| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Bear the Dog |
Posted - 05/01/2008 : 04:20:01
Muskrat Man Custom Knives
I have admired Kaleb and his knives for months now finding myself on his website looking at his Nessmuks before I ever even liked that design. I remember reading a thread on a knife he was making for his dad who wondered into his shop and pointed out a blade he liked. He then put it together and gave it to him for his birthday. That knife really cought my eye becouse of the honest simplicity it displayed. I thought it was a great story and ironic since his dad was a retired bladesmith!
Full Tang Puuko
Puuko Design
In the Nordic countries, the puukko is an "everyday" knife that is used for everything from hunting, fishing, and garden work to opening boxes in the warehouse.
Getting one's first puukko is considered, in Finland, the symbol of coming of age for both boys and girls. Men's and women's puukkos do not significantly differ. The only difference is that women's puukkos are often shorter, may have decorated sheaths, and are better suited for working with foodstuffs. Both boy and girl Scouts consider the puukko their scouting symbol as well as a handy tool. Getting a good puukko as a gift or present is considered a great honour in Finland.
The basic components of a puukko are a hilt and a blade along with a sheath, which can be attached to a belt. The puukko's blade has a single curving edge and a flat back. The flat back allows the user to place a thumb or his other hand on it to concentrate the force. Puukkos are used both as a tool for all kinds of carving, especially to work wood, and to clean the catches of anglers and hunters. Some puukko designs have a slightly upwards or downwards curved point, depending on what purpose the knife has. A hunting puukko's tip is often curved downwards to make skinning and opening the animal easier and less messy. The blade is relatively short, usually about the same length as the handle. Fisherman's puukkos sometimes have a small dovetail on point to ease scraping off the innards of a fish. Most puukkos have a slight shoulder but no choil, since the point where the edge ends and the handle begins is also the point where most power can be applied. A puukko often has no guard to stop the hand from slipping onto the edge, but this is of no great importance, since it is primarily considered a cutting tool, not a stabbing weapon. In cases where the knife and the hand are expected to get wet, like if the puukko is meant for gutting fish or game, some form of guards are carved into the handle. The traditional length of the puukko blade is the same as one's palm width.
Here is the Muskrat Man Full Tang Puuko
Specs:
Overall Length is 8 5/8"
Blade length is 4 1/4" with a cutting edge of 4 1/8" Scandi Grind
L6 Carbon Tool Steel
Spine is 1/8" thick with nice red liners
Handle is brown micarta
Quality of this knife and leather sheath was 100% perfect. Great attention to detail. The sheath fit like a glove and was very secure. Deep pouch carry.
Sized up with some favorites
Here is another Full Tang Puuko Clean (satin) with thick (3/8")Stabilized amboyna burl
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| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Noss |
Posted - 05/02/2008 : 14:44:30
Nice looking blade and a great writeup. Great testing !! I like the rough finish on the blade. Looks like a great user.
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A Dull knife is always better than a broken knife. |
| Bear the Dog |
Posted - 05/01/2008 : 04:21:33
Tests
Actually Kaleb starting the testing for me. Here you can see him slashing through some wood. Its not often I get the designer/maker to help out with the test part but its what he sent me while making it and I felt you should see it.
Stabbing and chopping into hard wood to test after heat treating
I did my favorite test, whittling some wood. Now everyone should know that when it comes to wood work the scandis really excell at it! With a scandi I felt it was easy to make long thin curls and thicker strips for kindling or next size up shavings. They are prefered carving knives by many. This puuko realy cut, whittled and batoned well. Scandi is about the only knife I can really sharpen. I must practice more.
Drilling with a tip is another test of a good bushcrafter. This hole was used for an Odjibwa bird trap I never finished. The tip was used also to stab into an old 2x4 and pried out to test tip strength. This was a real strong tip and very sharp. No damage at all.
Being sick this week didn't help for kitchen testing since I didn't eat. But there was some solmon made one night. A few slices of solman never hurt.
Summary: The idea of a scandi that is full tang reasonably priced without waiting a year is something very hard to find these days. Great knife and overall product. This won't be the last Muskrat I find in my hands. Take a look at Muskrat Man Knives you won't be sorry.
Some other Muskrat Man Knives
Bushcrafter (photos by Kaleb)
(1/4") Brown canvas micarta rustic flats
Nessmuk
Kephart
Muskrat Man Knives
[email]muskratmanknives@gmail.com[/email]
http://muskratmancustoms.freehomepage.com/
http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/muskratcustoms |
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