The Norwegian NKVD knife was developed in 1935. Representatives of the People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs used this weapon. This was the famous structure of the USSR. Until 1946, its members, armed with special means, including the knife-fink of the NKVD, performed the functions of ensuring security, guarding borders, and camps.
Knife making
This weapon was created from the hunting knife of Pontus Holmberg. He was a native of Sweden, and for this reason the NKVD knife was called “Swedish”. And yet, for most Soviet citizens, he remained in memory as a “Finnish” or “Vachinsky”. That was the name of the village near Nizhny Novgorod, in which folding Finnish knives for the NKVD were produced.
Difference from the original
Of course, the Soviet version was different from the source. So, the material from which the handle was made changed in the weapon. The antler in a folding knife of the NKVD was replaced by plastic. The shape of the guard has also changed.
In official reports, he was not listed as a weapon. He was issued with clothing allowance. Although in 1940 the Red Army received a reconnaissance knife similar to a NKVD knife, the Finns continued to produce. In total, the manufacturer had 6 largest orders for the production of this weapon.
Description
The NKVD knife had a narrow blade. Its length was 125 mm, and its width was 20 mm. He himself was more than 4 mm thick, which made him stiff. Sharpening in it is implemented on one side. On the sides of the blade created longitudinal lobes.
In addition, an unsharpened heel remained in front of the guard. Thanks to this, some grips became possible to transfer the index finger to the blade. The guard was two-sided, its shape was in the form of the letter S.
The handle was made of carbolite, which was the Soviet analogue of bakelite. It is noteworthy that the handle was performed in a variety of ways. The differences between the knives were in the color used by the material. But the scabbard was always dark in color - brown or black. They had loops to attach to the belt. There was also a button clasp on them.
Popularity
Knives became extremely popular in the USSR. As a result, almost every knife that had a straight blade and bevel began to be called Finnish. They became the most popular in the criminal environment.
Finka was perceived as a prohibited weapon. It became popular due to its excellent penetrating properties when stabbing. She perfectly holds in her hand, with her you can perform the “Finnish grip”.
As a result, very quickly the production of prohibited knives was established in prisons. And they began to call the Finnish "Zekovsky knife." She got a lot of nicknames - "gut", "fenyak" and so on.
About modern products
Only in 1996, Finnish was removed from the list of prohibited forms of knives. This established the decision of the Plenum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In the 21st century, many modern products appeared that are popular due to the history of the actually Soviet brand.
At the moment, this type of knife is made from modern materials. Its design has been changed. Garda is now almost straight. Rounded the top of the handle. It is made of both wood materials and leather. There are many variations that do not constitute edged weapons. They have a thinner blade, and the guard is missing. At the same time, you can find the original blades, which in their characteristics correspond to the real Soviet knives of the NKVD. At the moment, this is an unusually popular souvenir.
Before the revolution
In addition, the Finnish knife existed in pre-revolutionary Russia. Indeed, from 1809 to 1917, Finland was part of the Russian Empire. And in the northern provinces of the country, a large part of the population acquired a knife.
The weapon has acquired many new features that have been given to it by Russian people. Even before the revolution, this knife was chosen by hooligans and thieves. It was used along with a cane or weight. She performed the role of brass knuckles. The Finnish knife was loved because it was light, small in size, for its simple construction.
Due to the fact that initially there was no guard in it, it was easily hidden in the bootleg. Usually the handle was type-setting - it was made up of pieces of plastic. And thanks to this, a lot could be learned from the knife about the fate of the owner.
However, Finnish knives for a long time still were not considered official knives. And to charge the owner with illegal possession of weapons was difficult. This situation persisted until 1935. It was then that Finnish knives were officially banned from being worn and made by those who did not have permission from the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs.
Of course, such measures did not remove the Finnish knife from the domestic scene. It just began to be used illegally. It was secretly made in factories, at home, in prisons. Among the underground masters were real craftsmen who gathered around themselves a developed client network.
As for the NKVD knife, it is noteworthy that so far some Finnish intelligence officers can be found with some of the employees of domestic intelligence services. However, this is extremely rare. The thing is that Finnish knives were largely destroyed in the 90s.
However, an aura of mystery remained around these edged weapons, like everything that is somehow connected with the KGB officers. Around this official knife of secret service employees there are many legends. For example, there is a legend that there was a ballistic version of the knife. It was equipped with a fired blade, there is also evidence of mercury throwing knives. But the main difference from this weapon of the Finnish knife is that the NKVD knife existed in reality, and was not the result of someone’s imagination or speculation.