Made by the Iisakki Järvenpää company in Kauhava, Finland, the Model 1243 Puukko knife is sometimes called the "Fat Boy" for its wide handle. It is beautifully crafted with a carbon steel blade and a stout curly birch handle, inlaid with narrow spacer stripes. Its special feature is a beveled handle with a saw blade, which is complemented by both ends with a single bronze drum. The distinctive bottom arm of this knife provides strong support and protection to the fingers, but also transfers the point of the knife to where it belongs. These knives are all individuals because the patterns of the spruce blade vary from one knife to another and the cast bronze hinges vary slightly in their shapes and characteristics. The dark brown vegetable-tanned leather sheath has a sturdy leather loop on the back for hanging on your belt. The blade is etched with "Iisakki Järvenpää" as a reminder of its special Finnish origin.
Knifesmith Iisakki Järvenpää founded his namesake company in 1879, and is still known for his durable and authentic handcrafted knives over 140 years later. Iisakki Järvenpää Company continues to manufacture all its products and their components in-house and by hand, using locally sourced m... More Iisakki Järvenpää
I bought the Model 1243 "Fat Boy" knife to carry with me in the woods and for use when dressing out deer here in Maine. I bought it so that I could retire the similar knife that my dad brought with him from Finland when he came to the U.S. in the 1920's. The sentimental value of my dad's knife, now that he has passed, is now way too much for me to take the chance of losing it in the Maine woods. I needed a replacement of a similar size and the "Fat Boy" fills the bill. The carbon steel blade takes and holds a fine edge. It sharpens relatively easily. The beefy handle makes the knife easy to control when it is being used. Although this is a very handsome tool, it is much more than a show piece. It has to be used in the field to be truly appreciated. I am proud to carry this knife as I feel that it represents my Finnish heritage. It is a real tool, not a decoration. I think that my dad would approve of it too.
Pros
Easy to maintain the sharpness of the high quality carbon steel blade.
Beautiful, but very functional larger than normal handle.
Best Price Guarantee
