Introduction of a new forum member

Trond · 23rd January 2011, 07:31 PM

I'm a Norwegian collector that started my collection in the early 1960s and specialized in Danish/Norwegian (DkN) and Norwegian long-guns from the late 1960s. In the 1990s I also started collecting pistols and blades used in Norway (I gave up on finding sufficiently more long-gun models - rodents, you know, we just have to collect).

The later years I have focused more and more on the somewhat older stuff, especially on swords, battle axes and pikes that were mandatory for the Norwegian farmer to have according to the law of 1604.

The picture shows Norwegian C & A battle-axes + some samples of the 8000 sidearms imported for the farmers - F, G & A tessaks

Much of my collection is shown at Norwegian Military Small-arms & Blades 1604-WW2 and I'm trying to update the site with a page or two daily.

I must admit to having embarrassingly little knowledge on non-military weapons or military arms used elsewhere, even though I do have some of these as well. My collection does include WW2 weapons used in Norway, but items made after the 1870-80s are admittedly of little interest for me.

Some Danish/Norwegian swords and hirschfängers hanging above my wife's TV-chair in the library

I've been lucky in finding a wife that accepts arms hanging all over the house - as long as the living and dining rooms are more or less "weapon free areas". Some long-guns up against the walls or some swords lying on the floor is ok for up to 6-9 months...

A few long-guns in a hallway don't bother her at all (mostly), as long as she can get the vacuum cleaner beneath them. As a matter of fact, she is also a member of Norsk Våpenhistorisk Selskap - Norwegian Arms-historical Society - and does attend to meetings.

Trond

Spiridonov · 23rd January 2011, 08:06 PM

Hello, Trond! Welcome to forum!

Norman McCormick · 23rd January 2011, 11:00 PM

Hi Trond,
Welcome to the Forum, fantastic pieces, would love to see more of those Dussage/Tessacks. I'm sure there will be plenty of interest here in your diverse collection of arms. Once again, welcome.
Regards,
Norman.

Trond · 23rd January 2011, 11:14 PM

Most of my tessaks are presented at Tessak - the Norwegian farmer's weapon of 1604

Trond

kai · 24th January 2011, 08:00 AM

Welcome to the forum, Trond!

Fantastic collection - love those axes!

Quote:

Some Danish/Norwegian swords and hirschfängers hanging above my wife's TV-chair in the library

No fighting over the remote control, I guess...

Regards,
Kai

Trond · 24th January 2011, 09:40 AM

My collection of battle axes is rather modest, I started collecting these only a few years ago and so far have 4,5... # 1, 3 & 4 are A-axes, almost identical to the viking axe. # 2 is a C-axe.

The top 1/4 of the handle on the axe to the left is the original from the 1600s, the rest of the handles are "new" - probably some 150 years old in average.

The one to the far right is a "bergmanns stav" - a miners staff from 1792. These usually came with a symbolic brass or kopper axe head, but this one is all birch. It's origin might be from the Kongsberg silver mines or the Røros kopper mines.

I find that it belongs in an axe collection although it really is not an axe.

Trond

Lee · 24th January 2011, 05:02 PM

Welcome to our forums community Trond! I have, without knowing exactly what they were, admired the form of the seldom encountered (by me) Norwegian battle axes without knowing exactly what they really were. I was fortunate to acquire an example several years ago and I knew it had to be Nordic, but I was left with a lot of doubts about dating and actual national origin. It is a rare thread that appears and resoundingly answers such a long nagging question.

I will try and get some decently detailed photos of my axe prepared, for now there is a tiny photo under my name to the left. The form is very similar to your example on the left, including the crescentic maker's mark.

When I first acquired the axe I thought it was such a shame that the handle was so warped. Then when I examined it more closely, I realized the blade was also 'bent' in the same curve and that the whole axe would lay flat on a sphere of several meters diameter. I am suspecting this curve is, like the angled mounting of the axehead, a refinement to make the tool more effective and it really shows just how sophisticated the design and fabrication was.

laEspadaAncha · 24th January 2011, 05:45 PM

Fascinating pieces, Trond, and welcome to the forum.

fernando · 24th January 2011, 06:20 PM

Meget interessante eksempler, Trond

I see that your wife is even more tolerant than mine

.

