Chaging the World with Axes - TED Talk

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Faiaoga

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Jul 3, 2012
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I found out about this from another website, so this is not original with me. An interesting short video by Julia Kalthoff, now head of Wetterlings, gives thoughts about craftsmanship, how tools can empower people and combating a throwaway society. It might be worth searching for. ;) Youtube video is about 11 minutes long.
 
Cool, thanks for the recommendation. Watching it I couldn't help but to think that everyone else watching was probably sitting there going "what the heck is this woman talking about". It's difficult to explain what is so attractive about the axe. I don't think you can appreciate the tool until you've used a quality one, even then I think most folks would just shrug it off and go back to their iPhone.
 
Old Axeman said:
What is an iPhone and how do you sharpen it?
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With an Apple.

Axes (all hand tools, in fact) harken back to a different place and time when learned skills, dexterity and physical fitness counted for an awful lot. Nice thing about promoting the nostalgia aspect of axes is it sets the Swedes well apart from having to compete in the cutthroat commercial world of 'biggest bang for the buck'.
 
It seems that some of the Scandinavian cultures do still try to respect their traditions and still respect craftsmanship. Schools there are supposed to teach use of knives in elementary school, and axes seem to be tools for use rather than as wall decorations:cool:
 
Faiaoga said:
It seems that some of the Scandinavian cultures do still try to respect their traditions and still respect craftsmanship. Schools there are supposed to teach use of knives in elementary school, and axes seem to be tools for use rather than as wall decorations:cool:
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A tourist steam train ran through the Gatineau Hills into Wakefield Quebec near Ottawa until 5 years ago. The original train gave up the ghost about 20 years ago and a 'new' one was shipped over from Sweden. Seems their national emergency preparedness agency had hidden small steam locomotives in mountain garage-tunnels throughout the countryside in case of major electrical grid catastrophe during the Cold War. These were meticulously maintained but never used for 1/2 century and ultimately declared redundant. Part of the deal with buying the locomotive was that the engineer came with it! The fellow didn't speak much English but his lifetime training and assignment was with that particular locomotive. I don't know what the current scoop on this is (did he train an apprentice before retiring, or what). But this definitely indicated a whole different mindset from another country.
 
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300Six said:
A tourist steam train ran through the Gatineau Hills into Wakefield Quebec near Ottawa until 5 years ago. The original train gave up the ghost about 20 years ago and a 'new' one was shipped over from Sweden. Seems their national emergency preparedness agency had hidden small steam locomotives in mountain garage-tunnels throughout the countryside in case of major electrical grid catastrophe during the Cold War. These were meticulously maintained but never used for 1/2 century and ultimately declared redundant. Part of the deal with buying the locomotive was that the engineer came with it! The fellow didn't speak much English but his lifetime training and assignment was with that particular locomotive. I don't know what the current scoop on this is (did he train an apprentice before retiring, or what). But this definitely indicated a whole different mindset from another country.
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I think the USA could learn about disaster preparation and civil defense from Sweden. :cool:
 
Interesting young lady and very interesting business model. To be able to refer to yourself as a CEO of a outfit with less than a dozen employees does strike me as rich. However she is obviously adept at reading fashions (lines and types of hand tools) promoting the products and chasing down markets for them. And as a business they're quite adept at splurging (this has to be gov't subsidized) on hydro-electric generation, solar panels, ground source heating etc.
 
300Six said:
Interesting young lady and very interesting business model. To be able to refer to yourself as a CEO of a outfit with less than a dozen employees does strike me as rich. However she is obviously adept at reading fashions (lines and types of hand tools) promoting the products and chasing down markets for them. And as a business they're quite adept at splurging (this has to be gov't subsidized) on hydro-electric generation, solar panels, ground source heating etc.
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You need to get into the 2016s and out of the 1960s. New world out there.
 
True. The sun could fart and render our electronics useless, except military stuff that's underground and shielded.
 
I think the owner of Wetterlings, former owner of GB ( sold to two of his sons) and Svedbro Smide before that- is more to the story of the young /pretty CEO Julia Kalthoff than anything else. If you watch interviews of him you will hear him talk about engaging young people.
It seems she is on leave from Wetterlings to finish her studies per the company website. Other bio's list her as currently being on the Board of Members at a Cultural Museum in Sweden , an Insurance /Real estate/ Bank Company in Sweden and also a Advisory Board member to Lie-Nielsen Tool works in Maine.
Do I believe that a Young, Female CEO adds to the "Brand" and attracts media attention and praise? ABSOLUTELY. I also believe the brand loyalty and completion for consumers is a false belief within these axe companies.
 
Not sure where the thread is going regarding Swedish society and the structure of the company, but I wanted to point out the main line of reasoning that through the use of the axe (and other hand tools, no doubt) she wants to spread a wave of change that pulls people away from living as mere consumers of ephemeral products, which she calls "crap", and towards creative and life changing human experiences, which she calls "empowering". Getting away from screens and slowing down life is a valuable practice, I am sure we all value here.

Here is the link. https://youtu.be/LGbA_LCVTsI

Zieg
 
I don't pretend to know anything about Swedish society but the structure of the "companies" as in plural- all seem to be under the control and leadership of one person. I'm don't question his leadership has brought back a more craftsman type product, throw back to an earlier time. I don't believe it is totally altruistic.
I kind of take offence when someone who went from living with their parents and taking a blacksmithing course and a short time later is a international medial star tells me I should slow down and enjoy hard work to reach nirvana.
It is easier to believe this when the evils of the real world like providing for a family aren't taken into consideration. I wonder how the blacksmiths and people who work at the plants controlled by these people consider this. I also wonder if the wrecking bars and forced entry tools produced by the companies controlled are marked with the workers initials lol.
 
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