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Blacksmithing & Toolmaking

Knifemaking: Crafting the Norwegian Tollekniv

Course Overview

Crafting the "tollekniv" (whittling knife) is a rich cultural tradition of Norway, kept alive by many Norwegian smiths and knifemakers today. Knifemaking explores three common craft traditions – metal work, leather work and wood work. Using Norwegian knifemaking techniques and shared characteristics amongst Norwegian knifemakers, learn to fit a hand-forged blade to a wooden handle that you shape and finish by sewing a decorated leather sheath with hand-polished silver and brass embellishments. Dating back to the Iron Age, the craft has been passed down person to person, with specific materials, tools and equipment to make the best quality knives known throughout the world. The blade is made by a Norwegian blacksmith to ensure the best quality available and the “flaming” birch wood for the handle, known for its stunning character and superior strength, is imported directly from Norway. Working with Italian leather, preferred by knifemakers for its rich, smooth texture, you will also have the opportunity to solder, shape and polish the silver and brass work that makes the finished product stylistically represented as a Norwegian knife.

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