Peltonen knives: from Finland with rigor

Peltonen Knives was established in 1995 and is based in Lappeenranta, a quiet Finnish town located in South Karelia. Here lived the protagonist of our story, namely Juha-Pekka Peltonen, the company founder and the creator of the Ranger knife which, however, is equally an child of the Great North and the Middle East. The idea for the Ranger knife, in fact, came to Juha-Pekka's (whom we will henceforth refer to as J-P) mind in 1979 while he was in Lebanon serving as a military observer. At that time J-P managed to obtain a U.S. Army knife and began to study it carefully. In short, he began to think of a new cutting tool in which the handling, balance, and usability of the U.S. knife could coexist with the lightness and essentiality of a Finnish knife. 

Peltonen Ranger, an essential and effective knife

The result is the Ranger, a NATO-coded fixed-blade knife that meets the needs of the military as well as hunters, hikers and those seeking the "best of both worlds" in any accessory or tool. Peltonen's Ranger knife has the classic line of the traditional Scandinavian knife, with full tang construction in 80CRV2 carbon steel. The handle is made of synthetic rubber with non-slip grooves on the lower section. The blade has a thickness of 4.25 millimeters and a length of 150, 160 (M95), or 119  (M7) millimeters. 

The blade of the Peltonen Ranger can have either a Teflon-coated (PTFE) or Cerakote partial or full black finish. These are certainly not fine finishes, but they are most effective in making this series of knives true working tools, spartan and durable. 

The sheath is available in three different versions, natural black or brown leather, Kydex, or polymer with MOLLE/PALS attachment system and a system called EasyLock that firmly locks the knife inside the sheath and prevents it from falling out, even by carrying the knife tip-up. The polymer sheath is available in four colors, including high-visibility orange, while the Kydex ones have a palette of as many as seven variations, including three Multicam camo patterns.

Recently, Peltonen's range of models has been enriched with the Ranger Cub M23, a lightweight and compact version available with a 65-millimeter blade featuring an induction-hardened cutting edge at 62 HRC. This small-sized version is available with either black or high-visibility orange sheath and handle. 

The Peltonen M95 field-tested in Colorado

The Peltonen M95 knife accompanied us on our American trip that took us to the remote state of Colorado on the hunt for the Pronghorn antelope, the second fastest animal in the world. We have already told you in detail about our adventure in this article, and today we can add that among the various accessories we brought with us was the Finnish knife, which was used to clean the game. The tracker who performed the demanding task was experienced hunter Seth Eichler of Fulldraw Outfitters, who greatly appreciated the knife's efficiency – and it only took a glance of understanding to realize that he would like to keep it. We anticipated this and more than willingly let him have it. On the other hand, the idea that giving a knife is bad luck is a superstition we do not encourage, least of all when it comes to giving a gift to someone who has earned it. In particular, what our companion liked was the excellent grip of the handle, which in this circumstance (you can see it from the photos) is put to the test by the large amount of blood that stains it, and the excellent factory sharpness. Moreover, the materials and technological finish allow the knife to be washed under the spray of a faucet without fear of ruining it. Like most blades that come from Northern Europe, those made by Peltonen confirm their essence as a working tool, with few concessions to aesthetics but maximum pursuit of functionality. We have to point out, finally, that Peltonen knives is actively engaged in the ongoing search for maximum environmental sustainability, for without nature there would be no outdoor life either. It may sound obvious, but it is not at all. The modest prices reflect this philosophy. The Ranger M95 costs about 90 euros, which is certainly an affordable price compared to the overall quality and functionality. To learn more please visit the Peltonen Knives website. 

Peltonen Ranger spes and price