Järvenpää 124490 Aito Ystävä Puukko

The Järvenpää Aito Ystävä Puukko is a masterpiece of a utility knife. The handle made from stacked layers of birch bark with solid ends of red bronze. There are also bronze and Black fiber decorative spacers. The handle is polished and oiled, rather than Varnished, and is more common. This improves the grip, and is much more comfortable. The handle fits well in my small to average sized hand perfectly. It has just enough shape for control without restricting you to any single grip.  The tang of the blade extends the full length of the handle and is visible at the pommel. The sheath has a plastic insert and a brass reinforcing band at the top. The suspension strap is attached to the band with a ring. I can see the whole outfit lasting several generations. 

Aito Ystävä – the name of this knife means “true friend” in Finnish. It is our special Valentine's Day model, based on the beautifully crafted and highly popular birch-bark-handled Aito Knife. A heart motif is delicately embedded into the handle using a traditional technique called "sorkoupotus."

The Aito Ystävä Knife features a birch bark handle, treated with linseed oil, which offers an incredibly comfortable and secure grip, with a suede-like feel. Since the heart motifs are handmade, each one is unique, and the exact shape and placement of the heart near the top of the knife may vary slightly from what is shown in photos. 

The blade is an 8 cm unpolished black carbon steel, known as the "Tyllerö", which is the same blade found in the Juhlavuolu, Sorsapuukko, and Jänisjahti models. Though these knives share the same blade, they differ significantly in their handle design and intended use. 

Carbon steel is of exceptional quality for practical use, maintaining its sharpness and allowing for almost unlimited sharpening. 

The Aito Knife's handle is unique, with cast bronze fittings at both the top and bottom of the handle. 

Handle made from birch bark 

The handle consists of approximately 90 individually punched birch bark pieces, arranged by hand in alternating directions along the tang. This prevents the handle from warping along the grain of the original bark sheet. 

To add elegance and a touch of metallic shine, six 0.5 mm brass plates are interspersed between the layers of birch bark at both ends of the handle. 

The entire handle is carefully shaped by hand using a belt grinder to achieve the perfect form. The dark brown leather sheath is also hand-embossed, with a brass reinforcement at the top where the belt loop is attached. 

When you hold it in your hand, you'll know it: the Aito Ystävä Knife is truly something else!

Black Leather Sheath Included

Item Details: 

• Unpolished Carbon Steel Blade
• Blade Length: 3.1"
• Blade Width: .88"
• Blade Thickness: .125"
• Handle Length: 4.13"
• Weight In Sheath: 6 oz.