Scandinavian Blades History

[browningsilver]

Silly question.

So I recently became an admirer of contemporary scandinavian axes (eg. gransfors, wetterlings) and decided I'd get one. Of course this meant I also had to get a scandinavian-style knife companion, right? Well, I guess I don't have to, but I'd like to anyway. I stumbled across the following scandinavian axes:

Then I got to thinking that puukos and leukos are probably a much older or antiquated style of scandinavian knife than the typical gransfors or wetterlings axe right? Or am I wrong? In other words, about what era in the history books did puukkos and gransfors-style axes come about?

I imagine this could be a very loaded question for a scandinavian history buff.

 

[JayGoliath]

I found this blog particularly interesting and educational:

https://nordiskaknivar.wordpress.com/

 

[Frederick89]

I'll try to seplify to the extreme.

Fennoscandic knives and axes have their deepest origin in the very early Middle Age, right after the Migration period (400 A.D.) that lead to a second colonisation of Fennoscandic peninsula.

The Germanic and Finno-Ugric tribes that arrived brought their own metallurgic traditions and evolved them according to the different needs the different nature of Fennoscandia required: Swedish bruksknivs, Norwegian tolleknivs and Finnish puukkos are three different kind of knives as different as are the three nations.

Speaking of knives the most basic models, still crafted actually, have their origin in the Viking Age.
Axes are a more complex matter and the current Swedish trend is based actually on recent designs, melted with some older stuffs. None of the patterns of current outdoor axes is a direct derivation from an historical one.

 

[Hacked]

I could be wrong but I thought the typical Gransfors and Wetterlings made today are American patterns? To me they are similar to the Rockaway pattern. To be clear I'm taking about axes like the Gransfors American Felling Axe and similar styled axes from both companies.

 

[Frederick89]

That's right. Recent Swedish axe making is strongly influenced by American patters, since both founders of Wetterlings and Gransförs, at one point, studied them.
Carving axes are another kind and those are still rather close to historical ones.

In Norway and Finland axe making, beside Fiskars, is kept alive by single smiths that develop their own style, more or less influenced by old models.

 

[Vedenant]

I'll try to seplify to the extreme.

Fennoscandic knives and axes have their deepest origin in the very early Middle Age, right after the Migration period (400 A.D.) that lead to a second colonisation of Fennoscandic peninsula.

The Germanic and Finno-Ugric tribes that arrived brought their own metallurgic traditions and evolved them according to the different needs the different nature of Fennoscandia required: Swedish bruksknivs, Norwegian tolleknivs and Finnish puukkos are three different kind of knives as different as are the three nations.

Speaking of knives the most basic modela, still crafted actually, have their origin in the Viking Age.
Axes are a more complex matter and the current Swedish trend is based actually on recent designs, melted with some older stuffs. None of the patterns of current outdoor axes is a direct derivation from an historical one.

Actually, the oldest carbon dated iron puukko, found in Rovaniemi area, is from 400-700 BC. However: The name "puukko" is of medieval origin and is probably derived from saxon word pook. Otherwise excellent post!

 

[Frederick89]

Actually, the oldest carbon dated iron puukko, found in Rovaniemi area, is from 400-700 BC.

Just for personal curiosity is there any pic of this specimen? Always interesting seeing the very first record.
I think you mean 400-700 A.D. (Migration period) 700-400 B.C. would be plain Roman time.

 

[cityofthesouth]

I have been wondering when the current GB patterns happened too. All I know for the OP is that yes, the knife styles are much older, but I have never been able to nail down a date for the creation of the axe pattern GB and Wetterlings (and others) use now - like in the SFA, etc.

 

[Vedenant]

Just for personal curiosity is there any pic of this specimen? Always interesting seeing the very first record.
I think you mean 400-700 A.D. (Migration period) 700-400 B.C. would be plain Roman time.

Roman time is correct. I get this info from a publication about Finnish sheat knife by The National History Museum of Finland. There exist several known specimen starting from 500bc. I'll try and see if I can find reference pics for you.

