: Another name for a similar tool is "Crooked Knife", which
: is used like a one-handed drawknife. Over a hundred years ago
: these things were fairly common tools, but now you need to find
: the few places that sell them. Crooked knives were sold withot
: the handles, and sometimes you can still find them that way. It
: is an inconvenience as you need to fit a handle to it before you
: can use it. The bent knife shown has a straight handle. Most of
: the pictures of crooked knives I've seen show them with an open
: "L" shaped handle, and a bit more bend to the knife
: blade, which allows for gouging and concave carving with the tip
: of the blade.

: In his book "the Survival of the Bark Canoe", author John
: McPhee writes about Henri Vaillancourt who uses a crooked knife
: to build birch-bark boats in the traditional manner. If you go
: to Amazon.com and search for this book you'll be able to read
: the first few pages.
: I think this link may get you there directly:
: http://www.amazon.com/Survival-Bark-Canoe-John-McPhee/dp/0374516936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299745614&sr=8-1#reader_0374516936

: In the introductory paragraph of his book McPhee introduces
: Vaillancourt, and says, a few sentences in ". . .He makes
: his own paddles. They have slender blades, no more than 5 inches
: across. He roughs them out with his axe and carves them with his
: crooked knife, a tool well known in the north woods, almost
: unknown everywhere else."

: The book is a good read.

: There is a wikipedia entry on crooked knives:
: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crooked_knife

: One source for crooked knives is www.poleandpaddle.com, which is
: the source of the illustration below, which shows a side view of
: the handle and blade, as well as a top view of the assembled
: tool.

: Hope this helps.

: PGJ

On the subject of knives for the shop, I'm still hunting for the perfect puukko, that I can afford :)

Have fun looking that one up, not hard btw.

Bill H.