Finnish/Earlier Scandi axes - Kirves

Thanks,Ollie,beautiful axes!(thanks,Agent_H,for fixing those photos...(i presume you have?)...

I admire Martti Malinen tremendously....Not too long ago have come across his Karelian type....https://nordiskakniv...n-karelian-axe/....(had i another life to live i'd spend it travelling around Northern Europe,Finland in particular,blacksmith shops,begging for lessons...)
 
Came across this 1923 film from Sweden on Facebook.

30814737193_d5a9b9cf2c_c.jpg


Link: http://www.euscreen.eu/play.jsp?id=EUS_11F056F290054E4E859759AAC04EA24B

I wonder if they were made in a different way in Finland.


Bob
 
Bob,thank you for posting this,a Monumentally Classy video....

My opinion is that even at the time of the filming the shown technique was a couple hundred years out of date...That's WHY they filmed this guy,who,i imagine,was one of the very last practitioners of the Old ways of forging those axes...

That guy is not just good,he's a Fantastic,Superlative hand at all that...And yes,that's pretty much the way Finnish axes were constructed as well,maybe barring that poll forged out of the main body,that is WAY arcane...

The old helve hammer in the back may or may not have been in industrial use then...Those things Are surprisingly effective,for doing Just that...
 
He's swinging a big hammer and making every blow count. That guy knows his sh!t and has done it before uncountable times. He's a badass.

I had to watch the welding of the bit several times. Not an insert or an overlay. He just stuck some steel on the end and shaped it! Watching him relieve the poll from the bottom of the socket was amazing. He used his same hammer - that square-poll cross peen. He moves steel like Hofi. I bet he could sharpen it with his cross peen if he wanted.

Very cool watching him use a hardy fork as a vise. He slipped a ring over his tongs to keep them locked then used his hip to pressure the axe in the fork to lock it down. He didn't just come up with that move this morning.

Finnish%20axe%20smith%202.jpg
 
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Video - awesome.

Commentary - awesome.

Sweden's oldest blade smith forge? Wira Bruk page.
http://www.wirabruk.se/index.html

“Experience Wira ironworks powerful story - in Sweden as a great power has the Uppland idyll been the site of one of the most important weapons tanks.
On Wira use can visit blacksmithing shop and see the old tanks that are still preserved.

The environment is breathtaking - Take a walk and enjoy the scenic surroundings, take a break in the courthouse where you can get some food or a snack.
In practice there are three blacksmiths and blacksmithing manufactures sold in the blacksmithing shop of http://www.wirabruk.com/
In the historic environment organized theater performances and concerts in summer, organized by Wira games.

Artistic forging and the restaurant is open every Saturday and Sunday
Den10 December will Ljusterö Lucia and sings in operating the farm at 13

Welcome”


“The museum is housed in the so-called alderman's cottage from the 1700s - which formerly served as a residence for the blade smiths who have become too old to work in the forge.”

Road trip :thumbup:
 
I forgot I had this. Has this 1928 Billnäs tool catalog already been posted on this thread?

Large file. 258meg pdf.

Note: The images are stretched vertically.

http:\\cedarriverforge.com/Photo-index/axephotos/Finnish/Luettelo Billnäs'in Takeista 1928_01_01_1928.pdf
 
jake pogg said:
Thanks,Square_peg.(i also really enjoy your analytical break-dow in re videos-right on!:)

Someone has kindly posted this on another resource,if anyone here is not familiar with Mr.Lepola,a very knowledgeable man: https://northernwildernesskills.blo...howComment=1481757867425#c4884596261083006500
Click to expand...

I've read through his site quite a bit and missed it then I realized that it was created December 12, 2016. That is a really well put together site.

His scanned book page a little way down has some Finnish text on it that was interesting:

MTO_18.jpg


https://northernwildernesskills.blo...howComment=1481757867425#c4884596261083006500

"The axe is not to be thrown in the workplace. Nor is it to be used as a wedge or wedge shot. If temperature is below freezing the blade is heated up before starting work, either by rubbing or the glow of the fire, not the fire itself, or it will break. A broken arm (varsi - handle) is immediately replaced. When the axe is not used, it must be kept in a warm room well greased"

Google also translated "varsi" as "grandfather" which made me smile.
 