Matchlock · 24th January 2011, 07:18 PM

Hi Trond,
And welcome to the forum!

Your range of collecting is astonishingly multi-faceted, thanks for sharing!

Best,
Michael

Trond · 24th January 2011, 08:04 PM

Lee's axe seems to be a Norwegian A-axe, possibly with the original handle (very scarce!). The A-axe was often nicely engraved and one of these with the original shaft/handle is a really great (and rather valuable) find.

While ordinary axes usually only strikes a blow, the Norwegian battle axe both strikes and cuts, thereby being more effective and creating more damage than an axe with a straight handle - at least in theory.

I have a little page on Norwegian battle axes at Norwegian Battle axes. If you click the pictures, they get enlarged.

Trond

VANDOO · 24th January 2011, 09:57 PM

WELCOME TROND

ITS GREAT TO HAVE A FORUM MEMBER WITH KNOWLEGE AND A GREAT COLLECTION SPECIALIZING IN ITEMS FROM NORWAY. WHERE I LIVE SEEING SUCH ITEMS IS VERY RARE.
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FACINATED BY NORSEMEN/ VIKINGS AND ALL THE GREAT STORIES ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. NO DOUBT WE ALL WERE FACINATED AT AN EARLY AGE WITH STORIES OF GREAT WARRIORS AND SUCH. I KNEW OF THE NORSEMEN AND THEIR WARRIOR BELIEFS BEFORE I HAD EVEN HEARD OF THE SAMURAI OF JAPAN SO THOUGH BOTH WERE GREAT WARRIORS I STILL FEEL CLOSER TO THEM.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING FURTHER POST FROM YOU AND ESPECIALLY LOVE THOSE AXES.

M ELEY · 25th January 2011, 02:09 AM

Wow...all I can say is Wow! What a fantastic collection you have, Trond! Welcome to the Forum and thanks for sharing pics and info on your collection. I especially like the dussage. As a collector of naval items of the pirate/privateer kind, this type as I understand it did make a popular weapon for some. Very nice...

celtan · 25th January 2011, 04:27 AM

Hi Trond, welcome to the forum.

I believe we have corresponded in the past on the subject of Danish weaponry.

I frankly envy your collection. Mine is meek by comparison, but I have collected many Danish, Swedish and Norwegian items in the past. Love the functional simplicity that characterizes most of these weapons.

While I strongly dislike pirates and vikings in general, I do admire the latter's weaponry and accoutrements. The british helmet from Sutton-Loo and Drakkars for example, are both beautiful and terrifying.

Once again,

Welcome

Manuel Luis

Quote:

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Wow...all I can say is Wow! What a fantastic collection you have, Trond! Welcome to the Forum and thanks for sharing pics and info on your collection. I especially like the dussage. As a collector of naval items of the pirate/privateer kind, this type as I understand it did make a popular weapon for some. Very nice...

Lee · 25th January 2011, 09:34 AM

My distracting post about another example of a Norwegian battle axe has been moved into its own thread.

23rd January 2011, 07:31 PM	#1
Trond Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 30	Introduction of a new forum member I'm a Norwegian collector that started my collection in the early 1960s and specialized in Danish/Norwegian (DkN) and Norwegian long-guns from the late 1960s. In the 1990s I also started collecting pistols and blades used in Norway (I gave up on finding sufficiently more long-gun models - rodents, you know, we just have to collect). The later years I have focused more and more on the somewhat older stuff, especially on swords, battle axes and pikes that were mandatory for the Norwegian farmer to have according to the law of 1604. The picture shows Norwegian C & A battle-axes + some samples of the 8000 sidearms imported for the farmers - F, G & A tessaks Much of my collection is shown at Norwegian Military Small-arms & Blades 1604-WW2 and I'm trying to update the site with a page or two daily. I must admit to having embarrassingly little knowledge on non-military weapons or military arms used elsewhere, even though I do have some of these as well. My collection does include WW2 weapons used in Norway, but items made after the 1870-80s are admittedly of little interest for me. Some Danish/Norwegian swords and hirschfängers hanging above my wife's TV-chair in the library I've been lucky in finding a wife that accepts arms hanging all over the house - as long as the living and dining rooms are more or less "weapon free areas". Some long-guns up against the walls or some swords lying on the floor is ok for up to 6-9 months... A few long-guns in a hallway don't bother her at all (mostly), as long as she can get the vacuum cleaner beneath them. As a matter of fact, she is also a member of Norsk Våpenhistorisk Selskap - Norwegian Arms-historical Society - and does attend to meetings. Trond

