What kind of knife for Indy?

IndyJoey

Member
goodeknight said:
Perhaps something with a stag handle.

If the above are a bit too fancy, an obvious choice would be the all time classic lockback folder, the Buck hunting knife.

311Q5FV21KL._SL500_AA300_1.jpg
Indy's knife in raiders had a stag handle, and yes, i agree a buck would be a good choice. Oh and Finn, i reallly do like that knife you showed, it looks right up indy's (and my) alley. Oh, and Finn where can i get a Finnish puukko?
 
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Finn

Moderator
Staff member
IndyJoey said:
Oh and Finn, i reallly do like that knife you showed, it looks right up indy's (and my) alley. Oh, and Finn where can i get a Finnish puukko?
Why, from Finland of course.

If you ever find yourself in these parts, I'd say the easiest way to acquire one is... 1) **** off a random person, 2) wait 'til you feel a stinging sensation between your ribs, 3) run away, 4) profit.


Okay, seriously...

I sort of lied about that easy way. The absolute simplest way in here to get one is to go to a place that sells 'em and buy one. There's absolutely no legislation in place whatsoever concerning puukkos here in Finland. Anybody can buy one, no permits or papers or whatever required. Even if you're a minor. My parents gave my sister her first knife at the same time I got mine, and she's three years younger than me. So if you ever find yourself in Finland... you know. Just keep in mind that they're not probably something the airline will allow in carry-on baggage.


So even in Ireland, I suppose the first thing to try would be to simply walk into the local Home Depot, or whatever's the equivalent. They're considered simple tools at least in these parts, so any and every hardware store carries a selection. They are however mainly industrial-made these days, so the hilts are mainly plastic or other composite material instead of good old vintage wood as in the picture. Not that those kind are rare either, at least 'round here.

Failing to pick one off the shelf, the Internet seems to carry a wide variety of stores selling just about everything. Simply entering the keyword in Amazon.com for example brings up this selection . Before ordering one from another part of the world I recommend looking up the local legislation however. A tool in one place can still be considered a weapon in another and therefore might be confiscated once they hit the customs.

One more way is to seek out a local craftsman who takes custom orders. Here's an example I came up by simply googling. (That first image is not quite, but pretty close.) This route is tends to be quite pricey though.


All in all, acquiring one is definitely not an overly tall order. Pretty much the only real hurdle might be the law in target country if one ends up importing.
 

IndyJoey

Member
So, i should be able to find one at a home depot? cool, i'll try that. Do you have any recommendations for one? You know, handle material, blade material, size? I usually like stainless blades because it keeps an edge very well...
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
IndyJoey said:
So, i should be able to find one at a home depot? cool, i'll try that. Do you have any recommendations for one? You know, handle material, blade material, size? I usually like stainless blades because it keeps an edge very well...
It's worth a shot. The largest mass manufacturer of puukko type of knives is not actually Finnish, but Swedish company called Mora. They supply their products worldwide and should be a rather common brand in pretty much any hardware store.

Now, as far as the materials go, it pretty much depends on what you plan to use it on, considering it's designed to be a true multipurpose knife. If you figure it's mainly going to see use as a hunting knife, cutting up small animals and fish, stainless steel blade is the way to go. If you intend to work on harder materials, such as carving and cutting wood, then I recommend veering towards blades made of common tool steels such as carbon-based alloy. A good compromise between the two is a laminated steel blade, which has processed blade surface to protect from the elements but a sturdy core inside.

What comes to blade lengths, they traditionally come in three varieties. The so-called carpenter's blade may be as short as two inches (5-6 cm), which is usually handy for working on wood surfaces such as carving and shaving chips.

However, the common blade is, well, the most common as it is designed to handle adequately any task the user decides to employ the knife. The blade length is usually about four and half inches (10-11 cm), give or take half an inch. It's the blade I pictured earlier.

Then there's the Sami blade, or leuku, as it's called in my native tongue. It has a huge blade ranging from six to 11 inches. Not the most wieldiest of knives, it is mostly meant for skinning big game and to be used as a makeshift axe when you need to make a fire during those cold Nordic winters.

Out of these three, I definitely recommend the multipurpose common blade. With a bit of practice, you can do the woodwork almost as well as with the carpenter blade which doesn't really fly for anything else, and leuku is pretty much an overkill. And to be honest, I doubt that any regular hardware store even carries a leuku-length blade.