Amazing old footage. I wonder if the phrase 'doesn't miss a beat' comes from watching a master smith at work.
 
Finnish Army issue axes

I was looking more closely and took noticed that the Kellokoski stamp is sometimes directly underneath the model # and the MB Crown as well as further down the cheek closer to the business end.

The 13? in the video that Bobscreenshot has the mark higher up:
rjdankert said:
29674906552_54f0e40dc7_c.jpg

Bob
Click to expand...

And then another example I have here has the mark farther down the bit:
Agent_H said:
Click to expand...

I wonder if the change in mark placement might indicate a time frame to place the manufacturing date somewhat? That is something that really only a Fin could tell – and probably only if they were axe crazy…


From what I am reading, Finland didn’t have an official army until 1940-1941. Before then they operated the Civil Guard known as Suojeluskunta or Protection/Defense Corps.

Long story short, upon creation of the official Finnish Army in 1942 they started marking their Mosin Nagants with an “SA” in a box. Too many variations in stamps there to get into and would be another great topic maybe not BF/axe-centered. SA stands for Suomen Armeija (Finnish Army).

Rifle-oriented info on the Civil guard from mosinnagant.net:
http://www.mosinnagant.net/finland/thecivilguardoffinland.asp

Anyway, I thought if they started the official army that year and marked their rifles as such then maybe they did that as a designation for other gear as well – issued axes in this case.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Guard_(Finland)
Here is a Kelokoski 12.3 and “C” below that and is marked SA on the flip side. There is a “P” under that there as well.



https://flic.kr/p/Wa8kaL




So, I am thinking that if one of the axes is marked “SA” then it is 1942 and on. I don’t know how long they marked the 12.3’s with an SA or when the military stopped or changed their gear marks. What I do know is that they stopped producing that style of axe with the old numbering system in the late 50's or early 60's. At that point they focused on the new stylings and manufacturing methods of Fiskars (insert technology…) They also redesignated the model numbers.

The “P” mark might have been a regional mark, service area designation, QC mark, or the smith making them, etc. I have one marked "KYM" which may correlate to the Civil Guard area of Pohjois-Kyymenlaakson – still looking for a reference not speaking Finnish.

In the 1960’s it seems that the numbering system changed as well. Something? Maybe nothing.

Kellokoski (and Billnäs) revised numbering system.
http://www.europeana.eu/portal/en/record/2021008/M011_329438.html

Billnäs ax number 12, the so-called. Kemi model is the Finnish way conventional hamarallinen and varsitupellinen model. The model developed by far the most popular type of ax that was used to fell a tree to all working operations as well as Halon felling. Kemi model was developed half a dozen parallel model. In particular, issues 12/2 M36 recommended hakkuukirveeksi Työtehoseuran study carried out in 1946 (published in Työtehoseuran series of tools called Forest Research for Standardization). Number 12 was Billnäs production in the early 1900s and it was developed with half a dozen parallel model. For example, the number 12/2 M36 is telling the ax, as well as in Kemi that the 1936 cut felling ax. The model of production was restored Billnäs production after outage in early 1950. Manufacturing, however, continued for only a few years, after which the model left the final production. Since the 1960s, focused on the production of ax Fiskars kirveissä but still remained at Billnäs brand. Kemi model axes (12/1, 12/2 and 12/3) is now entered in a new way. Eg 12/2 front labeling model was added to the number 1, and punctuation removed. The new entry was therefore form 1122. 1970's, the traditional model of Kemi was finally completely out of production.


Head on a stick this morning:




This afternoon:

[URL='https://flic.kr/p/VbuVVi']
Just interesting is all.[/url]
 
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Hello and merry christmas to evreryone!
I thought that i would share two axes that i bought yesterday. These are unused billnäs 12/1 and 12/2 in pristine condition and with the original paint and stickers on.
QE4mYwf.jpg

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Holy Kemi score Olli!

About what time in production do you think those would have been sent out with a sticker as opposed to stamped markings?
 
These two are made between 1957 and early 1970's i know this because the stamp says 1121 and 1122 so they are made after Fiskars became the biggest shareholder of billnäs. But they have had stickers AND stamps allways, the stamps are just on the other side so you cant see them in my photos.
 
Beauties none the less Olli. I, for one, would be interested in seeing the other sides if you chance another photo.

So fresh, so clean :)
 
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