The first Gear Talk post of the year, and I thought I'd report on two pieces of equipment which surely not many other UL backpackers carry with them. That doesn't mean that they're heavy, by no means, but there are lighter alternatives out there, that is certain. However, these two items are very traditional, and have a long history here in Finland.
Puukko & Kuksa.
Lets start off with the Kuksa, it's a traditional Sami drinking cup made of gnarled birch from Finnish Lapland. The cup is hand made, and carved out of a piece of wood. I got this for my birthday from my parents in law, and I was super happy about such a beautiful present - after living eight years now in Finland, it was about time I got one =) My Kuksa is 121 g light, so double the weight of a titanium cup if you like to think that way, but a lot more beautiful (and sustainable!). What's really handy about it is that its a good isolator as well, keeping the coffee or tea warm while I still can grip it without burning my hands. There's also no need for detergents to clean it, rinse it with water and you're done.
Now in winter I carry my Puukko with me, because it is a lot easier to cut wood with it for my wood burning stoves. Its also a very traditional item from Finland, and mine is from the renown Iisakki Järvenpää company. The knife is 88 g light, and the sheath is 30 g, so together they're even lighter than the Kuksa!
As I said, the puukko is very handy now in the winter, because it is more difficult to get dry wood for the stove, so a solid knife with a fixed blade is my way to go. It ensures that I can cut through thicker branches to reach the dry wood in its middle, and get the fuel I need to melt all that snow and cook my food. Its perfect also to cut bread, reindeer ham, fruits and make sharp sticks for the BBQ! Filigree works also goes easy with this knife, a real multi talent.
If a reader of this blog ever would come to Finland, I'd seriously recommend thinking about getting one or both of these items. They're something you will have for a lifetime, and even can pass on to your kids some day. From an aesthetic viewpoint I'd say they are some of the nicest pieces of gear I own, and I really like using them.
The first Gear Talk post of the year, and I thought I'd report on two pieces of equipment which surely not many other UL backpackers carry with them. That doesn't mean that they're heavy, by no means, but there are lighter alternatives out there, that is certain. However, these two items are very traditional, and have a long history here in Finland.
Puukko & Kuksa.
Lets start off with the Kuksa, it's a traditional Sami drinking cup made of gnarled birch from Finnish Lapland. The cup is hand made, and carved out of a piece of wood. I got this for my birthday from my parents in law, and I was super happy about such a beautiful present - after living eight years now in Finland, it was about time I got one =) My Kuksa is 121 g light, so double the weight of a titanium cup if you like to think that way, but a lot more beautiful (and sustainable!). What's really handy about it is that its a good isolator as well, keeping the coffee or tea warm while I still can grip it without burning my hands. There's also no need for detergents to clean it, rinse it with water and you're done.
Now in winter I carry my Puukko with me, because it is a lot easier to cut wood with it for my wood burning stoves. Its also a very traditional item from Finland, and mine is from the renown Iisakki Järvenpää company. The knife is 88 g light, and the sheath is 30 g, so together they're even lighter than the Kuksa!
As I said, the puukko is very handy now in the winter, because it is more difficult to get dry wood for the stove, so a solid knife with a fixed blade is my way to go. It ensures that I can cut through thicker branches to reach the dry wood in its middle, and get the fuel I need to melt all that snow and cook my food. Its perfect also to cut bread, reindeer ham, fruits and make sharp sticks for the BBQ! Filigree works also goes easy with this knife, a real multi talent.
If a reader of this blog ever would come to Finland, I'd seriously recommend thinking about getting one or both of these items. They're something you will have for a lifetime, and even can pass on to your kids some day. From an aesthetic viewpoint I'd say they are some of the nicest pieces of gear I own, and I really like using them.
Gear Talk: Puukko & Kuksa - Traditional Finnish Outdoor Gear
When UL meets "bushcraft" - of course they aren't so different in their philosophies! I'd like to try making a kuksa one day!
ReplyDeleteI live in the U.S. (Iowa to be specific) and I carry both a puukko and kuksa on camping trips. I made the kuksa myself from a Basswood tree (Tilia americana) burl, and the puukko was a gift from a friend that went to school in Finland. Great post, love your blog!
ReplyDeleteHow would anyone get a kuksa home from Finland in this day and age? Mine is Karesuando and I worry every time I travel on the ferry to England that some officious security person will find it and assume the worst.
ReplyDeleteOf course I meant puukko.
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS SO G_O_O_D stuff from you,really !
