The Yakut Knife - A quick, incomplete look at one of the last true bushcraft knives

Hey you Spooncrafters and Bushcarvers!
For #fixedbladefriday I just wanted to do a quick Knife Spin video of this very special blade, but I started rambling and who ever knows me can imagine what happened next.
This is a quick and of course quite incomplete look at one of the most intriguing knife designs and concepts still existing in the world and also one of the most original and least distorted ones.
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This is a Demo and I am not taking responsibility for any injuries occurring due to replicating information in this video.
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[@ReasonAboveEverything]

Absolutely love the finno ugric and siberian knives and bows.

[@shellmaker10]

Excellent video. More people should know about these knives and support the knife makers.

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

I agree on the support. This is some real stuff!

[@dondrago4741]

Hi from Sakha. this knive is original old style Sakha knive

[@mattlewis3086]

The sheath is just as impressive as the blade. What a beautiful show and tell/history. Thanks for sharing.

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

Cheers mate

[@foretell6819]

@@woodsmansfinest3814 loved the vid, am also a fan of the Yakutian knife along with the puukko. Was never able to find a legitimate yakut knife maker tho. The person listed in your description, is that the person you bought the knife in the vid from?

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

@@foretell6819 yup... That's Alex!

[@foretell6819]

@@woodsmansfinest3814 ah great! If you don’t mind me asking, how did you find out about him?

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

@@foretell6819 as a knife maker with archaeology background I was just doing research and looked deep into the Russian speaking side of youtube. Nothing comes easy.

[@gregoryluc2876]

Very nice blade and I appreciate you sharing your experience! Keep well!!

[@jonathanjekic4987]

Beautiful knife! I was gifted a traditional russian knife two years ago, when I was in the autonomous region of the Khanty and Mansi tribes. The handle style of the knives they use is quite similar to this one most of the time, while the blade has a slightly convex grind on the left side and a scandi grind on the right side. The blades of their knives are super thin at around 2mm and are super slicey. The best part was the sheath tough. They made them with a thin chisel and a handdrill from a single piece of wood and put on a leather strap. The sheath covers around two thirds of the handle, similar to the one in this video.

[@QnA22]

Traditional Russian? Maybe you mean traditional Khanty or Mansi?

[@GG-ud9yu]

afcorse he ment traditional Yakut or Khanti and Mansi , but you know until ukrain captures russia he can say its russian.. Now cry me a river @@QnA22

[@user-um4eg3mh3b]

Да, ножны вырезаются из цельного куска плотной древесины. В верхней части вырезается технологическое отверстие, заглянув в которое, можно увидеть спину клинка. Когда ножны висят на ремне, это отверстие смотрит вниз и мусор с клинка высыпается. Вставное отверстие сверлится и завершается тонким ножом, очень плотно, но с лишним местом, давая дополнительное пространство если древесина высохнет. Северные народы предпочитают такие ножны и вырезают их вечерами, такие ножны не пробиваются насквозь ножом и не причинят вред бедрам. Ездят там на санях привязанных к аленям, также учитывается падение оленей на повозку и их травматичность об открытый инструмент. Абсолютная рациональность. Также делают ножны из березовой коры, из кожи бычьего хвоста с деревянной вставкой внутри, из рыбьей высушенной кожи.

[@huntfishgeographic9618]

северные народы России не русские, русские вообще непонятно где живут в россии😂😂😂

[@user-um4eg3mh3b]

@@huntfishgeographic9618 русские живут на длинне континента в 11 тыс.километров и нас 135 миллионов. А существует ли такая нация "американцы"?

[@odnonosy]

Нож действительно отличный и по геометрии и по рукоятке.

[@Flockingtheherd]

Thanks for making the vid. Been waiting awhile for this one xD

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

Cheers

[@dondrago4741]

Great knife

[@peterbathum2775]

thanks for sharing your knowledge of this art form and fine craft and the connections are fascinating to consider. Im no anthropologist but I'd bet there's likely many connections across the various peoples who lived along the edges of the ice caps and shared survival skills and whatever tech/crafts worked best.

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

Cheers for the nice comment mate!

