Finnish Balasong Puukko, or Mora?

[rcmodel]

Here is a Hackman Camp Knife that was imported briefly into the U.S. by Garcia Corp back in the late 60's - early 70's?
They sold for about $7.50 back then as I remember.
Apparently they ran into problems with the government because it was a "Butterfly Knife" design, and they had to stop importing it.
Which is a real shame!

It has a very high quality S/S blade, and holds a razor edge through lots of hard use. It only weighs 3 oz, and makes a perfect backpacking or survival kit knife.
My question: Is it is still made and sold anywhere else in the world?







The other knife is marked Broderna Jonsson - Mora Sweden.
They were sold through adds in Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, and the back of comic books for $1.99 I think, back in the late 1950's. I got this one when I was probably about 11 years old (1955).

I then proceeded to almost cut 2 1/2 fingers off with it while field dressing rabbits in below zero weather. My hands were so cold & bloody I let it slip through my hand, and it sliced me long & deep!
(IMHO: All hunting knives should have at least a small guard or finger groove of some kind)

They featured a Laminated Swedish steel blade, and came with a nice fitted Mora style leather sheath.
This one has seen 55+ years of use, the sheath bit the dust a long time ago, It now resides on my workbench.
It is still the sharpest tool on the bench!


rcmodel

 

[hso]

The Hackman Butterfly is worth $150~$300 in mint condition to a collector who ascribes to the idea that these were often found in the hands of "Company Men" in Vietnam. To my knowledge Hackman closed it's outdoor line and only makes kitchen cutlery.

 

[rcmodel]

#150 - $300 dollars? Yikes!

Company men? That could very well be.
Maybe "Rifle Company" men.
I bought mine in an Army base PX in 1968.

They didn't bother to ask me if I was CIA or not though.


rcmodel

 

[hso]

Anything no longer available and with any sort of cache' becomes pricey on the after market even if the provenance doesn't match.

 

[mp510]

Ragweed Forge currently sells a modern incarnation of the Butterfly Puukko, for about $17- it looks like it would be an interesting tool.

http://www.ragweedforge.com/AhtiCatalog.html

 

[rcmodel]

Well I'll be jiggered!

That sure looks like the same knife to me!
Wish I could read what it says on the handles.

Thanks for the info!


rcmodel

 

[hso]

Bless you, mp510!

 

[Dave Markowitz]

My dad has one of the butterfly pukkos, bought in the early 80s. Thin blade, super sharp. I have to show him this thread to make sure he doesn't use it and ruin the collector's value.

 

[Blade_Zero]

That looks like a great little survival knife, I presume batoning the knife's butt is not recomended, since the handles are nylon. Would the knife withstand batoning the spine?

It dosn't strike me as a spook knife either, they're more into concealment, sleave & lapel daggers, belt knives, ect. Unless they were using it as an edged version of the "deer gun", a "deer knife", so to speak.

Edited to add:
The thoughts of a C.I.A. knife were just too tantalizing to ignore, the story goes that "the company" may have issued the black handled Hackman as part of a sterile survival kit, put this in the context of their "Air America" operations and it seems perfectly plausible. There was at least one "C.I.A. Air America knife" according to clandestine edged weapons.

 

[rcmodel]

Would the knife withstand batoning the spine?

I don't know what that means, but the knife is basically unbreakable.
Nylon just won't break, it just bends a little and springs back.

As for CIA and survival use, I don't doubt that story at all.
There is, or at least during the Vietnam war, no other folding knife as light, strong, safe, or useful being made.
I think that still holds true today.

Remember, this was the heavy brass framed Buck 110 era of folding knife technology!


rcmodel

 

[MatthewVanitas]

Ragweed Forge currently sells a modern incarnation of the Butterfly Puukko, for about $17- it looks like it would be an interesting tool.

Dangit mp510, why'd you go and done what you done?

Now I need to spend more money. As revenge, I'm going to PM you every time I have a Group Buy...

 

[p35]

I have one of those Broderna Jonsson knives that still has the red plastic sheath. They are a hell of a knife if you come across the chance to buy one. The other is on my list of "Stuff I'm going to order from Ragnar when the next check comes in".

 

[Browning]

I've gotten to love Puukkos and Moras too.

I suppose a folder is next and it's what I'm currently looking at.

I'll wait awhile to get the next one though.

Try any of these guys, I found them a little while back.

http://www.kellamknives.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_34

http://www.worldknives.com/types/scandinavian-knives-12.html

http://www.worldknives.com/products/eka-swede-88-babinga-pocket-knife-ekaswd88-590.html

http://www.worldknives.com/products/eka-executive-sportsman-sandvik-pocket-knife-ekaes1-349.html

http://www.ragweedforge.com/eka-catalog.html

https://www.brisa.fi/portal/index.php?option=com_oscommerce&osMod=index&cPath=92_53


There are also these Opinel Folding Knives from France if you like simple and inexpensive.

http://www.ragweedforge.com/HistoricalKnifeCatalog.html