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Forging Puukko


Niko Hynninen

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Hi Guys.

 

 

I promiced to post forging order in puukko, in this http://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=12315 topic.

 

Todays data that I have, this desing is so called Pesants puukko.

Point of this puukko is this...It has no front or rear bolstery.

It´s made by forging only, only file is used to reveal sides under oxide for quensing.

Handle is made birch ( usually) hole for tag is burned of first drilled and then burned...but not all the way.

 

Some hot sulfur is used as "glue" and handle is tapped in.

 

So this puukko is straight line work horse...Nothing fancy.

 

In now days many puukkos are bit diffrent...they are fancy...maby some times too fancy.The back ground of it has faid and it has become something different that just puukko...tool.

 

Puukkos lines are usually straight. It´s spine is straight or bit downwards...agressive.

Shape is diamont or one bevel, tag is dead center, but some curve may appear.

 

I tried to take pic at same time....so forging color is Not Black :)

I hope pic´s give info about forging puukko.

 

 

puukko 1.jpg

 

puukko 2.jpg

 

puukko 3.jpg

 

puukko 4.jpg

 

puukko 5.jpg

 

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puukko 8.jpg

 

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puukko 10.jpg

 

puukko 11.jpg

 

puukko 12.jpg

 

puukko 13.jpg

 

puukko 14.jpg

 

puukko 15.jpg

 

puukko 16.jpg

 

puukko 17.jpg

 

puukko 18.jpg

 

puukko 19.jpg

 

puukko 20.jpg

 

puukko 21.jpg

 

puukko 22.jpg

 

puukko 23.jpg

 

puukko 24.jpg

 

 

BR

Niko

Edited by Niko Hynninen
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Thank you. That's a very straightforward photo explanation, which I'm sure will help us all. I appreciate you spending the time to show us how the icon of Finnish culture is made.

 

Could you add one element, though, and tell us a little more about the Pukko? How old is the form? Did it originate in Finland, or come from another culture? Were the originals made from steel, or case hardned? I'd love to hear your thoughts on these things, since we're talking about the basic knife, and not the fancy modern versions.

The Tidewater Forge

Christopher Price, Bladesmith

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Thank you. That's a very straightforward photo explanation, which I'm sure will help us all. I appreciate you spending the time to show us how the icon of Finnish culture is made.

 

Could you add one element, though, and tell us a little more about the Pukko? How old is the form? Did it originate in Finland, or come from another culture? Were the originals made from steel, or case hardned? I'd love to hear your thoughts on these things, since we're talking about the basic knife, and not the fancy modern versions.

I've been wondering the same thing. I've been looking for images of antique puukkos, with little success. There's one though in a local museum (don't know the age or origin):

12160008.JPG

Edited by Jeroen Zuiderwijk

Jeroen Zuiderwijk

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/barbarianmetalworking

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Hi Guys.

 

Im happy to help all :lol:

 

Chris...thats a good guestion?

 

About puukkos.

 

Well this is just my thoughts and im sure that some Finns think differently.

 

Form, shape..I remember that some books mentioned 2700 years old find from Lapland and this "puukko" had form/shape like puukko "usually" has.

I havent seen it so...this is only what i read.

Even Finland is small country it has great variety different styles.These styles can sort out by provinces.

For instance Laplands saami puukko so called Leuku has totally different shape than Southern Ostrobothnia puukko.

It is all most impossible to say when actially shape like Peasant puukko was used. Every blacksmith over times have made puukko in they own kind...so i think this makes variety so big.

Egdewapon in general come some way that folk come in finland, possibly through Norway/Sweden and south east Russian.

So puukkos form and shape has devoloped douring time and provinces had made puukkos they own.

Some puukko pictures, the shape and puukkos different appearance is seen.

Instance puukko that is made about year 1700 has brass handle....and same time in other place in Fin puukko has just this wooden handle.

Ok at that time peasant and rich had different needs....I think they know how be fancy at the time.

 

Steel...This I think was time of ironage. Im not sure where this skill come, but at some point peasant and blacksmiths them self started to produse iron.

They made it ore from lakes..( limonite) Fe content was low and i think they didint produce more than midsteel...mostly iron.If they had produced hi carbon steel I think they had disregard it becouse they didnt know how to forge it..it was too hard, and brittle.

