Scandinavian fixed-blades

[Froggyedge]

Definitely not the original sheath for that Horsehead! It should look like the one Desktop has. My old Horsehead looks just like the one you have, but white instead of red on the handle. The sheath is exactly like Desktop’s. Not possible for me to determine from the picture, but it may very well be Norwegian.

[Hukk]

I've been wanting to make a Saamiknife from this tutorial and a Saamisheath from tutorials from the same site.
https://www.brisa.fi/portal/index.php?o ... &Itemid=20

https://www.brisa.fi/portal/index.php?o ... &Itemid=22

I've been meaning to join the Brittish Blades site for the Scandinavian Blades for about a year but I only have so much time - I'll find a way, there is about a dozen things I've been going to do. Pearl tutorial coming soon, but first I'd like to show how I make a template for shields, I have a knife picked out and I have 2 sheild templates I will make. Better to make a mistake on a steel template than on a piece of pearl. That's coming up, I've just been swamped.

I need to redo my compressed air system, they don't make the stuff I used to have (just as well - cracked polycarbonate bowl). I will set it up so I have 2 tanks in series configuration and can pull 140 psi, 90 psi and 40 psi just by chosing which connector I plug into - and a regulator if I need something diferrent. Guess what I'm doing tommorow?

[Froggyedge]

Looks like a great knife and a typical Sami knife of the smaller kind. In Norway the bigger Sami knives (in Nowegian “Samekniv”, In Finnish “Leuku” and in the Sami language “stuorra niibi”) are more recognized than the smaller kind, but for most everyday knifework (not being a reindeer herder…) the smaller kind is the more practical.

The traditional Sami knives have a long history and the designs are very old.

This is one I think sold for more than $1700 on an auction a couple of years back.
(Personally I find it hard to believe that it is really that old…)

[Desktop]

Wow!
That's a very nice old one Froggyedge!

[Hukk]

That is a beautiful knife and sheath, hard to put into words! One of these days, I will make one somewhat similar - have the stuff - my time doesn't belong to me.

[Froggyedge]

Speaking of Sami knives…

Maker of the most recognized Sami knives of the big kind in Norway is the Strømeng family. They have been making these knives for six generations.
Current selection of Sami knives from Strømeng.

Srømeng.jpg (97.14 KiB) Viewed 7074 times

These knives are almost a part of the old national costume (in Norwegian “samekofte”) of the Sami people of northern Norway.

kofte og kniv.jpg (17.16 KiB) Viewed 7073 times

In this Sami Kindergarten the kids are taught about the use and handling of the big Sami knives at an early age.

Sami Kindergarten.jpg (34.3 KiB) Viewed 7073 times

I came across an article about the Strømeng knives today.
In this picture the upper knife is a new one, the Strømeng knife below is more than a hundred years old.

Strømeng new and old.JPG (11.91 KiB) Viewed 7073 times

Hjalmar Strømeng is holding one of his knives and is telling about the directions he received when he took over the knife making business from his uncle Isak in 1988.
The old knifesmith allowed him to make changes in the ways of business, but never ever should he to stop using brass on the big Sami knives.
According to old Sami tradition brass is a sacred metal with magical properties.
The brass on the knife can keep evil spirits away, and the brass also has healing powers and can be used to stop bleeding, remove abscesses and take away pain.

Hjalmar Strømeng.JPG (14.67 KiB) Viewed 7073 times

[Desktop]

Nice knives and some very interesting information Froggyedge!
Thanks for posting!

[Mossdancer]

Hi;
Just noticed this thread and thought I would post a Swedish Knife I was given a few years ago.
moss

[justold52]

"Some of those Helle 3 layer knives have the center layer hardened to 63RC!" HUKK said and thanks for that info.

I think they would make a gr8 knife for Sunburst to use on his pigs when his son goes hunting. He said the hair in the pigs has a lot of dirt on them and was very had on a knife edge.

I tryed to give my son a Puukko but he did not like the sheath that did not hold the knife to his thigh. I see most of these shown also flop on the sides of the thighs. I am sure there is a good reason for it.

Any one here know why ?

[Mossdancer]

Legend has it that when hung over the kids bedroom door the rustle in the wind would scare away the evil spirits.
moss

[muskrat man]

here's my modern more "bushcrafty" interpretation.

[Froggyedge]

Sometimes a knife that you haven't seen for a long time will surface. This happened to me recently with this Finnish puukko. I must admit I had totally forgotten it...

