Well, so it didn't work out too badly after all! I sold a knife I didn't use (the Blackjack Trail Guide) for a fair price to a worthy person who will use it hard, as it was intended...hunting Moose and Bear in Alaska, and get to use 2/3 of the funds generated to get TWO new blades and sheaths to work on. WooHoooo!
So off I go to Thompson's
This is the blurb on the first pick, much larger in size than I would normally pick:
Kankaanpää Knife Blades - Finland
Utility blades in Bohler Uddeholm 0.8% carbon steel used for decades. Slightly convex grind.
Rockwell Hardness 58 - 59.
Kankaanpaa is the name of the maker, an elderly man. The blanks are stamped, then they are sent for hardening.
They are ground on two big grinders, one for the left side one for right. These are from Germany, maybe 50 years old or more,
with a big rotating stone and a cooling system. At this point they are ground flat to zero.
Then Kankaanpaa manually puts on the second bevel, .. or not really.. he makes them a little convex close to the edge.
That is what he thinks is a good using knife. He comes from an area, Kauhava, where there is a long knife tradition and a lot of knowledge.
The blade: 161 Leuku 138x27 mm
The second blade is a Puronvarsi:
Yrjo Puronvarsi blades are hammered out of old Krupp carbonsteel, and are unique with their rombic transversal section,
i. e. they are thickest in the middle where the grindline begins. I have read that the carbonsteel is the same as Silversteel...which is a carbon steel that is used in Finland for high-quality puukko knives. The steel can be sharpened to a very sharp, razor-like edge and can be hardened up to 64 HRC, which is (as you may know) very hard and comparable in hardness to a UHC from Roselli. The high amount of chromium (0.50–0.80) gives it it's shiny appearance. A beautifull steel that can retain it's egde for a long time but more brittle due to it's hardness than the everage hunting knife.
Puronvarsi 75 - 80 x 19 - 20 mm
Handles on these will likely be a combination of either Gabon Ebony or Honduran Rosewood for the main section then either black or ivory paper micarta plus nickel silver and fiber spacers.
I purchased an apporpriate Scandinavian style sheath that comes unstained, but lined to fit each.
Looking forward to this...love these Nordic blades as they are like a razor and really hold up.
So off I go to Thompson's
This is the blurb on the first pick, much larger in size than I would normally pick:
Kankaanpää Knife Blades - Finland
Utility blades in Bohler Uddeholm 0.8% carbon steel used for decades. Slightly convex grind.
Rockwell Hardness 58 - 59.
Kankaanpaa is the name of the maker, an elderly man. The blanks are stamped, then they are sent for hardening.
They are ground on two big grinders, one for the left side one for right. These are from Germany, maybe 50 years old or more,
with a big rotating stone and a cooling system. At this point they are ground flat to zero.
Then Kankaanpaa manually puts on the second bevel, .. or not really.. he makes them a little convex close to the edge.
That is what he thinks is a good using knife. He comes from an area, Kauhava, where there is a long knife tradition and a lot of knowledge.
The blade: 161 Leuku 138x27 mm
The second blade is a Puronvarsi:
Yrjo Puronvarsi blades are hammered out of old Krupp carbonsteel, and are unique with their rombic transversal section,
i. e. they are thickest in the middle where the grindline begins. I have read that the carbonsteel is the same as Silversteel...which is a carbon steel that is used in Finland for high-quality puukko knives. The steel can be sharpened to a very sharp, razor-like edge and can be hardened up to 64 HRC, which is (as you may know) very hard and comparable in hardness to a UHC from Roselli. The high amount of chromium (0.50–0.80) gives it it's shiny appearance. A beautifull steel that can retain it's egde for a long time but more brittle due to it's hardness than the everage hunting knife.
Puronvarsi 75 - 80 x 19 - 20 mm
Handles on these will likely be a combination of either Gabon Ebony or Honduran Rosewood for the main section then either black or ivory paper micarta plus nickel silver and fiber spacers.
I purchased an apporpriate Scandinavian style sheath that comes unstained, but lined to fit each.
Looking forward to this...love these Nordic blades as they are like a razor and really hold up.
