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Finnish folk music can be roughly divided into two historical eras differing considerably from each other both in their music and culture and in their use in the community. The earlier stratum is often called the ancient Finnish period or the Kalevala era. It covers such genres as the singing of Kalevala poetry, the chain dance, the lament, and a distinctive brand of music performed on such instruments as the five-stringed kantele, the bowed harp, and a host of folk wind instruments.

The later stratum of Finnish folk music is the period of agrarian or pelimanni music and it is clearly rooted in Western culture.

The Sami, the indigenous people of Lapland, have had a culture and music of their very own. The Sami developed a unique archaic idiom the most distinctive feature of which is a vocal genre called the yoik. Even today the yoiks of the Sami from the north still represent one of the oldest strata of the arctic way of life. The singer may choose almost anything connected with nature, either animate or inanimate, as the subject for his or her yoik: a landscape, animal or person. The use of a witch’s drum reflects the shamanistic nature of Sami music.

The melancholy Finnish tango:
The grim conditions of wartime Finland provided the substance for a genre of the tango with a Finnish flavor all of its own. The lyrics, telling of parting and longing, held special meaning for many who had lost their loved-ones for ever. The tango has become an accepted form of Finnish culture. Even those Finns who personally have other musical preferences feel that the tango belongs to Finland just as much as skiing and the sauna.

Original Finnish High Carbon steel blades for Scandinavian knife making!

In Scandinavia and all of Europe, the Finnish puukko is well known and highly esteemed. These knives are razor sharp, have long edge retention, and are easy to sharpen. Finnish knives are comfortable, practical, lightweight and durable. The Puukko is an excellent tool that will endure for many decades. Some are rugged working tools, others are beautiful collector's knives, but all are made for use.

Puukko and Leuku knives in general have the peculiarity that there is only one bevel on the blade, which forms the working edge, they are therefore very easily sharpened, as all is needed is to grind this bevel to get the sharpness back. The fact that the bevel is big allows finding it intuitively on the stone. The puukko often sport a grind that looks like a saber grind. However, there are no secondary edge bevels which leave the edge extremely thin and incredibly sharp. Due to the sharpness of the edge, these knives will often out cut just about anything.

In Scandinavia and all of Europe, the Finnish puukko is well known and highly esteemed. These knives are razor sharp, have long edge retention, and are easy to sharpen. Finnish knives are comfortable, practical, lightweight and durable. The Puukko is an excellent tool that will endure for many decades. Some are rugged working tools, others are beautiful collector’s knives, but all are made for use.

Puukkos, and Nordic knives in general have the peculiarity that there is only one bevel on the blade, which forms the working edge, they are therefore very easily sharpened, as all is needed is to grind this bevel to get the sharpness back. The fact that the bevel is big allows finding it intuitively on the stone. The puukko often sport a grind that looks like a saber grind. However, there are no secondary edge bevels which leave the edge extremely thin and incredibly sharp. Due to the sharpness of the edge, these knives will often out cut just about anything.

Leuku is a Finnish word for a knife used mostly by Lapland (Northern Finland) people, Sámi. It is a very versatile knife, developed from the needs of the reindeer herder-lifestyle of the Sámi people. They are all-purpose knives rather than woodworking knives. The handles are typical of those used in the far North. They provide a solid grip for the draw strokes that are favored where the hands are often gloved, or stiff with cold. The wide flat pommel allows the use of the second hand to apply force to the point. The sheaths take almost the entire handle, which is a reflection of how serious a lost leuku can be in the wilderness.

In the larger sizes they combine the functions of camp knife and machete, and are used for everything from building shelters and gathering firewood, to butchering reindeer. It is an excellent outdoor tool for bush crafting. On the northern tundra a 8 or 9 inch leuku is far better to chop firewood with than an ax, as brush and willows are to weak to offer the ax the resistance needed for a easy cut. The leuku just slices thin branches off easily with a flick of your hand. But the big one also splits larger firewood well with the use of a baton. For fishing and hunting it is very handy as it is both knife and ax in one. The blades are relatively thin, and the knives are quite light for their size.