 

[Steve Tall]

I have been wondering when the current GB patterns happened too. All I know for the OP is that yes, the knife styles are much older, but I have never been able to nail down a date for the creation of the axe pattern GB and Wetterlings (and others) use now - like in the SFA, etc.

1988 (and later) for Gransfors, followed by copies made by Wetterlings and Hults Bruks (according to Gransfors):

More painstaking and quality-driven production
(198

Until now Gränsfors Bruk had, like other manufacturers, focused on producing axes as quickly and cheaply as possible, often at the cost of both function and quality. The working environment was poor, the smiths were doing piecework and faults in the forging were concealed through rough grinding, rubbing, polishing and finally painting. A great deal of effort went into the post-production work and profit margins were low.

In the late 1980s, Gränsfors Bruk took a step back to a more traditional, craft-based system of production that had been the standard long ago. Knowledge about axes, their function and environmental issues became the guiding light for axe production. The restructuring was based on the insight that when you strip out everything that is unnecessary, you often get a more honest, eco-friendly and even attractive product.

The system of piecework was abandoned in favour of professional craftsmen who were allowed to take their time. The most important factor became quality, not quantity. The focus was placed on ensuring that the job of forging was done well, which removed much of the need for subsequent grinding. Also gone were all the paints, lacquers and solvents plus the epoxy adhesive previously used for attaching the handles. One by-product of this major change in production was that in 1990 Gränsfors Bruk won a prize in the Ecological Design competition organised by Svensk Form and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.

Despite competition among axe manufacturers remaining extremely tough in the 1980s and 1990s, Gränsfors Bruk became an increasingly sizeable player in the axe market. The company improved production and started selling in a growing number of countries. The idea of taking a step back to more painstaking and quality-driven production gradually started yielding results. Several other axe manufacturers also followed the ‘Gränsfors method’ and began producing axes in a similar vein – a clear indication that the changes were right, although the copies were sometimes ridiculously similar to the originals from Gränsfors.

...In the 1990s, Gränsfors Bruk started working with independent experts and many of the heavily copied models were quickly replaced with new models offering better design and function. None of the eight models available in 1987 were still around by 1990. The Swedish Carving Axe was produced in collaboration with craftsman Wille Sundqvist and others in 1994. In 1995, Gränsfors Bruk developed and launched the Hunter’s Axe, which was consciously made so different from other axes that the design was able to be protected under intellectual property law. The Hunter’s Axe was named an ‘Excellent Swedish Design’ in 1995. That same year is when Gränsfors Bruk started selling its axes with a 20 Year Product Guarantee. In 1996, Gränsfors Bruk launched a new range of broad axes and other tools for log-building. 1997 saw the arrival of a new, smaller Carpenter’s Axe and the earlier version, which had been copied, went out of production. By this time, eight new models had been introduced since 1990.

http://www.gransforsbruk.com/en/home/the-history-of-the-company/

 

[Frederick89]

Roman time is correct. I get this info from a publication about Finnish sheat knife by The National History Museum of Finland. There exist several known specimen starting from 500bc. I'll try and see if I can find reference pics for you.

If so, given the period, I assume they were knives made from "bog iron", right?

 

[Vedenant]

If so, given the period, I assume they were knives made from "bog iron", right?

Right. Also, no sheats survive beyond Viking era.

 

[browningsilver]

Excellent responses thus far. Here's some follow-up questions...

1. Was the axe poll an American invention? I believe the handle shape was.

2. What is scandi about the gransfors/wetterlings? Is it the beard and lips?

3. In your opinion, what modern scandinavian-style knife would be a close equivalent of the (american-influenced) gransfors small forest axe?

 

[Frederick89]

A poll of some kind was present also on historical patterns, mainly on craft axes, later (1400-1500) also on battle axes/battle hammers.

These are two currently viking carving axes, forged by Svante Djärv (Sweden) after a museum specimen

while these are forged by by Jan Tommy Kirkholt (Norway) following the traditional norwegian style

while these are Finnish axes from the 19th century.
https://nordiskaknivar.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/image-6.jpg

For me Swedish factory forged axes are actually "scandi" only in their blend and actual edge angel, more suited for softer woods. Easily reprofilable though.

