Since SMILODON FATALIS was my alter ego (read Dr. Jeckyl / Mr. Hyde) I thank you for remembering what an enjoyable lttle thread that was... and it started something like this:
"After the debate with the Lohar i`ve been recently inspired to open a new thread on another ,,grey spot on the map,, :
the so called FINLAND KNIFE
Well, also known as Finn Knife, Scandinavian Knife and even Eskimo knife (even though its nothing like a ulu) for those who don`t know it yet this is the knife in debate:
Let`s clear some fog around here: In Finland the word for any knife is puukko / puukotaa. Absolutely any kind of knife from kitchen to the army would be reffered to by this word. Just wanted to make sure that know that what we are reffering to is not the Finland knife but the Lapland knife, as this ittem is a creation of the Lap people. Therefore the most correct therm woold be ,, Lapin Puuko,, or ,,Lappland puuko,, .
Lappland ( a.k.a. Sápmi) is the most northen virtual country of Europe, a very cold territory imhabited by the Laps, the ,,eskimo,, of Europe, also known as Sami. They not only exist in Finland but in all Scandinavia: Sweden, Norway and even Russia (Kola peninsula is known as Russian Scandinavia). This people used to pretty much have their own country named Laponia, very little known in contrast to the rest of Europe, much like a far away cold and snowy fairytale country with indigenous people, speaking a distinct language named Saami, nomad hunters and fishermen and gatherers much resemblant of the northern American Algonquins or southern Eskimo nations, living in teepees and huts and harvesting reindeer. They were easily conquered and the country was split in the 19th century.
I just want it to make sure that this knife is perceived as a Lapp knife not as being from Finland, since IT IS AN ORIGINAL CREATION OF THE SAMI PEOPLE AND THEY HAVE A WIDER AREA OF LIVING THAN JUST SIMPLY FINLAND.
And any person from Finland would pretty much recognise it as being the ,,Lapp knife,,.
Like any good ittem of course this knife has seen some globalisation.
P.S. It is one of the best all around purpose knife: unbeatable for fileing the fish or fisherman chores in general, a good hunting knife specially as paring knife and even a good combat/survival knife, thick grip and very slick blade. Due to its special wood grip and the narrow blade it is a featherlight weight large knife.
Obviously they come in many shapes and sizes but the basic concept and ingredients remain very much the same and everyone should own one.
P.S. : from all the gifts I gave him, a ,,Lapin puukko,, knife is the most treasured one by my father, an avid outdoorsman.
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