Finnish Puukko Knife

[A Senefelder]

I've been meaning to post this and several other items i've picked up since getting together with Lee this past summer. This was my first foray into non Indo-Persian ethnographic weapons which I have Lee to thank for peaking my interest in. I picked this up in an antique store labeled as an " Southeast Asian Knife ". Something about the heart motif in the sheath and the shape of the handle as well as the tang nut was telling me this wasn't right. Hearts as a decorative motif we used in northern and central Europe on everything from weapons and armour to ceramics and furniture. I'm used to seeing tang nuts on European weapons but not so much those of the orient but untimately it was the shape of the hilt and the blade that had me comming up with puukko knife.

The sheath seems to be " German silver " while the hilt furniture including the pommel nut and three insets by the flower decoration on the handle are all real silver. There are 96 tiny brass tacks inset around the handle as well. The flower motif in the handle from what I can gather while looking like bone may be the horn of the indigenous reindeer. I am unsure if the hilt is a hardwood or horn as it is very smooth. On the back of the sheath are the letters KH on the mount for the loop that would hold the chain and snap for suspension that seems to have been used to carry these. The inside of the sheath is lined with a thin leather. I've had a Swedish friend tell me that he actually believes this to be a Swedish soumi knife rather than a Finnish puukko. My best guess based on constructional techniques is later 19th century or early 20th century. Any thoughts on how far off I am, potential owner of the KH intitals ect. are more than welcome as my background is in European medieval and renaissance arms and armour so i'm very new to ethnographics.

If this is in fact a puukko, from my research this seems to be one of the nicest examples I can find picture of. All thoughts welcome.