Knives got less influenced, though Bruslettos aren't really scandi even if made in Norway.

In my opinion, however, if you want something bearing the real spirit of Fennoscandia, you'd have to stay away from highly influenced stuffs.

 

[cheato]

I am floored by the depth and history everyone is sharing. I am sorry that I can only add a sincere thank you for your time and knowledge.

 

[The Zieg]

The name "puukko" is of medieval origin and is probably derived from saxon word pook.

Probably not. Puukko grows out of the root for "wood" or "tree," which in Finnish is puu (forgive the puns). Linguists still debate whether it's because of an association with wooden handles or because of wood carving. Regardless, the root word *pa (elsewhere as *fa, but this is a consonantal shift that does not alter the kinship) shows up in all the Finno-Ugric languages in words for tree, branch, log, wood, and so forth. There are other, more specific words for knives not growing out of this wood-related root (damn that pun!), like veitsi; so with puukko we're probably looking at a uniquely Finnish association of wood and cutting blade.

There are loanwords all through the Baltic, but as early as the word puukko appears, it is highly unlikely that the name for an everyday object like a knife is going to migrate from an Indo-European language to a Finno-Ugric one and supplant the native term.

And given the American association of puukot (pl. of puukko) with bushcraft and woodsmanship skills, I am rather fond of the wood-related etymology.

Glad to put my graduate learning to work again!

Zieg

 

[Vedenant]

Probably not. Puukko grows out of the root for "wood" or "tree," which in Finnish is puu (forgive the puns). Linguists still debate whether it's because of an association with wooden handles or because of wood carving. Regardless, the root word *pa (elsewhere as *fa, but this is a consonantal shift that does not alter the kinship) shows up in all the Finno-Ugric languages in words for tree, branch, log, wood, and so forth. There are other, more specific words for knives not growing out of this wood-related root (damn that pun!), like veitsi; so with puukko we're probably looking at a uniquely Finnish association of wood and cutting blade.

There are loanwords all through the Baltic, but as early as the word puukko appears, it is highly unlikely that the name for an everyday object like a knife is going to migrate from an Indo-European language to a Finno-Ugric one and supplant the native term.

And given the American association of puukot (pl. of puukko) with bushcraft and woodsmanship skills, I am rather fond of the wood-related etymology.

Glad to put my graduate learning to work again!

Zieg

HI, excellent post!

Although; as you state "linguists debate" and this is one of part of that debate. According to the currently (here in Finland) favorite theory, the word puukko comes from the word pook that refers to a small sheath knife, commonly carried by salt traders from lower Saxony that traveled through out the Nordic region. The other and older theory is indeed that word puukko evolved in the same manner as the word suukko: puu (wood) -> puukko, suu (mouth) -> suukko (a kiss) or it can refer to the fact that the knife has a wooden handle... The problem here is, that in the beginning the sheath knives were referred to as veitsi and the word puukko is indeed first encountered in the medieval period. And that during the so called "national romantic" period, a lot of crappy research was done on subjects such as art, language, food, dressing, migration etc. etc. Even today one can still encounter some of the wackier theories in news papers and "entertainment" periodicals...

 

[cityofthesouth]

1988 (and later) for Gransfors, followed by copies made by Wetterlings and Hults Bruks (according to Gransfors):

More painstaking and quality-driven production
(198

Until now Gränsfors Bruk had, like other manufacturers, focused on producing axes as quickly and cheaply as possible, often at the cost of both function and quality. The working environment was poor, the smiths were doing piecework and faults in the forging were concealed through rough grinding, rubbing, polishing and finally painting. A great deal of effort went into the post-production work and profit margins were low.

In the late 1980s, Gränsfors Bruk took a step back to a more traditional, craft-based system of production that had been the standard long ago. Knowledge about axes, their function and environmental issues became the guiding light for axe production. The restructuring was based on the insight that when you strip out everything that is unnecessary, you often get a more honest, eco-friendly and even attractive product.

