With the success of their FIRECRAFT series, White River Knife & Tool has taken it a step further with the first Scandinavian ground knife, also designed by Jason Tietz. Coming from America’s mitten, the Puuko-inspired design is a traditional Scandi with modern features. The White River Knife & Tool FC-PKO is ready to tackle your fieldcraft chores with traditional form and function.
White River Knife & Tool FC-PKO
The White River Knife & Tool (WRK&T) name is inspired by Michigan’s White River. It runs through the family property in the Manistee National Forest. WRK&T is a small family company passionate about making first-rate American knives.
Spawned from decades of experience in manufacturing, WRK&T was started with a vision to make knives with an impressive fit, finish, and functionality. They are built to a standard that is warranted for life for a satisfied and loyal customer.
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According to White River Knife & Tool, “Many of our knives are designed for hunting or fishing. Others are for survival, camp, or everyday use.”
WRK&T has knives that will finish the job and look good while executing it, no matter the task. You can trust your White River Knife when you embark on your next quest. WRK&T warrants customers that if they are not 100% satisfied with their knife, they can return it for repair or replacement at no charge, no questions asked.
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White River uses only USA-sourced materials except for certain exotic materials not produced in the US, such as cork.
White River Knife & Tool FIRECRAFT
Several years ago, Jason Tietz approached the Michigan-based company White River Knife & Tool. He was armed with a few designs while looking for a knife company to produce a few prototypes for him.
This collaboration was the start of what eventually became the Firecraft Series, spawning the FIRECRAFT® FC 3.5 Pro, FIRECRAFT® FC4, FIRECRAFT® FC5, FIRECRAFT FC7, and now the FIRECRAFT® PKO. Jason also designed the Gasper 4 Knife for Rewild Gear.
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Who is Jason Tietz?
Jason Tietz is an Industrial Designer with 15 years of experience in medical design, knife making, and even graphic work. He looks at design with a simple, modern, and inventive twist while holding to the “less is more” perspective. As a result, he produces timeless designs.
He graduated from Kendall College of Art and Design with a BFA focusing on Industrial Design. Jason went on to Artisan Medical Displays to begin his career. Collaborating with surgeons, doctors, and medical marketing teams, Jason started designing and developing surgical simulators and anatomical display models.
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While working at Artisan Medical, Jason created Tietz Custom Design LLC. Tietz Custom Design has contributed to design projects for companies such as White River Knife & Tool, Beretta, and Rewild Gear. Tietz Custom Design has expanded and developed some of its product lines, including the Moby bottle openers and the Firecraft line of outdoor gear.
Q&A with Jason Tietz
Could you describe the first knife you made?
“I started customizing a lot of high-end folding knives, taking risks with a lot of my collection to try different techniques. The first knife I made by myself from start to finish was actually the Firecraft FC-5 prototype. It was rough, to say the least, and hardly even resembles the end result, but it got the point across.”
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Will we ever see a chopping-style knife from you?
“Yes, I have actually been working on a design for a large chopper, almost like a jungle bolo. After releasing the PKO, I thought a large chopper would be a good addition. However, currently, I am still working through the shape and ergonomics to really get it dialed in.”
Do you see the White River PKO as a survival knife?
“Not exactly; even though the PKO would work fantastically in most survival situations, its designed intent was a bushcrafting tool for enthusiasts. With the FC-5 and FC-7 already in the line-up and better suited for survival, I wanted to design something more suited for trap-making and detailed tasks.”
What is your regular EDC like?
“My favorite knife design for EDC is the FC-3.5 Pro. I like to scout-carry; it’s nice having a fixed blade instead of a folding knife because of its capabilities, depending on what I am doing. I have used it for many things, from chores around our family farm to food prep on my hiking adventures. The FC-3.5 Pro is such a versatile knife that I continue to find new ways it can come in handy.
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“My EDC loadout might look much different if I’m doing chores around the farm or out on a hunt. I almost always have my Firecraft 3.5 Pro, Leatherman MUT multi-tool, and flashlight.”
What steel do you favor?
“I use S35VN steel mostly for my blade steel because of its corrosion-resistant properties and long edge retention. For other details, I like to blend both traditional materials and modern materials to create timeless designs.”
The FC-PKO Power Puukko
The White River FC-PKO is a puukko-inspired design with a traditional Scandinavian (scandi) edge and modern features. Atop the blade is a fire notch for efficiently striking a Ferro rod. The knife also features a polished stainless steel divot for use with a spindle when making a fire the old-fashioned way with a bow & drill set.
There are stand-out features the WRK&T Puukko displays upon looking at it—with so much more than that. The knife’s overall length is 8.1 inches, weighing 4.6 ounces. It’s a classic drop point full tang knife with a Scandinavian grind made of CPM S35VN.
