Scandi Leuku. Laminated Silver Steel

Leuku Knives are one of the most important tools to the hunters, herders and fishermen of Lapland, Finland. They are large bladed knives with stout handles. They are strong enough to break and split bone, chop and split firewood, and build shelters in the place of an axe. Also, they are used to skin and clean game and fish. These knives are the key to survival when their owner is in the wilderness in harsh conditions. The reindeer herding people live and move with their herds as they graze. They live off the land and off their herds, lives that require a large reliable knife like the Leuku they carry. This way of life is the same for some as it was for their ancestors for hundreds of years.

The blade for this knife is forged by laminating a Bohler K5 silver steel insert into a piece of mild steel. The edge is then hardened, ground and polished razor sharp.  The high amount of chromium (0.50–0.80) gives it its shiny appearance. This steel can retain its edge for a long time. After the blade is forged it is grinded by hand to the smoother shape and then heat treated and annealed to Rockwell 61 (HRC) hardness. After hardening the blade, it is etched in acid, slightly polished and sharpened to razor sharpness.  This knife has a concave grind. The handle for this knife is hand shaped out of a block of stabilized curly Birch, thermally treated wood that grows very slowly in the far North in Finland (Lapland).  It is oiled with a pure tung nut oil and afterwards waxed with beeswax.
 
Leather sheath is wet formed to fit each knife individually. The leather material is manufactured in a local tannery using the same methods and techniques that were used 100 years ago. Each sheath is custom made and hand stitched using saddle stitch and waxed linen thread. Each knife sheath is individually custom dyed with Fiebings professional oil dyes. Afterwards, the sheath is waxed with palm leaf wax and beeswax. To protect against moisture it is finished using acrylic leather sheen. 
 
The sign on the knife handle and the leather sheath is the sign of Martin from Latvian folklore. Martin's sign is a symbol of light and fire. On dark winter days, the people are in great need of light and warmth. The sign of Martin reminds them of sparkling fire. This stylized sign depicts two cocks - messengers of light and is a derivative of the Jumis sign, the sign of Harvest. Combining the Jumis symbol marks the ends, and we obtain the sign of Martin. In winter, the life force is stored in the tree roots. This sign tells the story of the land’s forces in the spring that will be awakened together and will give prosperity to people.