First attempt at a puukko

[rhitee93]

Here is my first attempt at a puukko.  Since my only Scandinavian blood was deposited by the Vikings before this knife style was created, I decided to take a few liberties.  I think the file-work is a plus.  The handle shape was probably a fail.

The blade is made from a piece of 5/8" round W1, deferentially quenched in brine and tempered at 400F.  The handle is mokume gane (my first) and redwood burl. (Stabilized)

This is also the first time I have tried to stitch leather around a wooden core.  It is a passable sheath, but I have a lot to learn with leather work.

Thanks for looking!

 

 

Edited May 25, 2015 by rhitee93

[Charles R. Stevens]

Stitch before molding, most gun and knife shapes can be forsed in place, then a ball end tool can be used to mold things tighter (I used to greas and rap guns in tin foil  and mold the holster for exelent retension) dont forge to case the leather. 

[mitch4ging]

I like it, a "neo-puukko"...

can't tell on my little cell phone screen, is your edge a single bevel?

Nice job.

[rhitee93]

Thanks Mitch,

The blade is a traditional diamond cross section so it isn't a single bevel in the yanagi-ba sense.  It is however flat grind except for a micro-bevel.

 

I should have been more clear Charles.  There is a wooden insert inside the sheath that covers the blade.  It is made much like a scabbard, but very thin.  The leather then has to be stitched around the wood insert before the final molding into shape.   Normally I'll stitch the seam and then form like you say.  However, with this one I had to stitch while the leather was wet.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Got you, cased first or stiched dry?

Edited May 25, 2015 by Charles R. Stevens

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

For leather check out www.leatherworker.net

 

Nice knife.

[mitch4ging]

Thanks Mitch,

The blade is a traditional diamond cross section so it isn't a single bevel in the yanagi-ba sense.  It is however flat grind except for a micro-bevel.

 

 

rhitee93,

Thats what I meant to imply. nicely executed, as well as your file work and hamon. Great fit and finish.

I have a puukko on my "list"...somday.  Thanks for posting.

[Gergely]

Hi Rhitee,

As being a huge puukko fan myself all I can tell: you did great work!

Really fortunate is the way you made the traditional and new-wave elements meet. First thing: the blade is just excellent! I personally don't like the filing because it's so far from the Finnish style I like, but this piece in its whole elegance can bear it easily. But as I said the blade is beautiful work. I like the diamond cross section blades in puukkos very much and this has it so naturally and wonderfully. The hamon (which - as far as I know - is quite strange feature on a puukko) is perfect and adds big plusses to the lines of the blade. And you made the skinner blade pattern - which is my personal favorite!

I'm sorry you're not satisfied with the handle because visually I like it very much: you again did attach traditional and new together succesfully. The part close to the blade is the traditional skinner - needs a big palm to work with and it stays stable in the hand. Towards the buttcap it goes thinner which - I think - is an ergonomically reasonable feature, - if it feels right in the hand. Dissolving the lines from the thicker to the thinner end is fluent and easy for the eyes. You even managed to keep one of the most essential function of these handles: you can grip the very end of the handle and use the knife for chopping. So what I'm saying is if it feels good in your hand you made perfect job on the handle, too. Visually it's very tasteful and done with great care to the details. (Unfortunately I can't see too much from the mokume gane but it seems nice, too.)

The sheat will not embarass you anywhere either. From the picture I see an authentic Scandinavian sheat executed well. Those sheats are a bit of a separate trade themselves. For example in Kauhava - the most famous traditional puukko making village of Finland - the sheats were always made by their own craftsmen/women not by the bladesmiths.

And finally if want to see what's going on in Finland in these times under the name of puukko making (or just for plain fun ) have a look of this site. It's in Finnish only but if you can find the painful word: puukonvalmistuskilpailu (means: puukko making contest) you can see the winner works of that year. 

http://www.puukkoseura.fi/galleria.php

 

Thanks for showing us your work, best wishes:

Gergely

 

PS: this text took me more than an hour to write, and when I clicked to Submit it vanished and wasn't published. Thank God I was able to find it somehow from Chrome and try to send it again. Hope it works now. (Ye, and now I use ctrl+C to have a copy if it fails)

[rhitee93]

Gergely,

Thanks for taking time to post.  I appreciate your thoughts and kind words.  Especially coming from your part of the world where there are so many fine craftsmen.  I feel your pain with loosing your post.  I have made the habit of typing long posts out in Word, or some other word processing program.  I'm a poor speller, so this allows me to fix my spelling and grammar as well as keep a copy in case something goes wrong when I post it.

Charles,

I'm not sure I know what casing is, but here is the process I used: First I carved out the wooden scabbard.  Then I wrapped the knife in plastic wrap and inserted the blade in the scabbard. (The bolster of the knife rests against the top of the scabbard.  Then I soaked the leather and stretched it around the knife and scabbard.  I pulled it tight and stitched it as I went. Here is a pic of the back side of the sheath.

All of the other sheaths I have made (all 3 of them ) were roughly formed (folded over), all of the holes drilled, and then stitched.  After that, I soaked the leather and formed them to the knife.  This one I had to use an awl to make each hole as I stitched.

[LastRonin]

I love the look of it. Not being a Scandinavian blade aficionado myself, I wouldn't know what was correct or not.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Casing is the wetting of the leather to soften/strech it . Not only dose it make the leather more pliable, it makes it much easer to push the awl threw.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Casing is not soaking the leather, just getting it to a high moisture content so that the tooling stays after stamping, carving, etc. Without casing the leather won't take the tooling right, and won,t show as well. For molding some will soak the leather more to get it to a really soft state. 

[arkie]

That is some BEAUTIFUL work!!

[Charles R. Stevens]

True, usualy i soke then let the seface dry to the touch.

[Malice9610]

Is that a bullet casing at the end of the handle? 

I like it, the handle looks very comfortable to hold, I hope my first puukko turns out half this well, ill find out soon enough as ill be starting it next week. 

[rhitee93]

Is that a bullet casing at the end of the handle? 

I like it, the handle looks very comfortable to hold, I hope my first puukko turns out half this well, ill find out soon enough as ill be starting it next week. 

No, it is just a button I turned to use as a decorative washer around the end of the tang that got piened in place.  In hindsight, I  wish I had just used a flat plate that covered the end of the handle.  Next time...

[T.J.watts]

very beautiful work!