Scandinavian Knives & Outdoor Living

A Puukko is the Finnish word for the traditional Scandinavian style woodcraft or hunting belt-knife that is a tool rather than a weapon. The Finnish Puukko is a design that goes back 1000 years and was designed by a people used to living in a harsh and challenging environment. It was used daily for many kinds of tasks in the home and outdoors. These basic tools are one of the oldest and most traditional of knives still being used today. Most of these knives are made in the same way they have been made for generations. Each generation adds some new knowledge to the knife making process.

Puukkos, and Nordic knives in general have the peculiarity that there is only one bevel on the blade, which forms the working edge, they are therefore very easily sharpened, as all is needed is to grind this bevel to get the sharpness back. The fact that the bevel is big allows finding it intuitively on the stone. The puukko often sport a grind that looks like a saber grind. However, there are no secondary edge bevels which leave the edge extremely thin and incredibly sharp. Due to the sharpness of the edge, these knives will often out cut just about anything.

Leuku is a Finnish word for a knife used mostly by Lapland (Northern Finland) people, Sámi. It is a very versatile knife, developed from the needs of the reindeer herder-lifestyle of the Sámi people. They are all-purpose knives rather than woodworking knives. The handles are typical of those used in the far North. They provide a solid grip for the draw strokes that are favored where the hands are often gloved, or stiff with cold. The wide flat pommel allows the use of the second hand to apply force to the point. The sheaths take almost the entire handle, which is a reflection of how serious a lost leuku can be in the wilderness.

In the larger sizes they combine the functions of camp knife and machete, and are used for everything from building shelters and gathering firewood, to butchering reindeer. It is an excellent outdoor tool for bush crafting. On the northern tundra a 8 or 9 inch leuku is far better to shop firewood with than an ax, as brush and willows are to weak to offer the ax the resistance needed for a easy cut. The leuku just slices thin branches off easily with a flick of your hand. But the big one also splits larger firewood well with the use of a baton. For fishing and hunting it is very handy as it is both knife and ax in one. The blades are relatively thin, and the knives are quite light for their size.