Description

The WoodsKnife Big Leuku NZ is a traditional Finnish leuku knife handcrafted by Harri Merimaa, a third-generation knife maker in Kauhava, Finland. If you have been looking for a serious large Finnish outdoor knife available in New Zealand, the WoodsKnife Big Leuku is the real thing.

The puukko is Finland’s knife. Most people know the puukko: a compact, single-edged carbon steel blade, wooden handle, leather sheath, carried daily by Finnish men and women for centuries as a working outdoor tool. Simple, reliable, purposeful.

The leuku is the puukko’s larger cousin, and it belongs to the north.

Traditionally associated with the Sami people of Lapland and the northern regions of Scandinavia and Finland, the leuku is a bigger, heavier knife built for tasks that a standard puukko cannot handle alone. Chopping through branches, splitting wood, making stakes, heavy camp work, the jobs that call for power and blade length rather than finesse. Where the puukko is precise, the leuku is capable. They are not in competition. Experienced outdoors people in Finland have historically carried both.

The WoodsKnife Big Leuku carries that tradition into the present. The blade is 180mm of 80CrV2 Finnish carbon steel, hardened to 59 HRC, 27mm wide and 3mm thick. That is a blade with genuine chopping authority. The handle is curly birch, shaped to fill the hand properly during heavier use. The sheath is wet-formed leather in the traditional Finnish style, fitting snugly over the handle, with a wide 4 to 6cm belt hanger built for practical daily carry.

Harri Merimaa makes every WoodsKnife knife personally in Kauhava, northwest Finland. He is the third generation of his family to do so. His grandfather L.V. Kuure established a reputation for puukko making in the same region in the post-war years. His father Esa followed that path. Harri continues it, finishing every blade himself and treating the grinding and polishing as central craft rather than production steps.

Raptor Outfitters has been stocking WoodsKnife knives for some time and the Lapplander has gone well. Over time a few people asked for something with more reach and more blade weight for heavier outdoor work. The WoodsKnife Big Leuku NZ is the answer to those requests. We brought in a small first run to see how it goes with our people. If you want a traditional Finnish leuku knife in New Zealand made by someone who has been doing this his whole life, this is it.

Carbon steel takes and holds a fine edge, sharpens easily in the field with basic tools, and develops a natural patina with use. It is not stainless and it requires basic care. Wipe it down, oil it lightly, and it will outlast most modern alternatives.

Limited run.

Specifications:
Blade length: 180mm
Blade width: 27mm
Blade thickness: 3mm
Blade material: 80CrV2 carbon steel
Hardness: 59 HRC
Handle: Curly birch
Sheath: Wet-formed leather, traditional Finnish style
Belt hanger: 4 to 6cm wide
Made in: Kauhava, Finland
Maker: Harri Merimaa / WoodsKnife Oy
Note: Carbon steel is not stainless. Wipe clean and oil lightly after use to prevent rust