Unusual Finnish Fish Knife Lapin Paja

[kootenay joe]

This knife is 8 1/2" OAL, with a long handle and blade of 3". Blade flat is marked "Mod. 700 P/Stainless Handmade/By Lapin Paja OY Finland".
The handle has a scooped out spot for your thumb and a scooped out area at the butt end that i think is for scraping out the fish guts, or roe if present.
When held as i think designed, the straight sharp edge is facing towards you. The very tip has not been sharpened and is a bit bulbous. I think this dull rounded tip is part of the design.
Blade spine is about 1/16" thick with no distal taper, and primary grind on both sides starts about 1/3rd the way down from the spine.
Spine has a dull toothy section for scaling fish.
Am i understanding this knife properly ? It could be held with index finger in 'thumb groove' and thumb resting on blade spine & sharpened edge facing away from you.
And, why is the tip purposely rounded ?
Even the sheath is odd with a large cut out area on the front, maybe to aid with drying out ??
thanks, kj

[jmh58]

That is a KOOL knife that I would like to see in action.. John

[Dinadan]

Very interesting knife. I would like to see a couple of illustrations of its intended use. Looks well made, like most Finnish knives.

[kootenay joe]

I hardly ever go fishing so maybe some here who does fish can help me understand this knife somewhat.
Why would tip be rounded, almost like a tiny 'bulb' at the tip ?
Would you use a draw cut (towards yourself) to gut a fish or fillet ? Seems too short a blade for anything but gutting ?
kj

[rbakkeru@online.no]

Hi, I have been told that the "bulb" at the front is there to
avoid puncturing the "internals" f.ex. roe when opening the fish.

[mrwatch]

In January of 2007 on another board a man wrote= I've got a knife that I nothing about except I've had it for about 15-20 years have used it to gut trout several times. It may not help to date your knife?