All About Pocket Knives

I saw a miniature puukko knife at the Tulsa gun show and asked if I could look at it. The dealer showed it to me and asked me if I knew what it was. He told me that when a Finland girl reached the age of 14, it's a custom for someone to give her one of these knives. It Is to be worn attached to the her panties with the little hook. They are called Panty knives. I wish I knew someone from Finland so I could confirm this story. I've attached a picture of a couple of my knives like the one he showed me.

Goodness!! Sounds like a tall one to me, sorry.

Where's Froggy? He could probably answer since he's from up that way.

singin46 wrote:Goodness!! Sounds like a tall one to me, sorry.

I'm very skeptic myself.

isn't finland a very cold country and it would be impossible for the girl to access the knife when needed., unless of course panties are worn on the outside...

chetr1200c wrote:isn't finland a very cold country and it would be impossible for the girl to access the knife when needed., unless of course panties are worn on the outside...

Last line of defense?

Quite possibly, it is intended to be used by one's lover to part the panties on a cold chilly Finlandian night.
CNoyes

I think Charlie has it right!

From Wikipedia:

"Men's and women's puukkos do not significantly differ. The only difference is that women's puukkos are often shorter, may have decorated sheaths, and are better suited for working with foodstuffs. Both boy and girl Scouts consider the puukko their scouting symbol as well as a handy tool. 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. Many traditional puukkos are nowadays manufactured in industrial or near-industrial scale by many companies, Marttiini and Iisakki Järvenpää Oy being the most notable. Bearing of sharp objects which could be used as weapons was banned in Finland in 1977. Since then, the puukko has lost its visibility in public places and been restricted to household work, hunting and fishing. In many industries the Mora knife which has a much cheap and less durable construction, is in use. The mora knife's handle is typically plastic, and the blade is either stainless steel or of laminated construction; harder steel which forms the edge is clad in softer steel. In Finnish, these knives are usually referred to as puukkos.

In Finland carrying a blade in public spaces without a permit or job related reason is prohibited. Currently, the only urban areas where they can be seen carried openly are garrisons. The puukko is the only civilian item which can be openly worn as a part of a soldier's combat gear without breaching Finnish Army regulations, and most conscripts bring their own puukkos with them into military service. It is a custom of Finnish conscripts, non-commissioned officers, and officer cadets to carry a decorated and engraved commemorative puukko of their year course as a part of their uniform, not unlike a commemorative dagger. This is rationalized as the carrying of a handy tool, but it also doubles as a symbolic sidearm. Puukkos proved to be good close combat weapons in the Winter war and Continuation war. The bayonet of the Rk-62 assault rifle has been designed to also function as a puukko. Openly carrying a puukko, while technically illegal is not vigorously enforced. Construction workers often go to diners with a puukko hanging from their coveralls and in the rural and Northern parts of the land it is not uncommon to go shopping in the village stores wearing hunting clothes that includes a puukko.

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