Puukko knives during the fur trade era

[Fiftyfour]

This a puukko knife I made from a piece of cross cut saw blade.
Has anyone ever read or heard of Finns in being part of the fur trade
In America? Is there any accounts of puukko knives being carried in America during the fur trade?

[Seth Isaacson]

I've never directly heard of either being involved. There may have been some Finns involved in the Russian-American Company. I've done very little reading about their activities in the Pacific Northwest. The very short lived "New Sweden" colony/trading venture in the Delaware region in the 17th century reportedly had some Finns if I recall correctly. Again, I haven't read up much on that locale.

[thecapgunkid]

I made a small leuku once for use as a patch knife, seeking the straight blade and handle shape.  While doing it I also learned that these types of knives are more Scandanavian than just Finnish or Norwegian.

They do go way back, so in this case an ounce of conjecture is probably worth a pound of documentation the burden would prove that none of them made it over here with some 17th and 18th century Scandanavian immigrants.  Don't say..."They"...

[Elnathan]

They do go way back, so in this case an ounce of conjecture is probably worth a pound of documentation the burden would prove that none of them made it over here with some 17th and 18th century Scandanavian immigrants.

Impossible to prove a negative, so the burden of proof is to prove that they did come over.

[Elnathan]

The Swedish colony is Delaware during the 18th century included a lot of Finns (perhaps most of the colonists), and is the Finns that are usually credited with introducing the log cabin, the Scandinavian form of house, to the Americas. The Finns are a woodsy people by European standards and reputedly have the same sort of disruptive qualities that the Scotch-Irish have, so it made sense for the Swedes (who owned Finland at the time) to use Finish settlers - they were best suited to the New World and they would be far away from the Swedes. Faragher's biography of Daniel Boone claims that the descendants of the Finns were still still a distinct group, active as woodrunners and friendly with the local Delaware, in the 18th century and taught a young Boone his skills, but I have never been able to find documentation to support that.

It seems likely that the Finns would have brought their pukkos with them, but 1) said pukkos may not have been the same as the modern version - I know the basic shape has been around since the pre-viking period but I wouldn't assume that a 17th century pukko was identical to a modern variant without seeing an original example and 2) any knives they brought with them would have been relatively few in numbers and used up well before 1700 or so.The chances of one surviving to be used after that date are nil, in my estimation.

Apart from New Sweden, I know of no significant immigration from Scandinavia to the Americas prior the mid 19th century.

[ddoyle]

A new book called Ramp Hollow speaks extensively to the unique and lasting impression that the Fins/Swedes had on America. Basically those guys were un-tameable- smart and knew how to live. Taught the Scots-Irish alot about persisting in Appalachia.  Any romanctic notions about total freedom of body and spirit pretty much starts with them.  Maybe thier nomadic lives led to us not recgonizing how neat thier history is/was because they never left a persistent mark like other ethnic groups.  Great knife.

[Seth Isaacson]

The Swedish colony is Delaware during the 18th century included a lot of Finns (perhaps most of the colonists), and is the Finns that are usually credited with introducing the log cabin, the Scandinavian form of house, to the Americas. The Finns are a woodsy people by European standards and reputedly have the same sort of disruptive qualities that the Scotch-Irish have, so it made sense for the Swedes (who owned Finland at the time) to use Finish settlers - they were best suited to the New World and they would be far away from the Swedes. Faragher's biography of Daniel Boone claims that the descendants of the Finns were still still a distinct group, active as woodrunners and friendly with the local Delaware, in the 18th century and taught a young Boone his skills, but I have never been able to find documentation to support that.

It seems likely that the Finns would have brought their pukkos with them, but 1) said pukkos may not have been the same as the modern version - I know the basic shape has been around since the pre-viking period but I wouldn't assume that a 17th century pukko was identical to a modern variant without seeing an original example and 2) any knives they brought with them would have been relatively few in numbers and used up well before 1700 or so.The chances of one surviving to be used after that date are nil, in my estimation.

Apart from New Sweden, I know of no significant immigration from Scandinavia to the Americas prior the mid 19th century.

Thanks for providing better information on New Sweden. I couldn't remember how many Finns were actually there.

In terms of them coming later on, I know a few Swedish "colonies" were setup in northwestern Illinois and Wisconsin in the 1840s and more waves followed. The Bishop Hill commune in Illinois was setup by a "prophet" and his followers. The self-proclaimed prophet was later shot dead in the courthouse in Cambridge, Illinois, by his cousin's husband after he refused to allow her to leave the colony with him. The killer only served a year. I grew up in a small town originally created by some Englishmen but quickly taken over by Swedes who had heard of the rich farmland from relatives at Bishop Hill writing home. It is still inhabited by many people of Swedish ancestry including my family and the local Lutheran church occasionally sings Swedish hymns. My own ancestors came to the states later. My understanding is that from these initial communities in the 1840s later waves come over and settled throughout the Midwest. Swedish immigration was heaviest later in the century and into the early 20th century. My ancestors first started coming over around the 1880s.

[Pukka Bundook]

Fifty four,

This book may be of interest to you.  Pukkos from the Iron age to present. 704 pages I think.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I have a black powder shooting friend of Finnish descent.  He has a trap line and several dozen knives that he has me sharpen about twice a year.  Many of them are of that design.  They are all of great steel and take a wonderful edge.