Finnish Knives from Roselli
There are few places in the world where knives are more central to the
daily life and culture than Finland. The national epic myth,
the Kalevala, contains a story of the first 'smith,
and to many people the Puukko is synonymous with Scandinavian knife.
Heimo Roselli
"The arctic climate of Northern Finland makes its own demands on day-to-day living. The most
important tool there is the "Puukko", The Knife. It must carve and cut well. For the blade, only the
finest quality carbon steel is acceptable, steel which the smith will forge into a keen tool. For the
handle, attractive, seasoned curly birch. This noble tool grows in beauty the more you use it and
before you know it, you'll have fallen in love with it."
"Mastersmith Heimo Roselli refuses to build anything non-functional or unnecessary into his
knives. Each knife is the embodiment of the demands of the merciless Northland.
The unessential is detrimental."
This was taken from the Roselli catalog, and about says it all. These knives are all function and
no polish, but have a beauty of their own. The blades are forged to shape in dies, then finished by hand.
The upper sides of the blades still have the forge scale, and the bevels are ground cleanly to the edge
with little or no secondary bevel. They are very sharp and ready to work.
The steel is Krupp W75 with a carbon content of .7 - .8%, and they are
hardened to HRC 59 - 62. They are unique among the knives I carry in that they
are forged rather than ground to shape.
New from Roselli is the UHC (Ultra High Carbon) line. This is a proprietary steel
with a carbon content of 1.5 - 2.0%. It is hardened to HRC of 64 - 66 and is
said to hold an edge twice as long as the already excellent regular line.
However they are made, Roselli knives have a very classic minimalist style.
The knives are supplied with stout leather sheaths in the Scandinavian tradition.
They take much of the handle, and there are no snaps or straps to fool with.
This not only makes the knife instantly available, but also helps prevent loss.
The sheaths are lined with plastic to protect the knife and user.
The Roselli Hunter
#R100; The Roselli Hunter is stout all-around hunting and wilderness knife.
The blade is about 3 3/4" long and about 1/8" thick. The generous handle
is about 4 3/4" long. $(out of stock).
The Roselli Hunter in UHC
#R200; The Roselli Hunter is stout all-around hunting and wilderness knife.
The blade is about 3 3/4" long and about 1/8" thick. The generous handle
is about 4 3/4" long. In UHC steel the price is $(out of stock).
The Carpenter's Knife
R110; The classic puukko style with a narrow 3 1/4" blade. The blade is a
stout 1/8" thick, and shaped for fine work. This one feels really good to me,
and is the one I bought for myself before I became a dealer in Roselli knives.
The 4" handle is a bit smaller in diameter than the others, and this allows for
more finesse in use. It feels very good in my small to average sized hand.
The price is $72. Out of Stock
Hunter and Carpenter Set
R190; Two of the most useful sizes, The Hunter and Carpenter are available in one
sheath for $154.
I have the set with either the light colored sheath shown, or a dark brown sheath. Please
let me know which you prefer.
R180; ( not shown) The Hunter and Grandmother Set. The Hunter is also available in one
sheath with the Grandmother shown below. $142.
The Bear Claw in UHC Steel
R231; The Bear Claw combines a pointy 2 1/4" blade in UHC steel with the 4"
handle of the carpenter. It's a really serious woodcarving or detail knife. $79. Out of Stock
The Grandmother
R130; The Grandmother is a handy pocket sized knife for cutting small items and
craftwork. The blade is about 2 3/8" long, and the handle about 3 3/4". The small
size makes it particularly suitable for those with small hands. In addition to being
useful for woodcarving, it would make a nice paring knife. $59. (out of stock)
The Grandfather's Knife with Wood Sheath
#R121; A stout 3" working blade in a wonderful curly birch and reindeer fur sheath.
This would make a great skinner or an excellent knife for the medieval
barbarian reenactor. Actually it would make an excellent knife for most
anyone. It's about 7" overall, and the generously sized handle is easy to grip when the hands
are cold or stiff. The price of the Grandfather in the wood sheath is $99.
