Sami knife

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The Sami knife (Leuku in Finnish) is a large knife mostly used by the Sami people.

The Sami knife has a long, wide, and strong blade that is more suited for light chopping and shelter making than fine carving, so it is not well suited to whittling. It is used instead of an axe for firewood, wood clearing, bone-breaking, and other works. Typical Sami kniges has a blade length ranging from 200 to 450 mm. The largest knives can be considered as machetes or short swords. The handle of is invariably made from birch for better grip when used in snowy conditions. The tang runs through the handle. The handle has no crossguard. Traditional material for the sheath is reindeer leather.

The blade is often convex or flat grind, which gives the blade more toughness. The blade should be strong enough to split (reindeer) bones, and it is typically not made of stainless steel since it can break in very cold temperatures. Some Sami knives have fullers. The knives are excellent outdoor tools for bushcrafting.

Sami normally use two knives; the smaller one can be called a buiku or unna niibaš (small knife), while the Sami knife is called stuorra niibi (big knife).