ReplyDeleteIts so nice to see that you arent narrowminded pure blooded,fanatic UL fascist:),drinking from cup used by sewing people to protect their fingers from nedles and whittling their sticks with some redicilous disposable scalpel.
Just kidding,i really like to see this sort of back-to-basics stuff from you,and the way you speak about them,although theyre not light,modern or trendy.Hats up to open mind that u have,towards traditional backpacking 6 hiking gear.To me a su know,puukko´s and knives are the most essential items out there,since with just puukko,nothing else you can make items needed to ligh a fire,whittle primitive tools like fishing hooks that still work in these days,you can make shelter with knife,gut a fish or rabbit from trap,about every vital task,can be made with just that one tool if you just learn the way to do those.By the way,if your puukko is made from carbon steel,it will throw nice sparks when you hit flintstone with its back,i mean the spine.And if you gently sharpen the spines corners,it will act as very good spark scraper,when used with swedish(etc) firesteels.
And kuksa,man,its the best cup to have your hot drink.It doesnt sink in snow when you poor hot water in it,it doesnt burn your lips,and it keeps the stuff hot better than some steel cup.And that too,can be made with one clever tool,knife:).The only downside of kuksa is,that you can melt water in it or boil with it,unless your cup is big enough for you to drop a boiling rock in it,to boil that water/snow in the kuksa.And you have to make sure you dont wash it with any type of soa as it will suck in the soaps taste.Ive seen mistakes like these done by those clean-freaks.And one yet...from time to time,when u get back to home,after rinsing the kuksa,its good if you rub a drip of sunflower/oliveoil into kuksa,all over it.It prevents carcking of it.
Funny about that. I just happen to have one of these. Belonged to my mother's father. Was said to be Finnish when I came by it, accidentally, but I never believed it.
ReplyDeleteThe leather sheath is tooled. The handle is curved. In short, it's pretty much a dead ringer for the Wikipedia illustration, except the blade is a bit thinner (but short, about as long as my smallish hand is wide), and has a choil.
The right side fuller also has engraving, in script, appearing almost Elvish, and I can't quite read it. On closer examination the right side of the blade also has faint engraving, and the blade looks vaguely damascus, hinting at lamination.
So, this looks like it could be the real deal. Probably close to a century old. Maybe more.
I would like to order that exact knife but i can't seem to find it. any help?
ReplyDeleteok, never mind, i'm slow
ReplyDeleteGreat cultural topic. Always nice to see traditions and what others are doing outside of our own little bubbles.
ReplyDeleteTim & John, I live next to a outdoor store and they have a wide variety of puukko knifes. I can get each of you one and send it, if you pay for knife & postage (no extra costs, its really 15 m from where I live and I'd glad to help). If you're interested in that, send me an email (address in the sidebar).
ReplyDeleteDave, if you want, take some photos and set links, I am sure Perkunas or I will be able to help you out identifying the knife. It does sound awesome, you should be proud. And by the sound of it, you have Finnish heritage!
Norseman, thank you for your comment! Awesome to hear that puukko and kuksa are also used in the US! I'd love to see your self made kuksa, off to scout your blog for photos!
Wandering photographer, you hit the nail on the head! I have a bunch of bushcraft books sitting on my desk, from Kephart over Jaeger, Kochanski to Nessmuk. Now just to find time to read them =)
Perkunas, you made me laugh :D Yeah, I'm not a UL facist, I also have some real bushcraft tools. At the moment I am even considering to enroll at the Wilderness School in Kuru. Lets see, might give it a shot and make my passion my job. Anyhow. I'm not sure which steel it is, but it stands up to a lot of abuse. When we meet I will take my puukko and you can have a look and tell me more, and also show me some stuff which can be done with it. Good tips about the kuksa, too. I was aware to never clean it with soap, but the oil tip is very useful. Lets really meet soon and do some hiking and bushcraft!
Jolly, I agree, sometimes it is worth to look outside of the UL sphere and go back to the roots. And as Wandering Photographer pointed out, UL and bushcraft have a lot in common. Maybe I'd even go as fat and say UL is Bushcraft in a more trendy dress.
You know what,i already emailed to Dave about identifying his knife.I have some couple hundred knives already for comparison in our cabin :).
ReplyDeleteKuru really is worth going to,i mean the school they have,its international u know,its also pretty hard as is my school in Karkku,and forces you to spend a lot of time away from home.
