Code EU30
This is a traditional puukko knife from Kauhava, Finland. Puukko's are a general "go to" utility knife, used for woodworking, fishing and hunting. The shape of the tip may vary depending on purpose.
The total length of the knife is 7 ¾ inches. The blade is 4 inches and the birchwood hilt is 3 ¾ inches long. This is a typical size for a puukko. The puukko has two larger cousins: The lapinleuku (Sami: stuorniibi, stuorra niibi; literally "big knife") machete-sized knife of the Same people in Lapland, and the väkipuukko, a variation of the seax (scramsax) short sword that has origins in the Early Middle Ages of northern Europe.
The puukko is found beyond Finland all over northern Scandinavia and is tied to Nordic culture. Since Finland passed laws in 1977 forbidding the carrying of a blade in public for other than certain permitted reasons, it has become less visible. In Finland, receiving a puukko as a give is considered an honor, a representation of the presenter's thoughtfulness of the recipient's need to prepare food, work wood, and for self protection.
Kauhava, Finland is a small town with a history and proud tradition of knife making. Its name is widely recognized for high quality puukkos.
See also my older puuko.
