Becky finished up this Finnish sheath ("Tuppi"). The sheath and the Knife are as close to being an authentic PUUKKO as we could do for the first try.
The "Puukko" design is a very historic knife from Northern Europe, specifically from in and around the Finland area. This wicked cool knife design has been an important tool for the Finnish people dating back to the time of the Vikings. The term "Puukko" actually means "Sheath Knife". The "Puukko" is generally a small belt knife with a total length equal to two palm widths. The handle would generally be slightly longer than the blade with the handle being round or oval shaped.
These knives did not have finger guards to protect the user from having his hand slide onto the blade if used to stab something. Instead a bolster of bone or soft metal, such as brass, was used. This bolster aided in protecting the handle from damage during use. Common uses for the "Puukko" were Hunting, Fishing, Food Preparation, an eating utensil, First aide, and reportedly an Ice Pick (Judging by the normal climate of Finland, I can believe an Ice Pick would be pretty handy).
When I began researching the "Puukko" design, I kept coming up with sources that claim it is only a little over 200 years old and other sources that date the "Puukko" as far back as Viking Age (790-793). They have been an every day use implement for the people in Northern Europe until recently. In todays "civilized culture" open carrying a knife in public is prohibited without an acceptable reason. It is very fortunate for the peoples that were living in this are prior to the 1800's that they were not that civilized. The "Puukko" and its larger sibling the "Leuku" allowed the people of that time to, not only survive, but thrive and become hunters and fishermen that could feed larger populations. Without these historical knives the entire area may have remained a desolate wasteland.
The sheath for the "Puukko" is worn on the off side, typically on the left side of a person that is right handed. This allows the user to grab hold of the sheath with his left hand while drawing the knife from the sheath. The sheath for a "Puukko" is called a "Tuppi" in the Finnish language. The word Tuppi does not translate directly to the word sheath, but instead refers to the holder of a "Puukko" knife. The Tuppi is way more than a simple sheath, it is a piece of art all by itself.
I hope my attempt at a recreation of this historical (and wicked cool) knife along with my wife's first attempt at making an authentic Tuppi, honors the ancestors that used them to create the Finland of today. I tried to capture the feel and comfort of this totally awesome design. I would love this beautiful knife end up in the hands of someone that will carry it and use it the way it was intended. I did add my own flair to this classic design, I used a Florida wood (Southern Red Oak) that I harvested on my property in Putnam County Florida. The steel started life as a 2 3/4 inch long, 1 1/14 inch wide, and 1/4 inch thick piece of 1070 high carbon steel and was hammered out to the dimensions for this little "Puukko". In hindsight, I probably should have started with a more appropriate length of steel, but hey, they worked with what they had back then, and so did I. I made the bolster and pummel from a 1 inch x 1/8 inch piece of brass that I added a hammered finish to. The knife is a through tang design that has been peened to keep the bolster in place. Once again, in hindsight, it would have been considerably easier to thread the tang instead of peening that sucker.
The specs for this amazing little "Puukko" are listed below.
Flat Spine Puukko
Overall Length = 7 3/4”
Blade = Length – 3 5/8” Length – 7/8” Width
Blade Style = Brushed Straight Spine
Blade Material = 1/10” 1070 High Carbon Steel
Handle Material = Stabilized FL Southern Red Oak Hammered Brass Bolster & Pommel with a brass Corby bolt fastener for an additional mechanical fastener the through tang has been peened to retain the pummel.
Hand Crafted authentic Puukko Sheath (Properly called a Tuppi when referring to a Puukko)
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