Traditional Finnish Puukko Knife

Today Leevi and many other final-year students went to abiristeily = a 24 h cruise organized for final-year students. The ferry drives the route Turku-Stockholm-Turku.

In the picture is Leevi's puukko project. A puukko is a small traditional Finnish belt knife with a single curving cutting edge and a flat back. Leevi bought the ready made blade but has made the handle by himself from birch and the leather sheath is under way.

For over a thousand years, the woodsmen of Finland have used puukko knives to work their trade. In Finland and northern Scandinavia, many men put great pride in carving their puukko's handle. The handle of a puukko should match the hand of its owner. The traditional material for the handle is birch. Over generations, this knife has become intimately tied to Nordic culture and, in one or another version, is part of many national costumes. A good puukko is equal parts artistic expression and tool. Making it requires a lot of different skills.

Getting a good puukko as a gift or present is considered a great honour in Finland. In the Nordic countries, the puukko is an "everyday" knife that is used for everything from hunting, fishing, and garden work to opening boxes in the warehouse. 

In Finland, receiving a puukko as a gift is considered an honor. The idea behind this is the presenter gives the recipient a tool which is essential for both woodworking, preparing food and as a sidearm, and that the presenter takes into account the well-being of the recipient.


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