Every Day Carry, What's in Your Pocket?
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KNEWSLETTTER IN A KNUTSHELL Finnish Puukko Knives 2015 Show Application Every Day Carry - EDC Would U Like to know Wood Hammer In for Wayne Japanese swords Our international membership is happily involved with “Anything that goes ‘cut’!” November 2014 Every Day Carry, What’s in Your Pocket? Michael Yoh knife for the Swiss Army knife, maybe something like the Benchmade Pardue or a Sebenza if I needed a larger blade. These items became my EDC even before the term Every Day Carry was coined. Times, they sure are a changing! I stumbled onto an EDC Underground group on Facebook recently. The people in this group like to showcase their toys and to buy, sell and trade Back in the 70’s, my nickname was the “knick-knack kid.” I them. The picture at was always looking for the latest neat gadget to carry when bottom left is fairly canoeing, camping, hiking, or working that would make life typical of what they simpler and provide me with a tool that could be used to do the like to refer to as their job at hand. My primary criteria were did the product serve a “pocket dumps” or what utilitarian purpose, was it effi cient and was it easy to carry? After they usually have in having tried many types of tools and devices, I fi nally settled their pocket on a daily on what I wanted in my pocket or on my keychain everyday, basis. There seems to essential items that could get me out of 90% of the situations be a whole cadre of that I might fi nd myself in. This is not to say that at times, new custom makers when venturing out with a specifi c purpose in mind, I might not catering to the modern supplement these tools concept of EDC- Peter with mission specifi c Atwood, Steve Karroll ones, perhaps one of the and Brian Fellhoelter, Leatherman multi-tools. among many. Several After much trial and knife companies have error, I settled on a Swiss also gotten into the Tech Micro-Technician, act and are producing small keychain small tools and fl ashlight and a Swiss gadgets. Nite-Ize has Army knife (Victorinox their “Doohickey Key of course). Sometimes I Tool” for only $4.95. would substitute another Continued on page 5 Another common feature of the very The Finish Puukko - Part 2 high end Kauhava style puukko is to Theo Eichorn inlay brass or nickel wire into the birch The next model also has very old roots It also has a much slimmer sheath and the bark handles to create very fi ne ornate but was fairly formalized before the upturned tip that is so easily recognized designs, called sorkoupotus (intarsia) mid nineteenth century and is called the on Finnish. Härmä can often be found in Finnish. The sheaths also vary pretty Härmä Puukko. It is interresting to note with two or more knives in one sheath. broadly but are consistent in being very that this puukko is especially regional Kauhava has a long and famous knife sleek, having a very similar pattern (Härmä), and today is really only made tradition. There are individual makers stamped on the “mirror” or front panel by one man who is the last descendant of a who made names for themselves, Kuusta of the blade area with an upturned tip. famous Härmä Puukko family. Although Lammi and Iisakki Järvenpää probably Kauhave puukko often have a lot of I don’t think there is any offi cial rule, it is being most famous. But it was also the engraving on the metalwork of the also manufactured by Iisakki Järvenpää home of a huge cottage industry, ranging handle and sheath and even etching on and maybe by a few students; it is really from shops of only a couple people, the blade. This is also where the fuller considered to be a design belonging to maybe lasting a few years, to factories was introduced in the late teens. It really these Härmä families and is not a model employing relatively large amounts of caught on in the twenties and is now that is typically made by others with any people. The company started by Iisakki considered a classic part of the style. regularity. is still running and was still held by his This is also a style that was made as family until it was sold earlier this year to doubles, even triples! three gentlemen whom, I hear, have some big plans... So we’ll see what happens with that pretty soon. On the other end of the spectrum, Altti Kankaanpää is an old man (and very nice, by the way) who has been making knives since just after the Stuorra-Niibi War and still makes knives in his home using the same old original equipment that his family imported from Germany! Kauhava puukko come in many different styles, but there are certain things that are more or less common to them all. Hattutupipuukko They tend to be very slender in blade and handle. The blade is usually around 16 mm. wide, but this is not a rule. The ferrule is closed at the front, formed over a mandrel. They are sometimes Rautalampi by Arto Liukko considered better looking than working, although one often fi nds the old blades One of my favorite models is called the Härmä Puukko worn down to nothing! One of the Rautalampi. It is similar to the Kauhava best known styles is the Horse Head and could easily be confused, but it is The Härmä is distinguished as having (Hevosenpää) puukko, based on a horse very different in a few aspects. For one, both upper and lower ferrules, a very head cane given to the Emperor of it is a much more substantial knife and long ridge on the back of the handle, Russia and designed by Kusta Lammi. so it is much more of a user, IMHO. The the pommel, a very fl at oval handle The biggest difference between the ferrule is wider and closer to round. The wider at the back and narrower at the different Kauhava models is the pommel blade is usually about 18mm. wide. It front (blade) end. The handle was often style and handle materials. The pommel does not have a fuller. The pommel is painted either red or black or striped can be rounded and fi led with a sort of always rounded, but there are a couple with red and black which often was nipple on top or a ridge similar to the different styles, but not nearly as many enough to identify the maker, even Härmä. Sometimes it is made of wood as the Kauhava. The handle may be curly without a marked blade. The sheath is and is what they call a puoliponsi, or birch, rarely horn, very often birch bark, typically covered with the same brass half pommel, kind of like what we call a dyed red and laquored, with a stylized reinforcements as the Vöyrin, minus the bird’s beak. The handle may be of wood, Lilly of the Valley inlay (sorkoupotus), front decoration, instead having a very birch bark, casein, even plastics that the date often on the other side. As far characteristic set of stampings and red were fi rst imported from Germany in the as I know, no other motif is used on the paint or dye and engravings on the brass. twenties or thirties. Continued on page 9 Page 2 forward to this gathering so mark your of each. OKCA Knews calendar and come be with us. There were & Musings It ain’t too early to... several tables ibdennis which laid Make lodging reservations for the April testament to Show. The Valley River Inn, which is Wayne with Elayne in her article has really our partner in lodging for the Show, said it all. the knives had a complete remodel; and, from the he has made. The December 06 Mini Winter Show - reports heard, it is one awesome place to There were The deadline for fi rst right of refusal on stay. Get your reservations in early. The about 50 or the 2014 April Show table - Toys for Tots rooms fi ll up fast. Mention the Show more knives that were brought in by - Plan for the April 2015 Show - Meeting when you register, as we are offered Lynn Moore, Dave Rider, Wayne and on November 19th. a special rate for the Oregon Knife myself. There is no mistaking a Wayne Collectors. (541)687-0123. You might Goddard creation. These knives are also note the Courtesy Inn - (541)345- varied and bear witness to this super 3391 - the closest motel yet to the Knife craftsman. Show. A Budget motel that has worked well with us over the years. I actually saw Wayne wielding a hammer that day and heard and saw him beat metal to hot metal. This was a day when there was never a moment when there was not the sound of metal on anvils or the roar of the fi re in a forge. The comradery was at its best as people Michael Kemp exchanged ideas and learned more about Articles herein.... the making of hammer forged knives. I want to thank Bob Cook, Larry Martin Brandt and Michael Kemp Davis, Theo Eichorn, Mike Silvey were big factors in this event along with and Michael Yoh for their words in the support of the 5160 Organization. Mike Johnston and the power hammer this issue. More words are needed, and I One person there had surgery less than know that they are out there.