though the combination of wood and birch bark is a bit unusual, but the sheath doesn't ring for me. You have a classic Kemmpainen Tommi as well and the sheath on that one is on par with the quality of the knife. This one doesn't look so.
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The bark is unusual, but one collector has an OK that has no Sallow Root - all birch bark.

Other than color of leather, the sheaths on my two OKs are identical in construction and style. Incredible quality, including fit to the knives- they "pop" in and out - the "boning" of the back seam to glass-like smoothness. The dangler tab on each is prototypical Tommi of that period, and matches the tabs on my Eetu Heikkinen Tommis. (Now Kainuun Puukko does not regard him [or Jukka or Pekka] as a maker of genuine Tommis, but they are just a business trying for success.) Wood lesta in all sheaths.

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WhittlinAway said:
I agree! Thanks for bumping it.

Congratulations on your new puukko. It looks great!



This one looks great, too, Thomas. May I ask who made it?
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Thomas Linton said:
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Thomas,

I recognize this knife and sheath. The sheath was made by a very nice man (serious puukko collector and ametuer maker) who passed away a few years back. The man’s son (who lives in Montana if I remember correctly) sold this knife on eBay. There is a good chance the father made or modified that handle also from what I was able to tell from the pictures. Kits containing OK and AK blades were available for several years. I bought 3 original OK tommis from his dads collection and had some nice talks with the best friend of the father. The son in Montana also previously sold a MKT tommi with an non-MKT sheath to a customer of mine. I have pictures of more sheaths made by the guy who made this one and they have exactly the same rough trimming and stichwork.
 
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Here is the other puukko, with, I guess I should say, an "OK" blade and the same sheath, purchased more used:
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It is surely the case that knives are made with blades made by others. Jukka Hankala sold blades for a time - marked "JH." I have a knife made from one of those, one I bought from him, and two I bought from Lamnia as his work.

There is nothing "rough" about the stitching on either sheath in my opinion. You have a different opinion and are entitled to that opinion. The fit in both cases is fantastic, and I have the puukot and sheaths.

KP feels it is the sole "genuine" source of Tommi puukot. Is that who you are calling "MKT"? This poster's opinion is that "MKT" is specifically Marko Tihula: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/please-help-me-identify-the-puukko.603340/ [post 9]

So who is this "nice man"?
 
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WhittlinAway said:
This one just arrived today:

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Maasepän puukko made by Pasi Hurttila. 80CrV2 carbon steel blade with oiled curly birch handle. I’m looking forward to putting this to use for green wood carving soon.
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I got the n° 9 of that batch. You will love yours for sure.
 
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