Finka NKWD (stainless bulat)

A bulat steel with chromium addition from the Zhbanov forge. A few words about the term "bulat steel with chromium", which in itself is an oxymoron. It is commonly known that historical bulat steel contained iron and carbon. The only additive revealed in historical products on a larger scale was phosphorus (up to 0.15%). Contemporary Russian manufacturers try to produce knives from a material as close as possible to historical bulat steel, i.e., carbon steel. The problem with carbon bulat steel is that it is corrosive, and the customer may get upset if they find pitting on a knife worth several tens of thousands of rubles from a few drops of water that they didn't wipe off the previous day. Therefore, Russian blacksmiths sometimes add chromium to the alloy, and what is created is called "stainless bulat steel". This category includes knives from the Zhbanov forge, also known as the "Bulatny nozh" company. All stainless damascus steels from Zhbanov are hardened in such a way that the hardness on the cutting edge is 64 and on the tang 62 HRC.

The NKVD Finka is a cult Soviet knife created after the 1939 Finnish-Russian war. Its clones are still being made today and are very popular in Russia among former military personnel. Despite its unequivocally combat pedigree, it is a knife that is both very practical and exceptionally pleasing to the eye. On one side of the blade, under the handle, the inscription "Булат" and the manufacturer's logo.Handle made of stabilized wood. Brown leather sheath with a snap button fastening.

Overall length: 265 mm

Blade length: 133 mm

Blade thickness (max.):2.2mm

Handle length:134 mm

Steel (according to Russian marking): damascene steel with chromium added

Leather sheath.

Manufacturer: Zhbanov Forge (Bulatny nozh), Russian Federation