Krag Collectors Association Forum

I must be suddenly feeling my 2% "Finnish-Russian Border Area" DNA.

The other day, I had an overpowering need to possess a 'PUUKKO Knife'.

I ordered a Wood Jewel model for a reasonable price, (from - knivesofthenorth.com).

She arrived today and I'm happy. The little knife is attractive, solid, and sharp!

Would all our Public Tourist Sites and TSA consider a 'neck-knife', just, a piece of jewelry?

(Now, I wish I had held on to one of the Finnish Mosin rebuilds, that passed through my hands over the years).

I was born in 1940 in a small town in northern Illinois. Back then, the town was about 20 % Finnish-Americans. Even when I was a teenage kid, I heard Finnish spoken on the street. Kids I went to school with spoke Finnish at home. Some of my Dad's friends were Winter War veterans. That brought back many memories. Got an Ukko Pekko?

I don't know. Is this a Ukko Pekko?

Looks more like an OhOh Pusso!!

Ukko Pekko apparently translates to "Old Pekko"

My Finnish vocabulary consists of: Suomi (Finland/The Finnish People), S'ami (Laplanders), Sisu (courage, guts, perseverance), Sauna (a refreshing steam bath, roll in the snow, beating with pine boughs, sip of beer and repeat the whole process), and Puukko (a short utility knife).

My family hails from a part of Michigan which has a high percentage of people with Finnish ancestry.
The Finns were late arrivals and stayed in Northern Michigan after other ethnic groups thinned out.
My grandparents and parents preceded the current regional accent. My cousins totally speak it.
It is a very contagious dialect!

I've been told that the Finnish Language is apparently unrelated to other European languages.
An odd aspect of Finnish is that the language does not use prepositions.

The Finns have greatly impacted the structure of 'Up North' English:
If you go someplace often, You've been there many, many times.
If you're going Trout fishing in a woodsy stream, you "Go bush, go fishiiiiing".
For a viewing adventure at the local movie house, you "Go town, go show".

I had Finnish pals in Scouting and friends in elementary & secondary school. The girls were sure cute!

I'm guessing Finnish MIGHT have some similarity with other Nordic tongues (FWIW, isn't Icelandic also "different/unique"?) but one of the so-called "romance languages" based on Latin, it ain't!

Gotta love all the double consonants.

One of the all-time greatest rally drivers (in the factory Healeys) was Timo Makkinen.

The Finnish Language only has about 5 million native speakers, in the World.
From a quick read, it appears the language came from the Urals and its closest relative is Estonian.
Oddly, the origin of the Finnish people may have been somewhere near what is now Turkey.

BTW - Icelandic is a Germanic Language related to Old Norse. Icelandic is closer to Norwegian, then it is to Danish or Swedish.
There does not appear to be a relationship between the Icelandic and Finnish languages.

The 'best known' Finnish word, in the World, is Sauna.
In Northern Michigan it is pronounced, as it would be in Finland, 'Sow nah'.

It is easy to see why Finns were drawn to the Northern Great Lakes, when they left the Old Country.

Dick Hosmer wrote: ↑Sat Jul 15, 2023 9:31 pm Looks more like an OhOh Pusso!!

Ukko Pekko apparently translates to "Old Pekko"

My father's Winter War veteran friends called the Finnish M39 "Ukko Pekko".

Some sources spell this "Ukko Pekka" and apply as nickname to the M39.

Wikipedia:
M/39: nicknamed "Ukko-Pekka" after the former President Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, a compromise between the Army and White Guard, adopted so as to standardize Mosin–Nagant production. . .

I love this forum! That is so neat to Know.

Maybe I'll name one of my favorite Krag rifles: "Ukko Pekka". Nah, maybe the real thing!