But did u know,theres also nowadays wilderness guide school in city of Tampere too,in Ahlmanin opisto.I dont know about their level,but if they are making official guides,it cant be bad either but somehow....its in the city,not in the forest areas like Karkku and Kuru.Might tell something.
Hey,i have tried to say to u here about one cabin trip i have booked but i have problems sending anything here to you,but check out one of my replies,in the "sheath" topic i did few days ago in my blog.Im heading to that m607 and if u want to come by with sleeping bag and mattress,please stop by at 12. or 13.3.Doesnt cost u a dime.The beds are spoken for already,im sorry but if warm floor will do,youre wellcome.Im bringing there atleast ice fishing stuff,flintstriking steel and flint stones with charred cloth,etc to play with.Nothing special,maybe at friday we´ll do some short daywalk with daypacks and cookers,stop for lunch in the snowpile:),but we just decided to have this traditional trip among my buddies at that old cabin.So u live next to some outdoor shop,may i ask which:) ?
hey,i do see,something common between UL and bushcraft immediately,and thats the fact that u guys also DO stuff by yourself,not just buy everything.And you also seem to leave home some not so necessary stuff as we do too.We just dont care so much about the weight and trust mainly in the old school gear used and made in past.
By the way,Mors Kochanski is one of my idols,i can easily recommend any of his methods to anyone,and his book "nordic bushcraft".
http://perkelesblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/just-small-possibles-pouch-from-last.html
ReplyDeleteI dont know,would a kit like this,be some sort of UL bushcraft stuff :),as its intended to be just the essentials,and the pouch is so smal that you just Have to think about small items,if youre going to stuff anything in it.
Hi Hendrik,
ReplyDeleteI've got a Kuksa similar to yours, it's a joy to drink out of. I'm also a big fan of Scandinavian knives. I own mostly Swedish Moras, but do have a 7 inch Jarvenpaa Leuku and a plastic handled Marttiini Puuko (M571). I need to add some more Finish knives to my collection!
Hej Hendrik!
ReplyDeleteHave used my kuksa(kåsa in swedish) realy often on my trips. Best thing for coffe. Should be the type of coffe you "cook" in a copper kettle over the fire :-).And my knife has followed me since 30 years,when I built it.
No UL gear. But I love them. Leave them at home on my UL trips.
Nice!!
ReplyDeleteI think you made a good choice with the Iisakki knife. I've read pretty good comments about the brand.
Very interesting way of boiling water that is, Perkunas! Never heard of anything like that. But there isn't any risk to burn your cup, proceeding like that?
Xavier,no there isnt big risk involved with kuksa or steel/aluminium/titan cups,and even plastic cups can manage thru it if you first split partially some branch,like from willow,to use as crude tweezers,and pick up the stone with those,and sink the stone into cup,but hold it with "tweezers" to prevent the stone from touching the bottom,so the plastic sure wont melt.Before you use the stones,brush em as well as u want to,with small pine branch,the needles will clear the dust from stones pretty well.This is one good survival tip,ive learned from one of my "mentors",Turkka Aaltonen,who is one of the founders of our Survival Kilta Ry. (survival guild).Its been used few times in survival competitions,where you have to boil water and you only have normal fire going on and no proper cups at all.Many have failed because they didnt realise you can easily boil water by putting something very hot in the water instead of looking for a vessel to be put on fire.If youre in real situation where you are desperately in need of hot/pure water,you can rip a part of your waterproof gear,like sleeve of your jacket or anythin that is about water proof,dig a hole into ground,spread the cloth in the hole,and put in water,and light up the fire to make hot rocks,and then use the rocks to boil that water in the cloth lined hole you dug.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.archive.org/details/MichelBlomgrenSURVIVALwithMichelBlomgrenEpisode3QuestforTheStone
ReplyDeleteOne of Michels great home made survival videos show about the same trick.
Hi Hendrik,
ReplyDeleteOne of the items my wife and I won't miss on our trips are our kuksas. I got mine 7 years ago during our first trip to scandinavia. My wife's one was a present from a friend of mine who spends half of the year living with the Sami in Sweden.
My wife got a nice puukko. It's got a small sharp part on its spine specially to use it together with firesteel. I've always been looking for such a nice puukko like yours but unfortunately I wasn't able to find "the right one".
Although these items weight a little more than typical UL stuff I think that weight alone is not the point. Ul is not only about lighten up your gear but also about simplifying your life. And these two items represent both.
