Okay so some of you might remember my experience with Grohmann. Well that's water under the bridge but to get over that loss I ordered a Jarvenpaa Puukko & Leuku combo from Ben at bensbackwoods.com (no affiliation, etc, etc, blah, blah).

I picked it up today at the post office today and felt like sharing my first impressions...I'll also post a review here once I've had a chance to use it a bit.

When I first pulled it out of the box, I thought the set looked even better than the pictures on the internet. The sheath is simple but well put together and holds both knives very snugly. The belt loop is a straight loop so wearing it around the neck is a possibility.

When I picked it up I was surprised at the heft. Heavy for it's size over all...which isn't a bad thing.

Both are in Carbon steel and unpolished. Both have the traditional curly birch handle. I've never owned a scandi like these but so far I was impressed.

The handle on the Puukko is about the right size for my hand and the blade is just long enough. The handle is hand shaped and it shows. It's not perfect but that's fine by me. Neither is the blade. It's hand ground, slightly uneven from one side to the other and has a rough secondary bevel. This surprised me a bit. I was expecting the single bevel scandi grind but based on my readings considered it a possibility. I'll very likely sharpen off the secondary bevel as is recommended at Ragweed Forge. The knife wasn't terribly sharp out of the box but for a hand crafted knife I wasn't expecting perfection. The spine is rough and the fit and finish is what can only be expected as 'rough around the edges'. This knife is much more function than form but makes up for lack of fit and finish with the nice handle and the shiny hammer pommel. The final touch which some might find ugly but I like is the hand engraving on the side of the blade. I can only assume that it's the name of the guy who made the knife.

The Leuku is pretty much identical only bigger. To me it feels like the missing link between knife and machete. I definitely think it will serve as a machete just fine. The handle on the Leuku feels especially good. It's very thick and feels very secure in my hand. The unpolished wood is going to feel great come winter.

Sorry no pictures yet...soon though.

I'm open to any advice on care of the birch handles or sharpening. I've never had to remove a secondary bevel before.

Sounds nice, I just looked it up and it looks nice too!

Almost all the Finnish knives come with a secondary bevel.

If these were mine I would be tempted to take the puukko to a zero grind but not the Leuko. That I would simply convex the edge on a Hoodoo hone.

Removing the secondary on the Puukko can take some work. I have almost got my IJ 1244 the way I want it (after several years of owning and using). I took most of the secondary off on diamond and waterstones (keep the primary grind flat on the stone and work and work and work). I then stropped on loaded leather that is backed with felt to give me near mirror polish and a very slight convex to the edge. Otherwise the zero scandi is a bit too thin for my use. Many times the flats on scandi knives are actually shallow hollow ground...so that can take even more work to make flat.

I think a bit of oil on the birch might be all you need to do every-once-and-a-while. Take a look at the join between steel and birch...if there is much of a gap you may want to fill it with epoxy. I have been meaning to do that on my IJ....

There really is nothing wrong with the secondary bevel, but for superior woodworking taking the Puukko to zero with a tiny tiny convex will likely improve it a ton on wood.

These should serve you well. A bit of a project set at first but once you set the edges like you want they should become old friends fast.

Good luck. This is the set?



I like it.

This is the slight hollow grind I have observed on my IJ knife.

This is the IJ 1244 after my latest efforts to flatten and zero grind it. I did this work on the Fallkniven DC4 diamond/ceramic stone and loaded leather strop.

You can see the small area near the plunge that is still hollow. It will take a few more sessions (or years) to work to an absolute flat. You can also see a nick in the very tip…sort of making it a stronger point so I have not worried about it.



You can also see the slight gap with the tang enters the bolster. Thin epoxy would be a good idea...just one that I have not yet got around to.

The other side hollow is actually a bit bigger.



My IJ came with a slightly hollow “flat” and a secondary edge. I had worked it to a nearly flat scandi on water stones and ceramics long ago, but this session on the DC4 really revealed that it is still far from flat. It is smoking sharp now though with a slightly convex edge done on the green compound loaded leather strop.

This quote from Sigurd Olson always seems right when a fellow gets a finely made traditional knife.....



I own an old Finnish knife or puukko, the blade made from an old file, the handle and molded case of birch bark. I have carried it for thousands of miles and it has never failed me. The well-tempered steel is hard enough to open a tin and still sharp enough to fillet a fish without needing retouching. Not long ago I dropped it while at Listening Point, and traced and retraced my steps without avail....Since it was early November, the smell of snow was in the air, and we knew if we did not find it then, it would lie outdoors all winter.

"Let’s go back once more," Al said before dusk settled down. "We might just be lucky." Back we went.....Then, with a shout of triumph, my young friend ran over and placed the knife in my hand. Before he left, he took a picture of me standing by the cabin turning the knife over and over. Far more than a tool, the knife to me a symbol of the spirit that went into the cabin, the canoe, and all things made by men proud of their work and of what they had learned to do.

From Tradition, Reflections of the North Country 1976

wow that was a really powerful quotes... siged

That is the set Schwert. That picture doesn't do the little subtleties of a hand made blade any justice. As soon as I can get my digital camera hooked up to my computer, I'll upload some close ups.

I think you're right about the secondary bevel on the Leuku. It's a work knife specifically made for chopping wood and Reindeer bones. Rounding the secondary bevel will really make the edge axe like and better suited to it's role. At the very least I'll leave the secondary bevel to keep the edge from rolling under the stress of chopping.

The secondary bevel on the Puukko is very very slight. Almost as if they ran it over a coarse stone or a belt very very briefly before shipping. There is also a burr I've noticed which makes me think that all the more. I also picked up a set of EZE Lap diamond stones from Ben so I should have the edge sorted out by the weekend at least to the point where it's good and sharp.

You might even just try stropping the Puukko on leather before you work it on the stones. If it is a very tiny secondary it will melt over to a convex on a strop and that can work quite well on all sorts of uses.

Get that camera setup...I am sitting on the edge of my seat

Took a few pictures and let them upload while I oil the handles and clean up the blades ready to be sharpened a bit. The following are the least blurry:

Nice all around. That birch looks great and the edges look pretty good too.

Have fun with these. Ben is a good one eh?