Finnish Knives from Järvenpää

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.


Iisakki Järvenpää

Iisakki Järvenpää is one of the leading suppliers of traditional knives in Finland. The knives are of high carbon or AISI 420 stainless and tempered to 57-58 on the Rockwell Scale. Iisakki Järvenpää combines traditional styles with modern production methods to provide outstanding values. The blades are well ground and the the knives are supplied with sturdy functional sheaths.

 ** As you will notice, There is no longer pricing for these on this website, Information only, Please visit https://ragweedforgestore.com/collections/jarvenpaa-1 For Purchases and New models**


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Aito Puukko

#1244; The Aito Puukko is one of my personal favorites. The handle is built up from stacked layers of birch bark with solid ends of red bronze. There are also bronze and Black fiber decorative spacers. The handle is polished and oiled, rather than Varnished, and is more common. This improves the grip, and is much more comfortable. It’s about 4 1/8” long and fits my small to average sized hand perfectly. It has just enough shape for control without restricting you to any single grip. The blade is unpolished carbon steel of a useful size and shape. It’s about 3 3/8” long, 7/8” wide, and 1/8” thick. The tang of the blade extends the full length of the handle and is visible at the pommel. The sheath has a plastic insert and a brass reinforcing band at the top. The suspension strap is attached to the band with a ring. I can see the whole outfit lasting several generations. The knife and sheath weigh a bit over six ounces.

The name Aito has a double meaning. There was a man named Aito Järvenpää who worked at the factory for about fifty years. He was both skilled and well liked. The word itself means something like “genuine” or “original” in Finnish.


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Lappland Puukko

The traditional Lapland Puukko is the all-purpose utility knife of the Sammi people. As a nomadic people in a harsh environment, they have refined the style over centuries until there is nothing superfluous. The elegant result is a real demonstration that form follows function. The classic Nordic blade is narrow enough to penetrate, has a straight section for slicing, and enough curve at the tip for light skinning chores. The wide, flat pommel allows the use of the off hand to add force to the point. The deep leather sheath is an indication of how serious a lost knife can be in the wilderness. The sculpted handle of arctic birch gives excellent control for the draw strokes that are favored when the hands are gloved or numb with cold.

There are three sizes: