Leuku Pukko Anyone

[larry the spark]

I recently bought and 'made' a carbon steel lauri 7" (large, I know!) Leuku pukko knife kit from Brisa.fi. Fantastic piece of kit at a great price of only 26 euro plus around another 18-20 for postage and some danish oil for the finish. I first encountered finnish knives three years ago on an architectural field trip in univeristy that took us all around the Finnish countryside but only recently purchased a lapp puukko from Kellam which sparked my interest.

Bought the Leuku as a small axe replacement, for splitting wood (not fond of battoning a small blade) and roughing out wood projects and I must say it performs very well in these tasks.

Anyone else got one? Like it?

[Doc]

Never tried a leuku- I think they're used for slaughtering reindeer or something, up in the arctic circle. Would no doubt be useful for other things too. The Scandinavians know what they're doing.

I've ordered from Brisa before and they are fast and efficient. Order well wrapped in Finnish newspaper! No problem with customs charges. Postage can be steep - a communal order might be an idea, if anyone is interested?

You can buy the blade only from a top notch Scandinavian knife company for maybe 15 - 20% of the cost of a finished knife plus sheath. The handle and sheath you make yourself- Brisa sell all materiels.

I'm pretty cack-handed at woodwork, and messed up my first handle. For what it's worth, my advice:

1) Don't use power tools!
2) Finish with VERY fine abrasives - I went down to 1200 grit wet and dry.

[larry the spark]

Reindeer! Won't find many of those round Belfast. The blade is a fraction over 3mm wide which makes it a proficient wood knife and widens towards the tip so the weight is pushed to the end of the blade making it a geat chopper. Can imagine it being a used for butchery.

As for fitting a handle, agree, definitely no power tools except a long 3mm drill bit to make the hole for the tang. All I used was a large semi-circular rasp, clamp and three grades of sandpaper down to 1200 as you mentioned. Just take your time and you will have a custom grip to suit your eager palms! Nothing like it!

I am interested to know what moderately larger blades (+4", not goloks or machete types) people use and for what purposes.

[Doc]

Sorry, yes, naturally a drill is needed. I then used needle files to make space for the tang.

Did you use the traditional option of curly birch?

Brisa sell some >4" and leuku blades. I suppose there is a tradition of a big knife and a little knife in other cultures (eg, dirk plus sgian dubh, kukri with small knife in sheath.)

[Stew]

I've got a 3" Lauri blade from brisa.fi sat waiting for me (and a piece of damascus waiting for my dad) at my parent's house. I thought that it would take a while to arrive so I ordered it to there as I thought I would be there for christmas before it was.
I'm very impressed with the speed of their delivery.

[Roving Rich]

Hi Larry, we managed to persuade Stuart to put a Kellam Lapp Puukko to the test at the weekend. He was not at all bothered about battoning it through whatever wood we could find for him to split. The Puukko coped with no bother, and the blade proved it could take all we could throw at it.
Stuart also mentioned a larger blade from Kellam that will be available shortly, a think its about 6 inches, so should be good for chopping. I dunno what its called, something finnish.
Hopefully Stuart will pick thus tread up.
Cheers
Rich

[larry the spark]

Yeah, stuck with the curly birch. Nice wood to work with I thought. Matches my Lapp Puukko too.

I also found delivery to be very efficient and well packaged.

Gonna order a smaller blade, around 3", and some more exotic materials for the handle to make a knife as present for my father. Might have a go at a sheath too as an beginning to learn leathercraft. Any ideas for a good blade?

[SteveUK]

I'm glad you asked that question, I am considering a 7" Leku from Kellam Knives and would be grateful for any feedback,'

Thanks

Stephen

[Keith_Beef]

Not sure about the leuku being for slaughtering reindeer... It might be used for pollarding wollow and sallow, though.

Go over to British Blades, and ask there. If you're lucky, Juha might be able to answer your question.

Or try on news:rec.knives and either Juha or Pekka might reply.

Keith.

[Stuart]

Hi Larry, we managed to persuade Stuart to put a Kellam Lapp Puukko to the test at the weekend. He was not at all bothered about battoning it through whatever wood we could find for him to split. The Puukko coped with no bother, and the blade proved it could take all we could throw at it.
Stuart also mentioned a larger blade from Kellam that will be available shortly, a think its about 6 inches, so should be good for chopping. I dunno what its called, something finnish.
Hopefully Stuart will pick thus tread up.
Cheers
Rich

the Larger blade which Rich is refuring to is a new leuku with a 4.75inch SPT (same tempering process as the wolverine) blade it is being called 'the bear' and should be ready for end of feb 2004

it will come with a small 2.7 inch (also SPT blade) puukko in a double sheath and retail for £110.25

I've just finnished putting it up on the website www.kellamknives.co.uk
look in the knife section

Doc was right the leuku is used by the sami to bucher reindeer as well as splitting wood and making fire sticks

as a finnish guy once pointed out to me you need a long blade to reach inside a reindeer and remove the lungs

buchers knives are fairly large too remember and they are cutting up simmilar sized animals

[Roving Rich]

Where have ya been Keith, we missed you.
I'd keep quiet about that polarding or Jack will be over here raving about billhooks....And the contest will have to move on to round 2.
Cheers
Rich

[Colin KC]

's ok, over on BB there's a newbie called Psymon, who's a coppicer & pollarder & him 'n' Jack are having a ball;)

[bagman]

Colin me old mucker - your sig is all the pot :wink:

[Colin KC]

Thank Baggy, sorted (not that I visit much anyway :roll: )

[Keith_Beef]

Where have ya been Keith, we missed you.
I'd keep quiet about that polarding or Jack will be over here raving about billhooks....And the contest will have to move on to round 2.
Cheers
Rich


I've been lurking for a bit, and spending much more time on BB than here.

Anyway, I'm a great fan of bill hooks, too. A couple of years ago I bought four bill hook blanks that were probably forged sometime back in the 1930s. I messed up the HT on one of them; broke the tip clean off when I planted it in an oak stump to test it...


Keith.

[Sajuma]

So, if I understand you correctly, Larry, you are looking for leuku blade to make your own leuku?
If you want the easy way, go and buy one from www.brisa.fi
They have models from Lauri and Kankaanpää and IMO Kankaanpää could be more "your cup of tea".

If you choose to take the hard way and get yourself real forged leku blade I think you should contact blade smith and order one...
Here you have some addresses:
http://www.saunalahti.fi/knivesc/
http://www.multi.fi/~kaitsu/index.html
http://www.roselli.fi/

And swedish smiths too...

http://160.8.4.92/english.htm
http://www.knives.se/
http://w1.271.telia.com/~u27104667/photos.html

There are lots of others so go and have a look around...
If there is anything I can do, please let me know...

Juha

[larry the spark]

Thanks for the info Juha. If only I'd asked before I bought the one from Brisa! Cheers anyway.

Thanks for the rest of the info guys.... checked out the roselli blade and it gives the desciption as:

"A traditional, solid shaped Lappish Leuku. The Forged thick blade can be used instead of a billhook if needed."

Hear that Jack! Somehow from following the thread about the billhook/axe test I doubt it. Someone on the mainland get a good 'un and put it to the test!

[TheViking]

Hi...

Maybe this thread is a bit old, but just have to post a reply! :oops:
A leuku blade IS being used for slaughtering reindeer. Mostly used by sapmi people in north. Is a great chopper too!

[Viking]

The Leuku blade is used as an axe, if you have ever been in north yo can see that here is not many re´s growing there mostly bushes and small birch tree´s. Not much use of an axe there but a large knife is very handy. The sapmi people are known for carrying severel knives all for diffrent tasks.

[ChrisKavanaugh]

I used the Lueko-puuko combination set from Issaaki Jarvenpaa. The traditional wide, flat, slightly angled pommel is ergonomically perfect for pushing into materials or controlling with the thumb on a reverse grip. Knife pundits decry the lack of guards. I learned in cold weather and with mittens on draw strokes are far easier to manage. I am not a big blade fan. They seem to big for most knife duties and to small for what an axe, machete or other tool is called for. The Luekos however are delightfull, not massive in weight and suprisingly nimble. I almost considered filing sawteeth on the spine for a dedicated snowknife, but that would be sacrilage.

[TheViking]

Hi...

OK. This one's gonna be a little tough to explain, but i'll try! :wink:
How do you pronounce "leuku" right?? Is it: le-uku or leu-ku? :roll: :wink: :biggthump

[ChrisKavanaugh]

I had the lueko/puukko combination by Issakki- Jarvenpaa. Finland was the knife center for Russia up until independance and luekos were a popular fighting/utility knife by both sides in WW2. Luekos are very good choppers ( remember that in Sammi country Birch trees aren't Redwoods!) and the method is to hold them loosely near the pommel and let the weight and momentum do the work, much like an axe sliding through your second hand to a double grip on the butt. I always remind people to look at the history and regional uses of knives by the first inhabitants. Unless your using the machete family of tools in the tropics or an ice knife up north a big knife was and is usually a fighting weapon. I love comparing my kit with 'Oetzi' the Alpine mummy. My current Puukko and Wetterling are just nice updates of his flint dagger and copper axe. Somehow I think he would reach for these two over some big tactical impaler of car doors.

[TheViking]

The sapmi people are known for carrying severel knives all for diffrent tasks.
I can count three. A leuku, small carving knife and a curved knife which is suited for killing and slaughtering reindeer. :wink:
BTW, reindeer tastes very good, IMO! :biggthump

[Mike Stewart]

Viking,

Would you compare it's use by Northlanders to that of the Bowie knife in North America? There seems to be a lot of parallel general usage.

I have not read this whole thread so, sorry if this has been asked before.

Mike........

[TheViking]

Viking,

Would you compare it's use by Northlanders to that of the Bowie knife in North America? There seems to be a lot of parallel general usage.

I have not read this whole thread so, sorry if this has been asked before.

Mike........
Yes. I'm definately no expert on any knife, and certainly not the bowie. :roll: But as far as i'm concerned about a Bowie, this knife was invented by James Bowie and it's a clip point knife, right? About 30 cm blade?? :roll: But one cannot compare the too, in any way.

Never tried a Bowie, but in my mind, no other big blade can beat the leuku. :shock: :wink: The curve towards the tip, makes it good for skinning and preparing vegetables. It can also chop and slice. The clip point also allow better batoning. :biggthump IMO.

Some may not agree on this, and perhaps say that a kukri is better, but a kukri is 10 mm+ over the spine which makes it absolutely too heavy for carving.

[Mike Stewart]

Viking,

I tend to agree with you about blades shapes. In actuallity Jim Bowie accidentilly invented the Bowie knife from his fame. He didn't actually invent it as a specific pattern. There are hundreds of patterns of bowies and many are just like your knife.

I guess I was refering to the use as an all around large field knife.

I like large knives that have enough of a straight area from the plunge line to be very useful for food preperation and a nice curve closer to the point for slicing and cutting.

As a knife designer, I always try to combine good looks with practical use.

I have noticed that your knife does not have any quillions or protruding guards. I also prefer knives that do not have quillions. I find that the quillions just get in my way in using the knife for various tasks.

Am I correct that you also don't like guards?

Mike.........

[TheViking]

Am I correct that you also don't like guards?
You're 100% right! :D I hate guards... I've never tried a guard which was comfortable. And never needed anyone, as my hand has never slipped the handle. :wink:

Most guards interfer with both sharpening and carving as well as many other tasks. But my leuku is available with a guard, and that one is used by the Norwegian SAS. :biggthump

The Strømeng leuku is grinded at 22 degrees, which makes it a good chopper. Normal bevel angle is 16-17, if I remember correctly. Though this can vary. :wink:

I prefer big blades instead of axes. The reason is that a big blade is better for chopping of boughs than an axe. It's very rare that I need too split something, and if, this can be done with a baton. The axe is best suited for splitting though. :-)

Until a few weeks ago (when I posted the New/old axe thread) I had a very dull axe, which I never thought could become one again, but then I took a rough grinding stone and started to grind. Not just sharpen, but actually grind... Then moving on to a finer stone. Then stropped it. It's now razor sharp, and I think it's convex! :D :biggthump

Cheers

[Mike Stewart]

Viking,

I am also a believer in a large knife over a small axe. I have used some of the small axes and they are very good but I have proven to myself that the large knife can be more useful in a lot of situations.

In larger field knives I like a 7.5 inch to 9.5 inch blade length and do not seem to need a lot of extra weight in the blade.

Mike......