The handle is made from Micarta with orange liners and an exposed pommel. To complete the package, a kydex sheath with a ferrocerium rod is included to truly live up to the Firecraft name.
Fire Notch
I previously used a knife with a Jason Tietz-designed fire notch with excellent results. The same goes for the new WRK&T Puukko. Notch placement is in the best possible place on the spine, where it won’t get in the way of thumb-assisted push-cuts or choking up on the blade when skinning.
The spine is rounded for absolute comfort when using different knife grips. As a bonus, it may also save a baton from getting shredded up too quickly. Only the notch area is sharpened for striking and scraping.
This notch will accommodate any size of Ferro rod and shower tinder with ferocious hot sparks. However, this doesn’t limit it to striking alone; it makes the best tinder scraper for fatwood, magnesium, bamboo, or poplar shavings.
I planted the blade horizontally into a log firmly by using a baton. In that position, I scraped fatwood against the notch until I had a nice-sized pile to ignite. I used the Ferro rod to scrape back against the notch, sending a shower of hot sparks on the fatwood shavings and igniting them quickly.
White River’s First Scandinavian Grind
The striking zero-grind edge gleams and catches the eye. This ultra-sharp scandi grind has a slight drop point to the 3.7-inch-long blade. The first test for every cutting tool is to see how well it shaves hair out of the box. It was frighteningly sharp and passed the first test, which would only get rougher from here.
A scandi knife excels at wood carving, especially bushcraft tasks. I made a simple try stick, which is a great practice tool for a knife and bushcraft practitioner.
A try stick is a notched stick utilizing the most commonly used notches in cabin building, traps, pothooks, and crafting. I usually shoot for 10 or 11 notches on a thumb to broomstick-thick piece of green wood, preferably soft wood. The blade never had any issues making deep stop cuts using a thumb-assisted cut, chest lever grip, or forward grip.
Making feather sticks for a fire is usually best done with a scandi, in my opinion. The WRK&T Puukko made short work of a handful of feather sticks, and anyone who uses it would also be a believer.
Carrying the FC-PKO
A simple, straightforward kydex sheath comes standard with the WRK&T Puukko. The belt clip also holds the Ferro rod, which can be changed for a few carry options. As it comes standard, the handle rides high, but the short blade doesn’t make the draw awkward. The knife can also be worn inverted, as the retention is excellent. A thumb-assisted push-off and the blade deploys smoothly.
Add cordage to wear as a neck knife; the weight of the knife, sheath, and Ferro rod is perfect. However, the belt loop can be removed for an even lighter, less bulky option. The Ferro rod fits in both sides of the holder for added peace of mind that it won’t slip through when worn inverted on the belt or as a neck knife.
Bow & Drill
The stainless steel divot feature built into the knife’s handle is a real gem. A spindle, fireboard, bow, and bearing block are needed to make a bow drill fire. Any part that can be carried along makes a challenging task a little bit easier. In this case, it’s the bearing block that the divot duplicates.
Making a bearing block out of wood requires hardwood and drilling a divot/hole that will need lubrication. The divot on the WRK&T Puukko doesn’t need lubrication and offers zero friction, which is necessary on a bearing block.
Maximum friction on the fireboard and the least amount on the bearing block is one part of the inner workings of a good bow drill set. The stainless steel divot eliminates the need for lubrication, thus giving you one less thing to worry about, so you can concentrate on fire making.
The FC-PKO Pommel
The butt end or pommel is exposed on the WRK&T Puukko, which makes it another tool. Although it isn’t called a glass breaker, I think it would do the job just fine. A lanyard, or even a carabiner, can be used there to secure the knife a little more.
The pommel is narrow at 1/8 inch thick, but can still be used as a less lethal self-defense tool. When carving wood utilizing the knife in a chest-lever grip, the rounded pommel comfortably cradles in the palm.
The obvious way to use it for me was in a tip-down splitting scenario on smaller-diameter pieces of wood. I used it in an icepick grip, with the blade facing away and my thumb on top of the nicely rounded pommel. I could easily split thinner sticks with the sharp tip from that position.
However, if the wood were thicker in diameter, I would use the knife the same way. A baton would hammer the pommel through the wood without any worries. There wasn’t any handle or blade damage while performing this task.
If you need a woods knife that can do it all except for chopping, look no further!
White River Tool & Knife FC-PKO Specs
| Blade Length | 3.7 inches |
| Overall Length | 8.1 inches |
| Blade Thickness | .125 inches |
| Blade Material | CPM S35VN |
| RC | 58-60 |
| Weight | 4.6 ounces |
| Sheath | Kydex (black) |
| Made in | USA |
| MSRP | $200.00 |