The system of piecework was abandoned in favour of professional craftsmen who were allowed to take their time. The most important factor became quality, not quantity. The focus was placed on ensuring that the job of forging was done well, which removed much of the need for subsequent grinding. Also gone were all the paints, lacquers and solvents plus the epoxy adhesive previously used for attaching the handles. One by-product of this major change in production was that in 1990 Gränsfors Bruk won a prize in the Ecological Design competition organised by Svensk Form and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.

Despite competition among axe manufacturers remaining extremely tough in the 1980s and 1990s, Gränsfors Bruk became an increasingly sizeable player in the axe market. The company improved production and started selling in a growing number of countries. The idea of taking a step back to more painstaking and quality-driven production gradually started yielding results. Several other axe manufacturers also followed the ‘Gränsfors method’ and began producing axes in a similar vein – a clear indication that the changes were right, although the copies were sometimes ridiculously similar to the originals from Gränsfors.

...In the 1990s, Gränsfors Bruk started working with independent experts and many of the heavily copied models were quickly replaced with new models offering better design and function. None of the eight models available in 1987 were still around by 1990. The Swedish Carving Axe was produced in collaboration with craftsman Wille Sundqvist and others in 1994. In 1995, Gränsfors Bruk developed and launched the Hunter’s Axe, which was consciously made so different from other axes that the design was able to be protected under intellectual property law. The Hunter’s Axe was named an ‘Excellent Swedish Design’ in 1995. That same year is when Gränsfors Bruk started selling its axes with a 20 Year Product Guarantee. In 1996, Gränsfors Bruk launched a new range of broad axes and other tools for log-building. 1997 saw the arrival of a new, smaller Carpenter’s Axe and the earlier version, which had been copied, went out of production. By this time, eight new models had been introduced since 1990.

http://www.gransforsbruk.com/en/home/the-history-of-the-company/

Steve, much appreciated. It's encouraging really, that GB decided to simply change direction and become something meaningful. Had they not, it would have likely been their demise.

For browningsilver, the poll is an American invention specific to the American axe. What I mean is, even axes which were intended to be weapons from centuries earlier, could be seen with a poll of sorts. And as Frederick pointed out, something like a poll could be found on various axes from various cultures and time periods. But, the American felling axe with a poll geared toward better balance as we know it, started here - the modern axe, so to speak. And I don't think there is anything "Scandi" about the GB axes, except that they developed (based on what Steve found) the exact style, derived from their knowledge of American and other axes. I mean to say, the pattern is derived (like almost anything) but the combination of features seems to be their feat.

ETA: Just to expound, the "ears" of the GB axes are obviously derived from the Jersey pattern which came long before, and it's thought that the Jersey was derived from some of the earliest axes to land on US soil - axes that didn't have a real poll. Axes for sure, are those human tools that evolved very fluidly, since they were found across the globe used for any number of purposes.

 

[ichor]

Thanks guys for a very interesting and informative thread!

 

[browningsilver]

Steve, much appreciated. It's encouraging really, that GB decided to simply change direction and become something meaningful. Had they not, it would have likely been their demise.

For browningsilver, the poll is an American invention specific to the American axe. What I mean is, even axes which were intended to be weapons from centuries earlier, could be seen with a poll of sorts. And as Frederick pointed out, something like a poll could be found on various axes from various cultures and time periods. But, the American felling axe with a poll geared toward better balance as we know it, started here - the modern axe, so to speak. And I don't think there is anything "Scandi" about the GB axes, except that they developed (based on what Steve found) the exact style, derived from their knowledge of American and other axes. I mean to say, the pattern is derived (like almost anything) but the combination of features seems to be their feat.

ETA: Just to expound, the "ears" of the GB axes are obviously derived from the Jersey pattern which came long before, and it's thought that the Jersey was derived from some of the earliest axes to land on US soil - axes that didn't have a real poll. Axes for sure, are those human tools that evolved very fluidly, since they were found across the globe used for any number of purposes.

That has been helpful and interesting. Thank you to everyone.