The perfect weapon that came to us from the Scandinavians is the Finnish knife. Thanks to its simple yet functional design, it can be used for household and hunting needs.
History of occurrence
How did the word that means Finnish knife come about? “Pukko” is the name of the weapon in Finnish, “puu”, in turn, means “tree”.
Initially, the Finnish knife played the role of an economic tool, but a little time passed, and it changed. Knives began to be made in such a way that they were used as weapons. They were used during a fight.
An embossed pattern was applied to the scabbard, painted red and engraved brass plates were attached to them. They hung the knife on a chain, and while walking, it swayed, thus drawing the attention of others to itself and its owner. It was very stylish at the time. The handle of a Finnish knife was made from Karelian or wavy birch, that is, hardwood.
Characteristic of the knife
Finns usually have a straight or slightly beveled butt, the meeting angle of the blade and the butt of the blade is large. A striking feature of the Finnish knife is the absence of a limiter. Appliesmounted method of attaching the handle. A characteristic phenomenon for a knife is a wide lower rim, sometimes covering part of the heel. The handle thickens towards the top of the rim. When sheathed, only a small part of the handle remains outside. The technology of creating Finnish knives is characterized by an ideal ratio of the blade and the length of the handle, as well as the ratio of the width of the blade to its length.
Almost every modern knife has a manufacturer's mark. The Finnish blade must have a certain shape, as marriage is immediately evident. If we take the rustic form, then the blade does not exceed 10 cm in length.
In ancient times, the scabbard was hung from the belt at the two ends, and they hung parallel to the ground. After some time, they began to make only one strap for a Finnish knife. A photo of a modern knife shows that the scabbard has only one loop that attaches to the belt, and the knife hangs perpendicular to the ground.
Finca is not just an ordinary knife, it is an extension of a human limb
The main advantage of the knife is its versatility. The knife cannot boast of large dimensions, it is very simple, but despite this, it can cut tree branches, cut bread, sausage, butcher game, you can even open canned food and bottles. If the finca is real, you can safely beat on its thick butt with a hammer. Finnish hunting knives are very strong, with their help the Finns did any work. They could take out splinters, crush ice, shave, repairhousehold items, equipment and other gear. The knife is so comfortable that you don’t even want to let go of it - the handle naturally fits into the palm of your hand, as if it were an extension of the limb. Even the very contemplation of the blade can awaken the hunter's instinct. Primitive man would not have survived without such a knife. As for the more refined models (decorated, etched), they are great for collectors.
Creation of Scandinavians
Finnish knife - a knife for real men, for creators and earners. But this does not mean that it is shapeless and ugly, moreover, it is beautiful. Its beauty is discreet, special and utilitarian. This is a creation of real Scandinavians with their exquisite nature. Constantly fighting for survival, only they could come up with such beauty, useful and justified.
Make Finca with your own hands
The original finca is very expensive, but don't be upset: there is a solution in every situation, and of course, in this one too. Do-it-yourself Finnish knife is the best solution. Finca can be made from improvised means. So, the most important thing in a knife is good steel.
You can get it in the market or in a power tool store. High speed tool steel is best. It's good when you have access to a metallurgical plant, but you can buy a saw blade that cuts thick metal. That's all the material for the blade, next in line is the handle. What is suitable for the handle? You can take birch, maple, beech. There should be no problem with the material for the handle, sincewood is available to anyone.
Sewing a scabbard is one of the main steps in creating a finca
Making Finnish knives is a laborious and very complex process. Some masters believe that the most responsible thing is the tailoring of the scabbard. To make a good scabbard, you need to spend a lot of time, unlike the manufacture of the finca itself. The whole secret lies in a special technology that must be observed without fail. If at least one condition developed by the Finns is not met, the case will be damaged and can be thrown away. The scabbard is made exclusively from wet leather, it fits the insert well and is sewn together. The Finns are more responsible in the manufacture of the scabbard than in the knife itself.
The scabbard made of dark red leather with a curved tip is especially popular. Such a scabbard is called the "bishop's hat" (in honor of one of the prelates of the Catholic Church, who was killed by a simple peasant because he ruined his entire household).
Finca is a tool and at the same time a weapon
You need to clearly understand that the Finnish knife is a tool, not a weapon. A vivid proof of this is the simple design of the knife, which was formed back in the Middle Ages: a sheath, blade and handle. The size and proportions of the finca depend on its purpose, whether it is household chores or hunting. The blade and handle are as long as the width of the palm of your hand, of course, in some knives the blade is much shorter. The blade of a Finnish knife is sharpened on one side, its other side is thickened - for convenientuse during hard work.
If necessary, the Finnish knife can be used as a weapon. According to tradition, the finca handle is made of wood, but other materials can be used. For example, in Lapland the handle is made from deer antler. The scabbard is made of leather, but not always, other materials are also welcome.
Finnish knife in folklore
Finca, like any other household item, has found its place in the customs and folklore of the people. In Karelia, all the girls wore an empty knife sheath on their belt for a certain period of time. A guy who wanted to marry a girl inserted his knife into her sheath. If at their next meeting his Finnish knife remained in the sheath, this meant that he was the desired groom. This was a special sign, after which the guy could send matchmakers to the girl. If the girl took out the Finn from the scabbard, it meant that she did not want to marry this guy.
In the Far North, men also had their own customs. If a man worked in the forest for a very long time and he had to spend the night there, he stuck a knife into the wall above him, thus protecting himself from evil spirits. A similar thing was done in houses, people stuck a knife over the door, as if blocking the way for all evil spirits. In addition, there was another custom: if the baby in the house began to cry, a knife was inserted just above the door.
The invention of the knife can be put on a par with the achievements of primitive man: making fire and taming domestic animals, since with the advent of the knife, people's lives have become mucheasier, food production became a simple matter, and people were able to defend themselves from wild animals and invader tribes.
