Puukko work continues.

Lately been working on the blades you saw being forged in the last post. These will be with traditional barrel shaped handles, materials being brass and birch bark.

After the blades are heat treated and ground, it's time to fit the front bolster plates. Work is done with a drill and needle rasps.

Butt plate is fitted so tight, that you have to hammer it down the tang. This way it should stay on when compressing the piled bich bark.

Birch bark is cut in flaps, cleaned, and holes are cut. Few flaps are placed on the tang altering 90 degrees, sideways, upright, sideways, upright, and so on. Then tightened with a wooden block and hammer, and the same is repeated until you have about 1,5-2 cm taller pile than the handle length should be.

Butt plate is placed, and tang is slightly peened. Handle is roughly shaped, put in the kitchen oven for about 45min in 75-100 celcius. This will make the bark softer, and the handle can be tightened by fixing the blade on a vice and hammering the butt plate down the tang. The one in the middle is about to go to the oven, two bottom ones are ready roughly shaped handles.

All 5 shaped on a belt sander, now moving to hand sanding.

These knives will be for sale later on today. So if you're interested, please stop by again late Saturday evening Finnish time!