[@ericpierre9803]

Merci beaucoup pour cette vidéo, j’ai appris beaucoup de choses. Notamment l’histoire et l’origine de ces couteaux.🙂👍

[@ravenoutdoors8623]

Beautiful knives. Just purchased one from Anton Salnikov in Canada. I've had a couple Yakut knives and they are fun to use

[@arturobayangos1223]

I have seen Bertram used it in his video . They are great .

[@georgeheytem]

Yakitan knife it’s very best of the world

[@peterbathum2775]

ok. where do I get a forge...? Im already trying one new thing, to kill off, I mean form bonsai with a few odd trees, this fall; so imaybe I can try forging some steel as my next skill area. learn or die. thanks again. your passion for your craft is inspiring

[@Mat-kr1nf]

I finally managed to acquire a Yakut blade, it had a bevel on the convex side- I was slightly concerned that wasn’t correct, but, please correct me if I’m wrong, but both the ones you have showed have a small bevel opposite to the flat side. I hope I wasn’t seeing things, because I was considering putting it on my belt grinder to make that side fully convex, now I won’t!.😁

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

Every professional is actually meant to modify their tools according to what works best for them. Experiment and have fun!

[@brunovrancic8330]

It will be interesting to see how is that grind being utilized.

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

True. I've got pics and some old videos from years ago using it in northern Ontario. Not sure there is a lot of interest though

[@bobhabsolute4995]

I am interested too.

[@Mr_Positiver]

One of my best buddies gifted me this knife and after learning how special this is, it’s kinda worrying me on how to maintain this knife.

[@peem3154]

Great info, like it very much, I tried to forge some Yakut knifes, but....could you please explain the heat treatment exactly, to get a hard and strom tip to ram it also through coins, without loosing lot of sharpness???

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

I used to forge them myself and decided that it is a cultural heritage of these people and I won't touch it or copy what is part of their heritage. Just because it is easy to see things on the Internet I don't think it is earned hard enough. Now, if I want to learn, I'd travel there and ask what it takes to be taught. If I don't want to take the effort, I'm not worth the info.

[@acjack1169]

Hi again Mr.Max heavy on the mister. THAT'S A KNIFE. THANKS for the history and hope things are going great for you and love one's. Cheers mate. 😎🇨🇦

[@darenalleyne466]

😎👍🏾

[@peterbathum2775]

ramble away if you want to share this knowledge and stories of any culture, for me anyway. bonus you have a very cool knife and basic direct knowledge of knives and this form is especially nice on the functionality..

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

Thanks man. Glad it was enjoyable for someone!

[@bobhabsolute4995]

I like the width and the thickness. A lot of historic blades are thinner than modern blades. I would be curious to see what kind of axe they were pairing with that knife. Although I am not sure that the Samis needed an axe as there’s probably no trees that far North. But what about in the South of Siberia or in Japan? Thanks for the video, that is a wonderful blade and sheath.

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

No axes. Various types of big knives and hawkbills as far as I know.

[@bobhabsolute4995]

@@woodsmansfinest3814 I would love to see those big knives and hawkbills, can you offer a reference. I find an interest in the pairing of small and big knife and would appreciate a historical perspective. Thanks for your answer.

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

@@bobhabsolute4995 please visit the link to the expert in the description. I am myself from a background of axes and knives as you know, since it is my trade and day job to carve and make/design tools. I lived in Japan, Brazil and Canada aswell, but the full historical concept can't be put in a comment. As far as I am concerned, as soon as vegetation turns small, shrubby or soft (grasses) as in jungles and {sub} arctic climates peoples have always used machetes, big knives and various forms of cleavers over axes as a means to quickly utilize vegetation. You find examples of that 100 fold upon looking into these cultures. Cheers

[@bobhabsolute4995]

@@woodsmansfinest3814 Thanks for the extensive answer. 🙏

[@bobbieschke599]

The Ainu people could be found in northern Russia, as well as, Hokkaido ! Grizz 🐻

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

True. Their culture is distinctly unique and involves Japanese cutlery and weapons as well as Siberian features. However, this knife has nothing to do with Ainu culture.

