Description

The WoodsKnife Bear Paw is a substantial Finnish hunting knife handcrafted by Harri Merimaa, a third-generation knife maker in Kauhava, Finland. If you are looking for a Finnish puukko with real maker provenance and a design that earns its name, the WoodsKnife Bear Paw NZ is worth your attention.

Some knives have a name that fits. The Bear Paw is one of them.

This is a serious hunting knife. 120mm of 80CrV2 carbon steel blade, sharp all the way to the brass bolster in the Scandinavian tradition, with no ricasso. The handle is dyed curly birch with a wenge pommel, shaped for medium to large hands. The leather sheath carries a Bear Paw stamp that marks it as exactly what it is: a specific design from a specific maker, not a generic pattern run through a factory.

Harri Merimaa has been making knives in Kauhava, Finland, for his entire career, continuing a family tradition that goes back to his grandfather L.V. Kuure, who ran a puukko factory in the same region from the mid-1940s. Harri’s father Esa worked alongside him. Harri is the third in that line, and every WoodsKnife knife he makes reflects decades of accumulated knowledge about what good blade steel feels like, what a handle should do for the hand, and how a sheath should fit.

The puukko tradition in Finland is not about ornamentation. It is about utility, built carefully enough to last. Finnish people have carried puukko knives for centuries as everyday outdoor tools, hunting companions, and camp implements. A good puukko earns its place through use, not through aesthetics. The WoodsKnife Bear Paw earns its place, but it also looks the part, and the two things are not in conflict here.

The black forged skin on the blade gives it a raw, honest appearance and provides natural corrosion protection. The curly birch handle, dyed and finished by hand, means each knife looks slightly different because birch does not come uniform. That is a feature, not a quality control issue. It is what handmade means.

Raptor Outfitters brought in a limited first run of WoodsKnife knives to New Zealand after working with Harri for some time. We rate his work genuinely, not because it fills a gap in our catalogue. If you have been looking for a Finnish hunting knife with real provenance and a maker worth knowing about, the WoodsKnife Bear Paw NZ is a good place to start.

Once this limited run is gone, it is gone.

Specifications:
Blade length: 120mm
Blade material: 80CrV2 carbon steel
Blade finish: Black forged skin
Hardness: 59 HRC
Handle: Dyed curly birch, wenge pommel, brass bolster
Handle fit: Medium to large hands
Sheath: Leather with Bear Paw stamp
Overall length: Approximately 250mm
Made in: Kauhava, Finland
Maker: Harri Merimaa / WoodsKnife Oy
Note: Carbon steel requires basic care to prevent rust. Oil lightly after use.