Ahti

Ahti knives are manufactured in Kauhava, Finland, which has a long and rich history of being known for knife making.  The Ahti knives are made by Reino Kamppila and his son, who operate a fourth-generation family business of knife making.  Theirs is a smaller shop, but they produce knives of excellent quality and workmanship.  The  carbon steel (0.8%) blades are hardened to about 59 on the Rockwell scale, and knives having stainless steel blades are hardened to about 57 Rockwell. 

The knives and their leather sheathes are works of beauty, and are visually appealing as well as satisfyingly functional.  As with most Scandinavian knives, the handles are made from curly birch, sanded and stained.  The fittings on the knives are polished brass, and there are plastic inserts in the sheathes to protect both the sheath and the hand, as these knives are quite sharp and could easily slice through both if inserted incorrectly into the sheath.  The belt loops aren't attached directly to the sheathes, but rather by a small metal ring, which lets the sheath dangle and swivel to make it easier to move and sit with the knife on your belt.