 

I have seen some realy old puukkos that are made from limonite and they are forge welded and fold few times...In some i think they have used higher carbon cont steel in edge..edge only.

Puukko at time may have bean quite soft...but easyer to resharp.

Iron/ steel making method was totally different than other culture...I think they smelt it in bit furnaces or timberbox furnaces.

Furnace was low and I think its main reason why they didnt greate higher carbon cont steel...also ore was that good.

Hardenability relates also low C cont.

 

 

 

Jeroen post pic and I think its saami leuku. Leukus blade is longer and its shape is different. 1/3 of tip to handle of blade is bit wider and curve smooth and strong...I think its better for skining..Blade is long...you can cut bigger wood for fire or cut bones. Sheat is made from 2 pieces of reindeer horn. Opening is for getting blade to dry and it keeps blade it self closed ( horn is like spring) Upper part is leather. You can see some decorations in horn in pic too.

 

 

 

I have heard that book about History of Finnish puukko is planed to publish...but I dont know when.

All this what I wrote is just my thoughts and I sure know that lots of Finn puukko makers think totally different than me.

But i have tryed to get some info about puukko..but is not that easy...lots of different styles,makers...so one.

 

 

I hope this gives even some info about puukko.

 

 

 

BR :)

 

Niko

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I really appreciate this. I want to learn to make pukkos. They seem like an almost perfect work knife. I also owned a pukko-type filet knife as a boy, and it was the best made knife I had for years.

 

thanks for this info.

 

kevin

please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/

 

“Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs

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  • 2 years later...

Thanks for taking the time to do this tutorial. I have been thinking about making a puukko for a while and now hopefully I can.

 

BR

Luke S

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Niko,

Thanks for the great tutorial. That style is very appealing and functional ...wow. Do one of your tongs have an eye at the hinge to hold the tang ?...or am i imagining it?

 

Jan

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It is really hard to get a sense of the size of the completed blade as there are no sizes/dimensions stated. Size and thickness of the bar stock used and the final dimensions would be nice. Great photos. Thanks..

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Randy and others.

 

The reason why there are no sizes/dimensions is that this style can be used the size and lenght that everybody

wants to forge..you dont have to do this size even this is common size of puukko.

Well if it helps this sheet of steel was 4mm x 20mm x 1000mm point is that you can use long steel sheet to hold it

and tongs are used after the blade is free from it...as cut off for tip.

 

File finished dimensions in this puukko are; from upset part, part where tang stars max thinkes in this case its 4mm distal taperin in both dirrections, to the tip it goes all most to 2,5 mm at spine of puukko blade. tang too but all the way 2mm .

Puukkos blade is 110mm long and bevel is 2:3 and blade is its max point 25mm wide.

 

But as I said..lots of maesures to make puukko...this is just one.

Lengts are variated stongly, it can be thicer,wider, bevel can be 1:2 -2:3 or its full like in knifes, but all ways there is distal tappering and its in both dirrections tang too. Importat point is 0 point ( at least I call it by this mane) this is the point just front of the upset for tang to start..why? It needs to be thickest sens other vise instal to wooden handle or whith the front bolstery just dont work the way it should.

Main idea is that joint place is smooth and not even a small hole or gap is seen.

 

 

 

BR

Niko

Edited by Niko Hynninen
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  • 1 month later...

I've been wondering the same thing. I've been looking for images of antique puukkos, with little success. There's one though in a local museum (don't know the age or origin):

I know this is an old post but if your still wondering, the knife in the picture is a sami knife. The sami are arctic indigenous people that inhabit northern norway, sweden, and finland. they do exquisite antler work, scrimshaw and make one of my favorite knife styles :P

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  • 1 month later...

The book that Niko mentioned has been published in 2009 at APALI OY in Tampere, Finland. The author is Anssi Ruusuvuori ("Anssi Rosehill" :)) and the book is called: Puukon Historia (The History of Puukkos)

it offers over 700 pages of information on the Finish Puukko and gives a fantastic overview on all of the "local" styles up to modern times. Sure it is not cheap, but worth the Euros - when you are able to read Finish :D

but besides all fun: pages 192 to 677 are double pages on different Puukkos with detailed pictures and information and History of the pieces ,no need for exotic language knowledge there... B)

 

it is full of inspiration to me, besides the over 2000 pics to adore

a fantastic piece of art and work

ISBN: 978-952-5026-93-1

Edited by Jokke

Jokke

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