Legendary knife of the NKVD - "finca"

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The Norwegian NKVD knife was developed in 1935. This weapon was used by representatives of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs. It was the famous structure of the USSR. Until 1946, its members, armed with special equipment, including the Finnish NKVD knife, performed the functions of ensuring security, guarding borders and camps.

Creating a knife

Created this weapon from Pontus Holmberg's hunting knife. It was a native of Sweden, and for this reason the NKVD knife was called "Swedish". And yet, for the majority of Soviet citizens, he remained in the memory as a "Finnish" or "Vachinsky". That was the name of the village near Nizhny Novgorod, which produced Finnish folding knives for the NKVD.

Different from the original

Of course, the Soviet version was different from the original. So, the material from which the handle was made has changed in the weapon. The deer antler in the NKVD folding knife was replaced with plastic. The shape of the guard has also changed.

It was not listed as a weapon in official reports. He was issued with clothing allowance. Although in 1940 the Red Army received a reconnaissance knife similar to the NKVD knife, the Finns continued to produce. Tot althe manufacturer had 6 largest orders for the production of this weapon.

Description

The NKVD knife had a narrow blade. It was 125 mm long and 20 mm wide. He himself was more than 4 mm thick, thanks to which he remained rigid. Sharpening in it is implemented on one side. Longitudinal grooves are created on the sides of the blade.

Besides this, an unsharpened heel was kept in front of the guard. Thanks to this, some grips became possible to transfer the index finger to the blade. The guard was double-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 executed in a variety of ways. The differences between the knives were in color, the material used. But the scabbard was always dark colors - brown or black. They had loops to attach to a belt. They also had a button closure.

Popularity

Knives became extremely popular in the USSR. As a result, virtually every knife that had a straight blade and a bevel began to be called Finnish. They became most popular in the criminal environment.

Finca was perceived as a prohibited weapon. It became popular due to its excellent penetrating properties when applying stabbing blows. It holds perfectly in the hand, with it you can perform the "Finnish grip".

As a result, the production of banned knives was established very quickly in prisons. And the Finn began to be called the "zekov's knife." She got a lot of nicknames - "gut-setter", "finyak" and so on.

Ohcontemporary products

Only in 1996, the Finn was removed from the list of prohibited forms of edged weapons. This was established by the resolution of the Plenum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In the 21st century, many modern products have appeared that are popular due to the history of the de facto Soviet brand.

At the moment, this type of knife is made from modern materials. Its design has been changed. The guard is now almost straight. Rounded handle pommel. It is made from both wood materials and leather. There are many variations that are not melee weapons. They have a thinner blade, and there is no guard. At the same time, you can find original blades that, in their characteristics, correspond to real Soviet NKVD knives. At the moment, this is an unusually popular souvenir.

Before the revolution

Besides this, the Finnish knife existed in pre-revolutionary Russia. After all, 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 Russian people have given it. Even before the revolution, this knife was chosen by hooligans and thieves. It was used along with a cane or weight. She played the role of brass knuckles. The Finnish knife was loved for its lightness, small size, and simple design.

Due to the fact that initially it did not have a guard, 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, for a long time, Finnish knives were not considered official edged weapons. And it was difficult to impute the owner of the illegal possession of weapons. This situation continued until 1935. It was then that Finnish knives were officially banned from being worn and made by those who did not have permission to do so from the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs.

Of course, such measures did not bring the Finnish knife out of the domestic scene. It just started being used illegally. It was secretly made in factories, at home, in places of deprivation of liberty. Among the underground masters were real craftsmen who gathered a developed network of clients around them.

As for the NKVD knife, it is noteworthy that until now, some employees of domestic special services can be found armed with a Finnish knife. However, this is extremely rare. The thing is that Finnish knives were largely destroyed in the 90s.

However, an aura of mystery has been preserved around this edged weapon, like everything that is somehow connected with the KGB officers. There are many legends surrounding this official secret service knife. For example, there is a legend that there was a ballistic version of the knife. It was equipped with a fired blade, and there is also evidence of mercury throwing knives. But the main difference from this weapon of the Finnish knife is that the NKVD knife actually existed, and was not the fruit of someone's fantasy or conjecture.