It's a quite small puukko with blade length 8.5 cm (3.35"). The knife is rather plain and simple, while the sheath seems to have gotten more attention from the maker. This is not unusual for Nordic knives. The hide on the sheath is reindeer hide.

The reindeer traditionally has been very important in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland, and reindeers are often depicted on the sheaths.

It was really nice to see the knife again after several years. I think it was purchased some 15 years ago. Not one of my users, but I brought it on a trip and had to test it a little. The edge is shaving sharp, as we expect from a new knife in the Nordic countries.
My companion on the trip probably felt that the puukko received a bit too much attention...

[Roush428r]

Hi;
Just noticed this thread and thought I would post a Swedish Knife I was given a few years ago.
moss

These are great knives! I've owned about six of them over the years and four were made for Ducks Unlimited. Anyone have any additional information on this time? Maker? When made?

[Owd Wullie]

Here's one of my favorites.

[Froggyedge]

Owd Wullie,
Nice one! Do you use it?
From Lapua. Lahdensuo...
Any idea how old? May be from around the Fifties...
Old and traditional design. Nothing fancy, but made for all-round outdoor use, and they work!

[Owd Wullie]

I intend to use it. It sharpened up nicely.

The gentlemen over britishblades.com thought it to be no newer than the early fifties. They seem to think the sheath is pressed paper rather than leather, which they said was typical for post war Finland.

It is a great feeling little knife and I see no reason whey it wouldn't do about anything you could ask from a knife of that size.

[Froggyedge]

Pressed paper.. Aha!
I was wondering about that sheath and its pale look, but thought it to be a photographic effect... I've heard about those sheaths, but never handled one of them.
Put a nice edge on that knife and I think you will find it to be a great user!
Just be a little cautious if the handle gets wet and slippery and you are not used to fixed blades without some kind of guard...

[Owd Wullie]

The handle getting slick HAS crossed my mind.

I can imagine it would NOT be fun to slide your fingers across that blade..

I've got another puuko that I need to get photographed and posted as well. Same basic style, just later and different maker.

And I've got a weee TINY one as well.

[Froggyedge]

He-he... I remember discussing knife designs once with a very patriotic Nordic knife enthusiast. "Americans and Germans are pussies", he said with contempt in his voice, "guards on knives are for children, not grown-ups!"
That was his opinion, not mine, but traditional Nordic knives seldom have guards. I'm used to that and I don't really miss them. Especially a double guard limits the ways you can hold your knife and I find that at least a big guard will often get in the way when using the knife.
I'm no knife fighter and I don't do a lot of stabbing..!

Please post some more pics!

I will try to post some pics of an older puukko soon.

[Owd Wullie]

Here's that other puukko I was talking about. I can't decipher the maker.








This one came to me REALLY sharp.

[Froggyedge]

Interesting puukko!
I don't know much about these, but I believe your knife was made in Kauhava, sort of a puukko making capital in Finland, and once the home of several makers of traditional puukkos. Puukkos are still being made there.
I think those metal belt attachments were used buy a few makers only, and not for that many years ...

[Owd Wullie]

Good eye!

One of the things that really fascinates me about that knife is the sheath. It seems to have a vacuum fit. you can slip that knife into it as easy as you can and it still will not fall out if you turn it upside down.

Whoever made it certainly knew their stuff.

[Froggyedge]

A well-fitted leather sheath is considered to be a very important part of the deal when you purchase a fixed blade knife in either of the Nordic countries. The sheath is expected to hold the knife securely in place when you spend all day outside and hike through rough terrain, and at the same time we expect the sheath to make the knife easily drawn when needed. And then, of course, it should be good-looking!

[FRJ]

Hi froggyedge, this knife was made in Finland as so stated on sheath. I wanted to share it in Scandinavian fixed blades.
I enjoyed the history you offered in July 14,08. My grandmothers family is from Norway. Their name is Ellertsen. I'm very proud of that heritage. Thank you.

Joe

[Froggyedge]

Hi Joe!
Nice puukko!

Was that the history of Saint Olav and The Norwegian Lion?
If you are interested, you can read more about this most famous of the Norwegian kings here:
http://www.pilegrim.info/en/index.aspx?id=353809

Soon after his death, pilgrims started to travel to his place of burial, and even today many people make the pilgrimage to Nidaros.
http://www.pilegrim.info/en/index.aspx?id=842405
http://www.pilegrim.info/en/index.aspx?id=353807

The Nidaros Cathedral is the largest and most important church in Norway.