Greetings from Canada! I searched through past posts and found some positive comments about this kuska-like cup. My niece is getting married this summer, and in addition to a gift a money I wanted to give them a physical gift. They already live together, own a house and enjoy hunting and the outdoors. A Canadian company imports this cup at a reasonable price. From what I have read this cup is a more affordable than traditional kuska and more practical and easier to maintain. Do the local people of Finland like these cups. Kiitos!

by Sisu-cat-2004

15 comments

  1. I like the idea and have seen the products at local retailers. My hiking / outdoor equipment cabinet is already full but if something breaks or wears down, I’d definitely consider Kupilka.

    Since they’re not hand made out of wood, they lack that aspect, but for use, there’s nothing wrong with them, and I think the idea of combining materials the way they do is enoug to, if you will, make a nice “story” – they could have used 100% plastic, but didn’t.

  2. Sorry to be blunt, but please, don’t buy that. It will just be an item somewhere deep down in the closet that won’t be used. And it’s far away from traditional **kuksa**. Which is impractical too. Kuksa is used (and stored) in summer cottages mainly, kuksa is heavy, oddly shaped and impractical to use while hiking or camping.

    Just give them a nice card with money and possibility to buy whatever they personally need.

  3. I mean it looks neat, a ceramic kuksa seems like a bad idea though since the whole point of a kuksa is to take it with you to camping. Also, since they’re normally carved from wood, they’re fairly lightweight, whereas a ceramic kuksa is anything but.

    So is it useful? Hell no. But is it a cool decoration? I mean yeah, what’s more Finnish than getting a neat looking but functionally useless vase/mug/etc

  4. It’s only really useful in a place where you can drink directly from lakes, rivers and such. That’s what it was originally for, a scoop for drinking water, instead of your hand.

    Not sure that applies to Canada, if there are parasites in the water?

    Wouldn’t use it in India.

  5. It’s basically on almost every scouts kit. That or traditional wood kuksa. Kupilka is very common among scouts, so in a decade or two when current scouts are adults they are traditional.

    I prefer Kupilka since they are easy to chuck in washing machine after a hike.

  6. It is an excellent product. The modern iteration of kuksa that lasts forever with minimal care. I have several traditional kuksas, but I use my kupilka more often nowadays. I do not mind modernising old things and it is even pretty environmentally friendly. The problem with proper gnarl kuksas is that removing the gnarl kills the tree, so a proper industrial production is not an option. And the industrially made wooden “souvenir kuksas” you more often see nowadays do not last like the gnarl ones do. Kupilka is trying to change that and it is a proper Finnish product too.

  7. Hi! In case this helps, did some googling and that kupilka is apparently bit of stylized and modernized version of kuksa. Name stems from Karjala and kupilka is originally an affectionate version/ diminutive of kuksa. Can be compared for example to the difference between papa and papito.

    One might argue that these kupilkas sold by a company with the same name are even cheap copies of original kuksas. At the same time they are most likely easier to maintain and such. For a wedding gift I’d surely prefer a real, and more original one but that might just be me.

    And note, it’s kuksa not kuska. Easier to find more info with correct spelling.

  8. They are a bit heavy for hiking use but well made and will last atleast as long as traditional kuksa. We have a set of kuksa, bowl, plate and spoon-fork and we use them in dayhikes and car camping. Would buy again. I do have trad. Kuksa aswell but for some reason, that does not get in to use so much.

  10. I’ve had a kupilka cup as a hike/trek cup for some years now. I like it but there is almost nothing “authentic” about it, e.g. it has a very “manufactured”, almost plastic feel to it. It is a composite after all so that is understandable.

    It does have some insulation properties so my coffee stays warm in the winter if i drink it in a reasonable time and I usually don’t burn my hands, apart from those thousands of times when i multi-task and spill hot water or coffee.

    That being said I’m looking for a REASONABLY priced and lightweight metal cup that i can brew my coffee in over my trail stove, a bit like an unholy mix of traditional pot coffee and turkish coffee.

  11. That’s basically a cup made of wood-plastic composite. Quite durable, easy to clean and looks quite traditional. Also, if you have an issue with a proper kuksa (which is carved from a piece of wood) giving your drink a taste of wood, then kupilka might be for you. Personally I have a tiny one (for shots) on the shelf but for now I’ve stuck with kuksa with hot drinks in the woods. But I think kupilka is a clever product that looks cool.

  12. Im a Canadian living in Finland lol

    Kupilka products are fantastic for camping/traveling. I always keep a spork in my edc backpack lol

  13. It’s a great and well-thought idea for a gift. Go for it!

  14. I regularly use a wooden Kuksa and Kupilka bowl for my hikes. Kuksa for the tradition and feel. Kupilka for the practicality, as it can be washed, whereas the kuksa not so much.

    Kupilka is fairly heavy for a plate and I will be swapping it for another, it won’t do anything a cheaper/lighternate won’t. The advantage a kupilka cup has for a kuksa is definitely the added volume and multi-purpose use thereafter, but it will lack the down-to-earth feeling from the kuksa.

    If I would gift someone a cup and wanted it to convey a bigger purpose, a wooden, hand-made kuksa would definitely be the answer, even though they are pricier. For me, Kupilka is like any other brand.

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