Kauhavan Puukkopaja General Knife #108

This is the All-rounder for Outdoorsmen. The blade stock of these Lauri Metalli blades is thin enough to do well with food prep, but thick enough for light batoning. KPP take the factory grind and refine it almost to a zero scandi, but with a very slight hollow grind. Trust me when I say, it cuts like a laser beam. Because of the hollow it's easier to sharpen than most scandis because your really only grinding away the heel and shoulder of the bevel instead of the whole flat. The special grind KPP does is a touch better in use than those done by Ahti (who also use Lauri Metalli blades and reprofile them), only because Ahti doesn't add the hollow. The difference is subtle and maybe negligible.

The handle on mine is off-the-charts beautiful. Redbeard picked me out a really curly piece of birchwood that made the reddish brown stain look like a galaxy (thanks Redbeard!)

The sheath is an artisan piece in its own right. It's a full grain veg tan leather, dyed during tanning, not after. So, the color won't stain your clothes as it rubs. It looks and feels quality and has a great friction fit on the knife. I've had a couple of these sheaths by KPP and the subtle imperfections/differences between each one are a satisfying reminder that these are truly hand wet/formed and stitched--not slapped together by a machine.

The spine is not 90 degrees. Most Pukkos don't bother with that as it's not traditional. However, if you want the 90 degree spine, that is one reason to prefer an Ahti. To my knowledge, most, except the Tikka have a 90 degree spine.

I know have two of this knife. One in natural, and this one stained. If I could recommend just one Pukko--be it Ahti, Erappuu, Jarvenpaa, a Mora (sort of a Puukko) or this KPP General Utility--it would be this one. The stained option also doesn't show all the dirt and grime from your camp gloves. Get the stained one here from Readbeard. It'll ship so quickly, you'd think you'd bought it on Amazon. Excellent service!

This is a great puukko knife. It is well made. The craftmanship is superb. The stained curly birch handle fits my large hand perfectly and is good looking. The blade is nice and sharp. The sheath is exceptional - great belt loop. Finally, Ragweed customer service is tops. Redbeard is very helpful w/ advice.

I have come to appreciate Scandinavian style knives, and own several Mora knives dating from the 1950’s through the current Classics. The Kauhavan Puukkopaja has a carved handle that’s more secure in the hand than morakniv’s barrel handles, a peened over tang, and a nice leather sheath with a hard plastic liner. I’m not saying Moras are inferior at all, but for just $15 more this knife is a really nice upgrade. I’ve also been completely satisfied with every order from Ragweed Forge.