(And if I'm right I think Sabi from TUL is using a kuksa too. Together with her new mukluks and her traditional wooden snowshoes she's still UL when visiting you in Finland during the TUL-FW-Tour)
very nice natural items - I like the Kuksa
ReplyDeleteHI Henrik,
ReplyDeleteI (normally) live in Rovaniemi, and I would never go off into the tunturi without my trusty kuksa and puukko. Mine's a marttini, simple, chunky, and great for whittling off kindling.
I enjoy the blog!
Mark
Hi Mark, thank you for the comment and kind words! Lucky you, living in Rovaniemi right below the Arctic Circle and only a short trip to the tunturi! Its definitely a must have if going in the wild there (puukko & kuksa) and if you got a kuksa you might even be able to leave the water bottle behind. Have fun up there!
ReplyDeleteHaving dearly missed all my wooden trinkets since being adopted out of Russia, this article has rekindled my interest in carving birch. I'm off to find some trees to fell...
ReplyDeleteWhat a great blog. I am learning a lot from your postings. Please keep up the good work. I'll definitely check in from time to time to learn more from your reviews and your lightweight backpacking tips.
ReplyDeleteThanks Michael, hope you enjoy the ride!
ReplyDeleteI bought a 'cheap' puukko from a shop in Brisa some years ago. It feels so perfect in my hand, and sometimes I use it to eat, or cut meat, or whittle a bit. My favored companion in the outdoors, if I must choose one. I do not have a kuksa, but I have been waiting for one. I hear tradition is that a kuksa should be self-carved or a gift. Alas, I am not good at carving, and lack Finnish friends. :-)
ReplyDeleteXavier,no there isnt big risk involved with kuksa or steel/aluminium/titan cups,and even plastic cups can manage thru it if you first split partially some branch,like from willow,to use as crude tweezers,and pick up the stone with those,and sink the stone into cup,but hold it with "tweezers" to prevent the stone from touching the bottom,so the plastic sure wont melt.Before you use the stones,brush em as well as u want to,with small pine branch,the needles will clear the dust from stones pretty well.This is one good survival tip,ive learned from one of my "mentors",Turkka Aaltonen,who is one of the founders of our Survival Kilta Ry. (survival guild).Its been used few times in survival competitions,where you have to boil water and you only have normal fire going on and no proper cups at all.Many have failed because they didnt realise you can easily boil water by putting something very hot in the water instead of looking for a vessel to be put on fire.If youre in real situation where you are desperately in need of hot/pure water,you can rip a part of your waterproof gear,like sleeve of your jacket or anythin that is about water proof,dig a hole into ground,spread the cloth in the hole,and put in water,and light up the fire to make hot rocks,and then use the rocks to boil that water in the cloth lined hole you dug.
ReplyDeleteNice!!
ReplyDeleteI think you made a good choice with the Iisakki knife. I've read pretty good comments about the brand.
Very interesting way of boiling water that is, Perkunas! Never heard of anything like that. But there isn't any risk to burn your cup, proceeding like that?
You know what,i already emailed to Dave about identifying his knife.I have some couple hundred knives already for comparison in our cabin :).
ReplyDeleteKuru really is worth going to,i mean the school they have,its international u know,its also pretty hard as is my school in Karkku,and forces you to spend a lot of time away from home.
But did u know,theres also nowadays wilderness guide school in city of Tampere too,in Ahlmanin opisto.I dont know about their level,but if they are making official guides,it cant be bad either but somehow....its in the city,not in the forest areas like Karkku and Kuru.Might tell something.
Hey,i have tried to say to u here about one cabin trip i have booked but i have problems sending anything here to you,but check out one of my replies,in the "sheath" topic i did few days ago in my blog.Im heading to that m607 and if u want to come by with sleeping bag and mattress,please stop by at 12. or 13.3.Doesnt cost u a dime.The beds are spoken for already,im sorry but if warm floor will do,youre wellcome.Im bringing there atleast ice fishing stuff,flintstriking steel and flint stones with charred cloth,etc to play with.Nothing special,maybe at friday we´ll do some short daywalk with daypacks and cookers,stop for lunch in the snowpile:),but we just decided to have this traditional trip among my buddies at that old cabin.So u live next to some outdoor shop,may i ask which:) ?
hey,i do see,something common between UL and bushcraft immediately,and thats the fact that u guys also DO stuff by yourself,not just buy everything.And you also seem to leave home some not so necessary stuff as we do too.We just dont care so much about the weight and trust mainly in the old school gear used and made in past.
By the way,Mors Kochanski is one of my idols,i can easily recommend any of his methods to anyone,and his book "nordic bushcraft".