The Puukko

[Rose and Thistle Custom]

Please say more about this one.

It's one I made on a Mikhail Eklund blade. Wasn't happy with the sheath but the handle came out very comfortable. There's an old thread with more pictures I could find if you want.

 

[Arathol]

That's a twist on the theme tongueriver .

I like it. A LOT

There is good reason why he was bladesmith of the year in 2011 and one of seven master smiths in Finland...

 

[Tutone]

Here we have a Birch Bark Puukko with a 80crv2 4” hand forged blade from the very talented and young bladesmith Martti Lehtonen from Soini, Finland.
This one is very sweet and I hope to add more from Martti in the near future Check out his Instagram @mlcustomknives and website mlcustomknives.wordpress.com

 

[screened porch]

Rauno Vainionpaa puukko.View attachment 1279055 View attachment 1279056 View attachment 1279057

Robin Pipeman offered to make me a capped sheath like that one in the portrait for my Jarvenpaa Kauhavaleinen. I wish I'd taken him up on it, but it seemed like quite an imposition.
I'm pretty sure he's long gone, so this is not a begging ode.

 

[RayseM]

Tikkanen

 

[screened porch]

~ Henri Tikkanen ~

View attachment 1279228

NIce sturdy sheath.

 

[Thomas Linton]

Roselli "UHC S Carpenter" (Model R210S): 3.35" x 7/64" thick blade

 

[RayseM]

NIce sturdy sheath.

Thanks - it's a favorite. This one by @Makael. I also have a traditional sheath by Henri Tikkanen but preferred something a little less "ceremonial".

 

[screened porch]

Thanks - it's a favorite. This one by @Makael. I also have a traditional sheath by Henri Tikkanen but preferred something a little less "ceremonial".

This is what Mike came up with:

View attachment 1279587

I like the extra stout dangler and the outside stitching that won't get rubbed through.

 

[tongueriver]

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[tongueriver]

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[TPVT]

it arrived! this is the 3rd knife i have purchased through martti malinen. he is top notch to work with. i spoke to him a couple months back about what i was looking for. i am not sure if he made this one specifically for me, but it is definitely close to what i wanted (i asked for the flared end. i like that, especially with the traditional puukko sheath).

it’s big for a puukko. but i asked for 4-4.25” blade. this one has a 4.25” blade and a 4.75” handle. martti says this one is designed as a traditional hunting knife.

i can see why. it has plenty of belly in the tip and not much drop to the point (like what i’d call a bullnose). this is not necessarily my favorite blade profile, but i can’t wait to get some use out of it and prove myself wrong.

quality craftsmanship/f&f as always. great balance. another beauty from martti.

 

[black mamba]

Is there a preferred traditional steel among the Finnish makers, and how hard do they run it?

 

[tongueriver]

delete

 

[TPVT]

You did well!!!

thanks

 

[TPVT]

Is there a preferred traditional steel among the Finnish makers, and how hard do they run it?

you know, it’s funny...i didn’t even ask him. i’ve had a discussion with him in the past about it, and i can’t remember the specific steel, but i recall it’s local to the region. i sent him a followup ....

 

[Frederick89]

Is there a preferred traditional steel among the Finnish makers, and how hard do they run it?

Traditionally common man's puukkos were made recycling steel from sickles and files, after the forging of laminated blades was dropped in the late Middle Age (though Scanidinavian smiths have kept it to this day). In the 19th century came silversteel, but it's unclear what type of alloy it had at the time, since the name was used in different courties to identify different steels, Silversteel used today is Bohler K510.
0,7-0,8% C steels were qite the norm for working puukkos, while silversteel was more common in higher end ones.

Currently the most used steel is probably 80CrV2, a ThyssenKrupp circular saw steel that can be used very efficiently both for longer and shorter blades, changing slightly the tempering temperature. It's very easy to heat treat, has a great balance of resilience and edge holding and is quite cheap. If tempered under 60 HRC has a resilience and edge holding comparable to same hardness 1075, when tempered higher has an edge holding comparable to 52100 at the same hardness, but with just a bit more resilience. On puukkos I've seen it giving its absolute best at 62 HRC, allowing it to have an excellent edge holding while still being tough and even at this ahardness is very easy to touch up and resharpen.

K510 is mosty used on Tommi puukkos and has a very good edge holding, but lacks resilience. Other carbon steel used are C75, O1 and 52100. Martti Malinen, mentione dabove has specialized in the sforging of 52100 and has used it for 25 years now. Some smiths, like the mentioned Henri Tikkanen still use plenty of recycled steel, in his case a 0,85% C steel from plow blades and a 1,3% C steel from Viiala files.

As for the hardness, evey smith has his own prefernce, but I'd say that currently is unlikely to find handcrafted puukkos tempered under 58 HRC and over 64 HRC, the majority settling for somehing in between 59 and 61 HRC.

 

[Frederick89]

you know, it’s funny...i didn’t even ask him. i’ve had a discussion with him in the past about it, and i can’t remember the specific steel, but i recall it’s local to the region. i sent him a followup ....

Martti uses Ovako 100Cr6, a locally sources equivalent of 52100 and tempers it at 62 HRC.

 

[black mamba]

Great info, thanks!

 

[TPVT]

Martti uses Ovako 100Cr6, a locally sources equivalent of 52100 and tempers it at 62 HRC.

thanks!