The hilt material is probably where most puukko shoppers who head to a run-of-the-mill hardware store have to brace for disappointment. Most hilts are usually made of rubber, plastic or some kind of composite material. If you're looking a knife mainly for use and not for aesthetics, they'll do. But like I said, if you also wish to go for that good vintage outdoorsy look, there's no beating a wooden handle. The classic Finnish puukko hilt is generally made of birch, but I'd say any wood from a broad-leaved tree native to Northern Europe (oak, elm, etc) is fine. But like I said earlier, finding one from a regular hardware store might be a tall order sometimes. As an alternative, you could look for a store that specializes in hunting and fishing gear.

Hilts made of animal bone, such as elk or bear also exist. But these are truly quite rare. And expensive.

Puukkos usually come with a handy sheath so that the worker or hunter can hang it from their belt. The blades meant for general tool use usually come with a plastic sheath, but again if aesthetics and classic look are more important, the sheath should made for leather, either hardened or soft. The former is better for protecting the blade against the elements but sheaths made of latter make 'em more wieldy. Apart from hanging it from the belt, stuffing it into the side pocket of a backpack or even into the boot become options. It's also something of a tradition that the sheaths and hilts don't mix: If you find a knife with wooden hilt, it usually comes with a leather sheath whereas hilts made of synthetic materials are accompanied with a hard plastic sheath.

I currently have three puukkos in general use. One with a plastic hilt with a blade made of stainless steel, which I use as a wieldy kitchen knife. The other two are for more outdoorsy purposes. Both have birchwood hilts and soft leather sheats. The blades are made of stainless and laminated steel. All three are of the common blade length.

Since you're looking for your first knife which should probably both look cool and be wieldy, I recommend the common blade length with a wooden handle and blade made of laminated steel though stainless should do fine too unless you're into heavy carpentery. Sheath ought to be of leather, naturally, it's what Indy would have carried in his day. Let's hope you find a nice one somewhere.
 

IndyJoey

Member
Allright Finn, thanks for the information, i'll check some stores around here for one, although i did find one that i like on Mora's website.... hmmm I dont know, i guess i'll have to check it out around here to see if theres anything i like...
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
IndyJoey said:
Allright Finn, thanks for the information, i'll check some stores around here for one, although i did find one that i like on Mora's website...
You're welcome. Mind if I ask which one from Mora strikes your fancy? Might be able to tell whether it's worth really drooling over or not.

A good puukko is always a bit more than a mere tool or an accessory. Due to its highly practical nature fit for many utilities, it could be described more as a companion knife. Therefore it's important to actually get a feel of it before making the decision. Is it well balanced, how the grip feels... stuff like that.
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
It's a sturdy-looking knife. Stylish, too. The brass bits may darken over time especially if exposed to elements, but it's nothing that should affect usability.

Without actually having the thing in my hand, only bit I might say a thing or two is that bowie-knife type of tip. Traditionally the blunt edge runs straight from the hilt to the tip. Makes it more effective when carving wood, and safer too, if the blade slips and jumps back in case there's a knot or something. That kind of tip may also blunt over time if used heavily against wooden materials.

But all in all, that's a minor qualm really and becomes even less of an issue if the handler knows his stuff. The plus side is that it's easier to impale and cut things, if that's the user's intention. Though it can be done with the traditional kind of blade as well, just requires a bit more force. And a good puukko can take a lot of force.
 

Finn

Moderator
Staff member
Wouldn't touch that 277. It's not really a true puukko anymore, but merely a hunting knife - designed to cut soft materials rather than to act as a multipurpose knife. I can tell by looking at the section where the blade and the hilt meet. It's sort of hard to explain, but if you look at this, this or this, you should see the difference.

Also, the blade looks far too thin anyway and the blunt edge still narrowly tilts towards the tip, as compared to all my example images where it truly remains straight all the way through. According to an old joke every other Finn is an engineer, so it's no surprise really that I've even seen puukkos with distance markings carved on the blade - so that they could among all other things be utilized as rulers.

To be honest, I wouldn't really get anything from that Mora catalogue, at least what comes to their wood-hilted models. But then again, I've a bit more options here where I live.

Don't get too hung up on those material recommendations I gave though. Stainless steel blade can handle most elements just fine as well, it just needs to be regularly whetted. And my preference for wooden handles is mostly due to the Finnish climate - hard plastics and sub-zero temperatures don't really mix. Out of the synthetic materials rubber is a fine alternative though, the grip is even superior to most wooden materials.
 

otto rahn

New member
I thought Mutt was the one who used knives ? Seriously I could easily see Indy using ANY weapon that happened to be handy in a fight (Marion too for that matter) but I don't think that he would CARRY a knife as a matter of habit (except maybe a Swiss Army type).
 

Tibor

Member
I agree. He chose his weapons... whip and gun... to carry. Otherwise, a Cub Scout pocket knife would do everything else he needs to do.
 
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