Ordered this Keresuando Hieno on Mon & rec'd it today Fri via USPS Ground Advantage, which is slower than formerly but still acceptable. Not acceptable is that carrier left package on porch in most conspicuous spot possible from street on table atop other important mail that should have been put in mailbox, the chair below it specifically placed there for the very reason it's hidden from street & convenient for carrier. Had I not been at time thankfully making call holding phone apprising of package arrival, porch pirates would have likely stolen knife USPS Informed Delivery indicated earlier today would be not be delivered until Mon. Underlines fact that USPS sux & reason I advised Redbeard to switch to UPS that's pricier but far more reliable.
My favorite Scandinavian brand has been Keresuando, & this Hieno makes my 9th, most of any in my collection of now 65 puukkos, fishknives, shroomers, hatchets, & folders. Hieno means "pretty" in Swedish, but this one actually weighing 4.3 oz sans sheath is not as pretty as one pictured/described on Ragweed Forge website & is different, as well:
BLADE is marked on obverse with "Damasteel RWL34" unlike one in photo with name only, & is also shorter at 3.25" rather than 3.35" described. (Overall length of knife is actually 1/8" longer at 7 5/8 in, too.) More importantly, "Damasteel" is misleading, as manufacturer has heretofore reserved that moniker only for its patented high-tech Damascus steel blades. I recently bought K's Paltsa folder with same RWL34 & Rockwell of 61 steel in its blade that seems to be quite fine though I do not use folders nearly as often as fixed-blade puukkos & so cannot yet make definitive judgement. Have used RWL34 Hieno only once today cutting meat & veges for giant taco salad & find its sharpness coupled with wide 3/8-in-Scandi slope cuts readily thru hard iceberg lettuce & celery despite super-sturdy 1/8-in thickness & glides right thru soft ripe Campari tomatoes & avocados without squishing or distorting them out of shape. Some might prefer blade closer to 4 in, but not a problem for those with cutting expertise & experience like I who started at age 5.
HANDLE measures just shy of 4.5 in from bottom of semi-birdhead pommel to top of guard with gentle ergonomic swells in between. Circumference at thickest point in middle is 3.5 in, plenty for my XL hands but I think most of those with medium- to large-size hands would still find it sufficiently nimble. As for appearance, the largest piece at center, curly birch, is disappointingly stained too dark to highlight nearly hidden complex-patterned mottling. Bracketing it at either end are matte brass spacers not quite matching brightly polished brass guard, which is unfortunately rough on obverse side at juncture with generous 9/16-in-wide reindeer antler that matches narower reindeer strip at bottom between that brass spacer & super-smooth dark-stained pommel. Worst possible place for flaw is there at bottom center where K moose logo appears to be slightly off-center necessitating filler that is light in color making it obvious contrasting with adjacent dark-stained curly birch. Extremely attractive K logo of crisp brass moose surrounded by black G-10? with circular brass perimeter is unique in materials & location across brand's puukkos & 1 of main reasons I selected this particular K. Very unfortunate!
SHEATH is black calf leather but not the one pictured. Actual is side seam type that is uniquely "braided" together there which makes diamond-shaped tip at open end project out at right angle imstead of flat. I really like this design but K's moose emblem embossing is missing like in photo as is twisted reindeer leather dangler. Instead, back of sheath has more Western style 1 3/8-in-wide calf leather belt loop attached with 2 rivets. Accomodates waist belt up to about 1 3/4" wide. Very thick white plastic lasta inside is utterly cut-proof but not beveled at angle to facilitate ease of re-sheathing, so you must carefully find lasta's center with knife tip before pushing it in lest it slip between it & leather & puncture sheath. But once inserted correctly, knife sinks in deep & fits pretty tight so you're unlikely to lose it when wrestling with black bear for fun. Semi-birdhead handle with 2 1/4" exposed is easy to grasp & withdraw should bear play too rough & need a poke or 2.
In sum, this Hieno is pretty enough to date for a while but quality is obviously lower than 8 older sisters notched in my bedpost. With Rob's early July 2026 10% discount, $297 still makes her an affordable girlfriend--until novelty wears off & I return to 2 expensive real Damasteel damsels in my sisterhood of Keresuandos.
