Editing Puukko (section)

== Design ==
[[File:Puukon ja tupen osat.png|thumb|Knife and sheath parts]]
[[File:Puukko hands.jpg|thumb|Different knife heads]]
The basic components of a puukko are a handle and a blade along with a [[Scabbard|sheath]], which can usually be attached to a [[Belt (clothing)|belt]], but sometimes to a shirt or coat button. The blade is usually short, typically no longer than the handle and can often be less than {{convert|4|in|mm|abbr=off|order=flip}}.<ref>[http://www.finnguide.fi/sightguide/artdetail.asp?a=1784 'Puukko - the Finnish Sheath Knife "] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928081224/http://www.finnguide.fi/sightguide/artdetail.asp?a=1784 |date=2011-09-28 }}</ref>

The flat grind makes the puukko a natural choice for slicing, cutting and whittling, and the flat spine allows the user to use a thumb or the other hand to bring more force to bear on the task at hand. Puukkos are most often used as carving tools for decorative and fire-making purposes, and to clean fish and game. 

Some puukko designs have a slightly upwards-or downwards-curving point, depending on the knife's purpose. A [[hunting]] puukko's tip is often curved downwards, to make the  skinning and gutting of an animal easier and less messy. Fishermen's puukkos sometimes have a small dovetail on point, to help in gutting a fish.

Most puukkos have a slight shoulder but no [[ricasso]] (an unsharpened section nearest the handle), because the point where the blade ends and the handle begins is also the point where most power can be applied.

A puukko typically has no finger guard, since it is primarily considered a cutting tool, not a stabbing weapon. Where the knife and the hand are expected to get wet, such as when the puukko is intended for gutting fish or game, a form of guard is carved into the handle. 

The traditional length of the puukko blade is the same as one's palm width, usually {{convert|90-120|mm|abbr=on}}. Carvers, huntsmen and leatherworkers favour shorter blades; woodworkers, carpenters and constructors longer ones. The blade of the historical [[väkipuukko]] ("strongknife") may be up to {{convert|500|mm|abbr=on}}. The väkipuukko more closely resembles a [[seax]] or short sword than a true puukko, although it has inspired the [[leuku]] of the [[Sámi people|Sámi]] people.

Both factory-forged and hand-forged blades may be laminated: a thin layer of very hard steel (traditionally [[crucible steel]] made from [[limonite]] iron) is sandwiched between two layers of softer metal, which makes the blade less brittle and facilitates repeated sharpening. 

Before the 19th century, almost all iron in Finland was made from limonite on [[charcoal]] [[blast furnace]]s, which yield very pure and high-quality iron suitable for crucible steel. German [[silver steel]] was and is a popular core-steel material. Today both carbon steel and stainless steel are used. The blade can be lightened and strengthened by a [[fuller (weapon)|fuller]].

The traditional material for the handle is curly (masur) [[birch]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Traditional Crafts of Finland - Episode 1 - Puukko Knife Making|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLnqr6IGVgs|publisher=northmen.com|access-date=19 February 2018}}</ref> Also [[great sallow]] root, birch bark, antler (especially elk and reindeer), [[scrimshaw]] and bone are used. Often the handle is made from various materials between spacers. Today, however, industrially made puukkos often have plastic handles.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

A good puukko is equal parts artistic expression and a tool. Making it requires many different skills: not only those of a bladesmith, but also those of a carver, a jeweller, a designer, and a leatherworker to make the sheath. 

Some fine puukkos have blades of [[pattern welding|pattern welded]] steel, and forging a blade using [[crucible steel]] was considered the hallmark of a master smith.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}} 

Men's and women's puukkos do not significantly differ, except in size, as the size of a puukko handle should match the hand of its owner. Women's puukkos are often shorter, with more decorative sheaths, and are more oriented towards working with foodstuffs. Both boy and girl Scouts consider the puukko their scouting symbol, as well as a handy tool.