Posts Tagged Design
A Norwegian invention: The cheese slicer
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on August 14, 2010
The cheese slicer, the brainchild of Thor Bjørklund, a carpenter from Lillehammer, turns 85 this year. Bjørklund came upon the idea on a hot summer day back in 1925, when he found out the cheese in his packed lunch had all but melted. He took a sheet of steel, bent it and cut it, and bingo – the cheese slicer was invented. Soon friends and family, who could see a good use for this new kitchen utensil, were demanding their own too, and later that year Bjørklund got his invention patented. Mass production started in 1927, and the rest, as they say, is history. Well, at least in Scandinavia, where the cheese slicer can be found in every kitchen drawer. Norwegians eat a lot of cheese, particularly hard cheese, hence the popularity of Bjørklund’s invention, which over the years has become a bit of a national icon. The appeal of its sleek design has not been confined to Norway though – the ubiquitous cheese slicer has become a popular souvenir to take home with foreign tourists. It is also sold in 20 countries in Scandinavia and Europe. Thor Bjørklund & Sønner AS in Lillehammer was until last year Norway’s only producer of cheese slicers. It had manufactured 50 million of them. The company was taken over by GIAX in 2009. More info at www.bjorklund-1925.no
Norwegian fashion labels for kids
It’s not fair! Kids’ clothes are so much fun, why don’t they make them in adult sizes? Anyway, here are some seriously cool Norwegian fashion labels for children, for those of you who take their fashion seriously (and don’t mind spending a small fortune to spoil the kids). Yes yes, of course they’re worth it :-)
- Dundelina: A unique, inspired concept that combines fashion and storytelling with beautiful children’s clothes, accessories and books that interact with each other. Girls will feel like real fairytale princesses in those clothes… well, I know I would! www.dundelina.com (English)
- Ugly Children’s Clothing: Tongue-in-cheek clothes for newborns and toddlers. The name might not ring a bell, but you will recognise some of the designs (like the popular Norwegian lice sweater body). Their new ugly milk collection is also fun. www.uglycc.com (English)
- Lille Lam (Little Lamb): Specialises in 100% merino wool clothes in pastel colours for boys and girls aged 0-10 years. Great for kids who itch in other materials. www.lillelam.no (Norwegian only)
- Lille Barn: Classic childrenswear with a Scandinavian feel. For children aged 0-6 years. Available in the UK too. www.lillebarn.com (English web page under development)
- My Cinnamon Girl: A relative newcomer on the scene, My Cinnamon Girl offers clothes in delicate colours, beautiful fabrics for both boys and girls, plus matching clothes for mums and daughters. http://mycinnamongirl.com (English)
The turkopp
I was given one of those for Christmas last year, and I love it. It’s both beautiful and practical, in a very Scandinavian kind of way. Cups vary in size (8-9cm in diameter and 5-6cm high is about the norm), but all are very light – they weigh around 100g. Made of oiled wood, usually birch, the cups are cut out from one single piece, and can easily be washed with a bit of water (no detergent). They originally came from Lapland, where they are known as kuksa, although most Norwegians refer to them as turkopp (tour cup) or trekopp (wooden cup). Some have two, instead of one (or no), finger holes, and/or a leather string so that they can be tied onto a rucksack. Cheap they ain’t – expect to pay up to 200Kr in a specialist shop, although I’ve seen some on sale on the internet for less than half that price. So shop around.
See www.eagleproducts.no/hXGXzohdLG4h.16.idium (Norwegian only) to see a sample of cups – their articles are available in many sports shops.
Or (why not indeed if you have a bit of time on your hands) – make your own!… Follow the step-by-step instructions at www.bushcraft.ridgeonnet.com/Kuksa%20tutorial.htm