The UHC Grandfather's Knife
R220; And once again for those folks who plan on doing a LOT of skinning,
the same knife in UHC steel and dark stained leather sheath. $110. Out of Stock
The Roselli Leuku
#R150; The Roselli Leuku is a big knife. The leuku is the camp knife is of the
Saami (Laplander) people. It's used for everything from building shelters and
gathering firewood to butchering reindeer. This one has over 7" of blade and
5" of handle. The blade is a heavy 3/16" (.2" or 5 mm) thick, 1 3/8" wide, with
the balance forward for efficient chopping. $149. Out of Stock
The Roselli 5" Leuku
#R151; The Roselli 5" Leuku is still a handfull. The oversized handle would
be best used by those with large hands. The leuku is the camp knife is of the
Saami (Laplander) people. It's used for everything from building shelters and
gathering firewood to butchering reindeer. This one has about 5" of blade and
almost 5" of handle. The blade is a stout 3/16" (.2" or 5 mm) thick. $139. Out of stock
The Roselli Ulu
#R740; The Ulu is the knife if the Inuit or Eskimo. It's used for skinning and butchering game, food preparation, making garments, and anything else that requires a sharp edge. The pattern goes back many centuries.
Like the Leukus, the Roselli Ulu is built much more heavily than similar items
from other makers. The blade is about .135" thick, or more than an eighth of an
inch. It's 7" wide and 4 3/4" tall. This is not your average kitchen chopper.
The blade is about 5" wide, and it's about 4 3/4" tall with the handle. It comes
with a storage block to protect the blade. $99.
The Roselli Hatchet
#R860; The Roselli Hatchet is a modern multi-task tool. Besides functioning in
the usual way as a chopping tool, the thick wedge
shape of the blade makes
it unusually efficient for splitting with minimal chance of the blade getting
caught in the wood. The cut out in the blade, combined with the rounded form
of the head behind the cutout, make it easy to get your hand behind the edge
for shaving and carving. It can also be used to skin and dismember large game.
The stout edge is better able to stand up to bone and cartilage than the usual
thinner edge. I would expect this comes at some cost in chopping efficiency,
but most users seem pleased with the performance. There is even a small
hammer face on the back for pounding nails or tent pegs. The handle is about
14" long and the cutting edge is about 3 1/2". It's supplied with
a stout leather belt sheath. The whole outfit is quite light with a sample weighing
about 1 pound, 12 ounces including the sheath. The price is $89. Out of Stock
The Roselli Axe
#R850; The Roselli Axe is the same head mounted on an 18" handle. The extra
length increases leverage, gives the option if using both hands for increased
power. Interestingly, two samples I tested weighed the same 1 pound, 12 ounces
as the shorter hatchet. I suppose there was a difference in wood density.
The price of the Axe is $99. Out of Stock
Shipping and handling is $6 per order (not per item) anywhere in the US.
Standard shipping is by Priority Post, insured if warranted by the value of
the order. This doesn't actually cover the cost in most cases, but it's
easy to calculate, and is my way of saying "thank you". Shipping is available
for most other parts of the world, but usually costs more. Email for a quote. Note;
shipping to Canada can be very slow.
New York State residents should add sales tax.
Most folks use a credit card and the
encrypted secure order form. If you prefer, you can FAX your order to
716-731-3715. I'll need the type of card (Discover, Visa, or Master Charge),
card number and expiration date. If course I'll also need to know what you
are buying, and where to send it. Please include your e-mail
address.
If you don't have a FAX, you can call that same number. If your
timing is good, you can just speak to me and give me the order. No collect calls.
If instant gratification is unavailable, you can always send a Postal
Money Order or check to:
Ragweed Forge
PO Box 326
Sanborn, NY 14132
The Postal Snail may be slow, but he's faithful and discreet. Checks may
be held for clearance, so if you're in a hurry, use a money order.
Everything on the page should be on hand and ready to ship. However some
items may be short supply, so if you are ordering by mail, you might want to
e-mail first so that I can hold your item
(ragnar@ragweedforge.com).
Back to home page
