Principles
I use traditional working methods when making my blades. My principle is that a good puukko is made of quality raw materials and a well proportioned blade which serves its use. The lines of the blade determine the shape of the handle. If the handle is not in line with the blade, the mistake between the handle and the blade will stand out in the finished product. Therefore, making a streamlined high quality puukko is precise design work from the very beginning. For the finished product to be perfect, also the sheath and its decorations must go well together with the shape of the puukko.
From raw material to a finished product
Hammer, anvil, fire and steel. These are the basis of every puukko I make. After forging the blade, I grind it to proper measures using belt sander. After heat-treating the blade I sand it by hand. Then I give the finishing touch with leather and polishing paste to ensure the maximum sharpness.
The handles I design to be functional and weather resistant. I use tanned leather for the sheaths, each one designed and made specifically for each puukko. For the maasepän puukko (traditional countryside blacksmith’s puukko) I also make sheaths from birch bark, using a technique known only by few bladesmiths in Finland. As for the handles, I normally use wood native to Finland, like curly birch and birch bark. I use oil for the surface treatment, so the user can later add it on the handle as well as on the sheath when needed. I recommend oiling the sheath at least once a year, and the handle 1-2 times a year, depending on how often the puukko is used.
Most of my blades are made of carbon steel, but I also make blades of lamella and damascus.
In case you want additional information about my puukko, you can contact me from the ”contact” page or send e-mail to eero@eerokovanen.com
Gift puukko with 130 mm blade. Handle ebenhotz and birch bark, bronze fittings. Inlay german silver. Leather sheath.
Hunting knife with 100 mm wootz blade. Bronce fittings, birch bark handle. Leather sheath from 3 mm thick vegetable tanned…
Kitchen knife with 200 mm laminated carbon steel blade. Handle stabilized curly birch. Fittings artificial stone and german silver. Blade…
Puukko with receivers initials inlaid. Blade carbon steel 80 mm, handle curly birch, fittings brass. Leather sheath.
Camping axe over all length 650 mm. Blade weight approximately 1 kg. Birch handle.
Hunting knife with 125 mm carbon steel blade (80CrV2), thickness 5 mm. Bronze fittings, patinated. Curly birch handle dyed brown….
Blacksmiths puukko with carbon steel 115CrV3 blade, 80 mm with forged sides. Oak handle dyed brown. Leather sheath dyed brown…
Badger model puukko with 80 mm carbon steel damascus blade. German silver fittings and ebony handle. Leather sheath dyed black.
Puukko with curly birch handle, dyed black. Patinated brass fitting. 90 mm Wootz blade, patinated. Black leather sheath.
Carbon steel blade 95 mm “silver steel” (115CrV3), brass fittings, gnarled goat willow handle. Leather sheath.
Blacksmith`s puukko with slim design. Carbon steel “silver steel” (115CrV3) blade 75 mm. Curly birch handle. Leather sheath with weaved…
Gift puukko with carbon steel blade 85 mm, german silver fittings, birch bark handle with brass inlay. Leather sheath. Made…
Three puukkos with handle material delivered by customer. Blades 80 mm carbon steel, fittings brass, plum wood handle. Leather sheaths…
Puukko made for carpenter, carbon steel blade 70 mm, german silver fittings, curly birch handle. Leather sheath with carbine hook…
Carbon steel blade 65 mm, brass fittings, birch bark handle. Leather sheath.
Twist damascus blade puukko with bronze fittings and birch bark handle. Blade length 85 mm. Leather sheath.
Small axe with merbau handle. Mild steel with carbon steel cutting edge. Blade length 120 mm, blade width 65 mm….
Blacksmith´s puukko with acid patinated 82 mm carbon steel (80CrV2) blade. Raw tanned leather sheath.
Wootz bladed knife with nickel silver fitting, stabilized x-cut curly birch handle. Blade length 225 mm. Black leather sheath.
Birch bark handle puukko with 95 mm carbon steel blade, 3 mm brass fittings. Dark brown leather sheath treated with…
Badger- model puukko with stabilized x-cut curlybirch handle, brass fittings with ebony ring, carbon steel 80CrV2 blade 80 mm. Blade…
Carbonsteel damascus blade puukko with ebony handle and nickel silver-brass-nickelsilver fittings. Brass fitting decorated with filework. Damascus blade with twisted…
Badger- model knife with ebony handle, nickel silver fittings, upper fitting casted. Carbon steel damascus blade, twisted explosion (or W)…
Badger- model puukko with Australian Red Malee handle, nickel silver fittings, 83 mm carbon steel (80CrV2) blade. Black leather sheath….
Puukko with goat willow handle, brass fittings, carbonsteel blade. Blade length 100 mm. Black leather sheath.
Puukko with carbonsteel damascus blade, german silver fittings and grenadill handle. Blade length 80 mm, over alla length 195 mm….
Birch bark handle puukko with polished hammered side blade. Blade 80crv2 carbonsteel 75 mm, handle birch bark with bronce fittings…
Kitchen knife with carbonsteel damascus blade. Ash handle with Grenadill fitting. Blade cover is made from ash with integrated locking…
Birch bark handle puukko with german silver inlay. German silver fittings, leather sheath. 80CrV2 carbon steel blade 80 mm.