[@bobbieschke599]

@@woodsmansfinest3814 was not contesting the knife origins, just educating the rest of humanity. We seem to think that people did not wander the world. It took them longer, but it did happen. Example of Celtic/ Oriental towns along the Silk Road, long before Marco Polo !

[@tiosalado8974]

@Shellmaker10 .. Don't tell anyone !? ; )

[@Greblos2]

I’m looking for a good quality Yakut…where do you suggest I buy one?

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

Link in the description

[@marc-andrechevrette3420]

Where did you buy it ?

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

Link below

[@cymbolic_space1832]

i have been searching for the perfect bush knife for my camping/hiking/crafting adventures. this really seems like the chickens tits.

[@stanlindert6332]

So would you make a video about knife safety and how to not having accidents?

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

In fact I have a backcountry knife safety course for people utilizing blades in real out of reach scenarios. Find the course on my platform below. It is just a few bucks and just 30min long but all you need for the start. Boon.tv/woodsmansfinest

[@cymbolic_space1832]

I am back. Thinking of buying a blank and making my own handle but i am having a hard time finding any information on how the Yakut people fix the blade to the handle. any insight?

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

Well, because it is a cultural heritage for them. That's the reason I don't make them anymore and I also don't want to give info out that doesn't belong to me. I think any way works that works for other stick tangs. File a hole and epoxy it in. Will be fun for sure!

[@cymbolic_space1832]

@@woodsmansfinest3814 That is fair. and thats what i was planning to do unless i found some better alternative. Thanks!

[@ivanshipilov4265]

To attach the tail of the blade inside the handle, a round hole is drilled into which metal is inserted. After that, wooden wedges are hammered on both sides of the blade. If the handle of the knife is damaged, it can always be replaced quickly.

[@kevinorr6880]

Amazing sharp. I went to the Instagram, but sadly speak no Russian. Can you give me the approximate amount that you paid for this knife?

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

Contact the craftsman via message. He will reply in English. I don't speak Russian either

[@user-ns8gi9ju2h]

Посмотрите про "Батыя",это топор по якутски😅

[@stanlindert6332]

If I were a bear.., and I saw a person pull that knife out I’d turn and run!

[@danielzbanca8629]

in rusia bear know to do dis. also he say sory when runing

[@Shansung]

Its knife making Dobunknives

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

That's what I say...

[@edhogue7943]

Can we buy one of those knifes if so were

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

Links in Description box, as I mentioned.

[@dwest200]

@@woodsmansfinest3814 I contacted him to discuss. He said his knives are flat both sides because the convex/flat does not cut well. This left me confused to say the least🙂 Is there another source for the convex/flat?

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

@@dwest200 convex is not an ede angle but a configuration. You can have a convex bevel of 20 degree edge angle too if you want, which would cut very neatly. What happens behind the edge is what makes the difference. Most yakut makers work flat and convex. Alexander might work flat and flat but in my experience those "flat" bevels aren't ever really flat. I'm a knife maker and tool designer. I can nerd out here over pages, but it wouldn't e possible to bring all nuances across, especially when bringing steel types into the game.

[@mixa16011977]

Этим ножом не бумагу резать надо😂

[@seanapex1357]

Pig stick 🦯

[@user-hm3eg9jc6j]

Зачем тебе нож если ты им не пользуешься?🤣

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

🤷

[@huntfishgeographic9618]

Якуты не делали заточку в виде линзы, был спуск прямой от обуха к режущей кромке, это просто сувенир

[@user-hm3eg9jc6j]

Зачем ты стукаешь рукоятью об вкладыш в ножнах???

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

Eeennnglish!

[@johnrhodes3350]

​@@woodsmansfinest3814if you want to see the auto generated translation, then don't follow the link to the reply, but go to the original video comments section first before scrolling down to the relevant comment.. Then by a miracle, the translation appears. Don't be rude to your viewers. Yakutia is not named after the Yak domesticated animal. So the leather is probably Reindeer

[@woodsmansfinest3814]

@@johnrhodes3350 you really think I thought yak was the reason for calling the area Yakutia? Jesus Christ. It was the info from the Sakha Smith I worked with...