Plywood Handles

Here's a nice pair of knives that haven't made it onto the blog yet.  I made the Leuku first from a Lauri blade, and decided to try a plywood handle as an experiment.  It came out so well that I did it again on a skinning Puukko with one of my hand-forged blades.  The Leuku's handle is finished with Danish oil, the Puukko is finished with spar urethane.  I like the latter finish better because the plywood is very absorbent.  Danish oil is a thin, penetrating finish, and the plywood on the Leuku soaked up so much of it that it took weeks to dry completely.

I can't take credit for coming up with the idea of a stacked plywood handle.  I have seen pictures of Finnish knives made this way.