Birch bark handle puukko with stainless steel RWL34 blade. Blade length 75 mm, brass fittings with Paracord rope in upper…
Puukko with curlybirch handle and 80 mm 80CrV2 carbon steel blade. Brass fittings, black leather sheath.
Carving puukko with 70 mm carbonsteel blade. Oiled curly birch handle and birch bark sheath with wooden liner inside. Overall…
Puukko with 105 mm carbon steel blade and ash handle and brass fittings. Black leather sheath with wooden sheath liner.
170 mm wootz steel blade made from self made wootz steel. German silver fittings and 120 mm pepperwood handle. Black…
70 mm carbon steel puukko blade, 925 silver fittings with brushed look. Dyed and oiled curly birch handle. Leather sheath…
Carving puukko with aluminum fittings and curly birch handle. Blade 80Cv2 steel, leather sheath. Blade length 70 mm.
Custom made birch bark sheath puukko with Huon pine handle. Blade is made from 0.8% carbon steel, blade length 91…
I tested my puukko blade on bone and curly birch. Please check how my blade performed!
70 mm carbon steel blade fitted in curly birch handle. Light and nice shaped puukko for all use. In leather…
Puukko with 85 mm hand forged carbon steel blade. Handle is made from curly birch. Fittings and carrying loop is…
Laminated carbon steel blade puukko with curly birch handle and leather sheath. Blade is made from three parts. In middle is…
Carbon steel blade puukko with curly birch handle and leather sheath. Blade is polished by hand, maker’s mark is made by…
Damascus blade puukko with curly birch handle and leather sheath. In damascus blade there is two different carbon steel that…
Carbon steel blade puukko with gnarl of goat willow handle and leather sheath. Carbon steel blade is polished by hand. Handle is made…
Curly birch handled hunting puukko with damascus steel blade. Small part of the handle is made from birch bark and…
Birch bark handle puukko with brass inlay. Sheath is leather and dyed with same red brown color as the handle….
Traditional puukko with birch bark sheath. Handle material is gnarl of goat willow, blade carbon steel. Blade length 80 mm….
A commissioned hunting knife. Customer wanted rambo style in it, so there is some similarity in the shape of the…
A commissioned knife. Customer wanted a knife with a ”tanto” style blade. Blade is forged from carbon steel and finished…
Three puukko with curly birch handle and leather sheath. Puukko’s were made for log builders. Receivers name and manufacturing year…
Small puukko with birch bark handle and leather sheath. Made for an active fisherman. Receivers name and manufacturing year are…
Carving puukko with curly birch handle and brass bolsters. The customer wanted a dragon figure on the sheath, in addition…
Backround: This puukko was a gift for a horseback rider, and was designed together with a passionate horse enthusiast. The…
Carving puukko with clean lines and a polished carbon steel blade (lenght 80 mm). The handle is curly birch and…
Fisherman’s puukko with 65 mm carbon steel blade. The bolsters are brass and the handle is wenge. Wenge is a…
This delicate ”maasepän puukko” (countryside blacksmith’s puukko) was influenced by traditional puukkos made in the area of Kokemäki. Blade is…
A unique puukko with bronze bolsters, both made with sand casting. The upper bolster has been made using a brass…
Carving puukko with 70 mm carbon steel blade. The sides of the blade were left hammer-finished and then polished. Handle…
Carving puukko with 60 mm carbon steel blade, with forge finished sides. Curly birch handle with brass bolsters and a…
Crafting puukko with 60 mm polished carbon steel blade. Curly birch handle with brass bolsters. Backside of the handle has…
Carving puukko with 70 mm polished carbon steel blade. Birch bark handle with brass bolsters. Sheath is tanned leather and…
Carving puukko with 70 mm polished carbon steel blade. Curly birch handle, which has been dyed dark brown. Bolsters are…
Small game hunter’s puukko with 60 mm polished carbon steel blade. Curly birch handle with aluminium bolsters. Sheath is tanned…
Carving puukko with 65 mm polished carbon steel blade. Birch bark handle with aluminium bolsters. Sheath is tanned leather and…
Maasepän puukko (countryside blacksmith’s puukko) with 65mm carbon steel blade with forge finished sides. This puukko has no metallic bolsters,…
Maasepän puukko (countryside blacksmith’s puukko) with 65 mm carbon steel blade with forge finished sides. This puukko has no bolsters,…
Beautiful and clean-lined puukko with 85 mm polished carbon steel blade. Birch bark handle with brass bolsters. The sheath is…
Puukko for everyday use, with 75 mm polished carbon steel blade. Beautiful curly birch handle with brass bolsters. The sheath…
This puukko was named after its handle, which has been made out of a block of two black walnut pieces…
A versatile puukko for everyday use. 80 mm forge-finished carbon steel blade slightly curves towards the tip. The sheath is…
This puukko was made by using the everyday puukko with birch bark handle as a model. The blade is 80…
A unique puukko made for my bladesmith’s competence test. The 100 mm blade is polished carbon steel, bolsters are bronze…
This decorated puukko was an anniversary present. The blade is polished carbon steel with the maker’s mark etched on the…
This decorated puukko was made for the annual Finnish knife making Chapionship 2012, and it came second in beginners class….