24th January 2011, 05:02 PM	#7
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 913	Norwegian Battle Axes Welcome to our forums community Trond! I have, without knowing exactly what they were, admired the form of the seldom encountered (by me) Norwegian battle axes without knowing exactly what they really were. I was fortunate to acquire an example several years ago and I knew it had to be Nordic, but I was left with a lot of doubts about dating and actual national origin. It is a rare thread that appears and resoundingly answers such a long nagging question. I will try and get some decently detailed photos of my axe prepared, for now there is a tiny photo under my name to the left. The form is very similar to your example on the left, including the crescentic maker's mark. When I first acquired the axe I thought it was such a shame that the handle was so warped. Then when I examined it more closely, I realized the blade was also 'bent' in the same curve and that the whole axe would lay flat on a sphere of several meters diameter. I am suspecting this curve is, like the angled mounting of the axehead, a refinement to make the tool more effective and it really shows just how sophisticated the design and fabrication was.

24th January 2011, 07:18 PM	#10
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Trond, And welcome to the forum! Your range of collecting is astonishingly multi-faceted, thanks for sharing! Best, Michael Last edited by Matchlock; 24th January 2011 at 07:57 PM.

25th January 2011, 09:34 AM	#15
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 913	Dehijacking thread My distracting post about another example of a Norwegian battle axe has been moved into its own thread.

23rd January 2011, 08:06 PM	#2
Spiridonov Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Russia, Leningrad Posts: 355	Hello, Trond! Welcome to forum!

23rd January 2011, 11:00 PM	#3
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,596	Hi Trond, Welcome to the Forum, fantastic pieces, would love to see more of those Dussage/Tessacks. I'm sure there will be plenty of interest here in your diverse collection of arms. Once again, welcome. Regards, Norman.

23rd January 2011, 11:14 PM	#4
Trond Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 30	Most of my tessaks are presented at Tessak - the Norwegian farmer's weapon of 1604 Trond

24th January 2011, 09:40 AM	#6
Trond Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 30	My collection of battle axes is rather modest, I started collecting these only a few years ago and so far have 4,5... # 1, 3 & 4 are A-axes, almost identical to the viking axe. # 2 is a C-axe. The top 1/4 of the handle on the axe to the left is the original from the 1600s, the rest of the handles are "new" - probably some 150 years old in average. The one to the far right is a "bergmanns stav" - a miners staff from 1792. These usually came with a symbolic brass or kopper axe head, but this one is all birch. It's origin might be from the Kongsberg silver mines or the Røros kopper mines. I find that it belongs in an axe collection although it really is not an axe. Trond

24th January 2011, 05:45 PM	#8
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	Fascinating pieces, Trond, and welcome to the forum.

24th January 2011, 06:20 PM	#9
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Meget interessante eksempler, Trond I see that your wife is even more tolerant than mine .

24th January 2011, 08:04 PM	#11
Trond Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 30	Lee's axe seems to be a Norwegian A-axe, possibly with the original handle (very scarce!). The A-axe was often nicely engraved and one of these with the original shaft/handle is a really great (and rather valuable) find. While ordinary axes usually only strikes a blow, the Norwegian battle axe both strikes and cuts, thereby being more effective and creating more damage than an axe with a straight handle - at least in theory. I have a little page on Norwegian battle axes at Norwegian Battle axes. If you click the pictures, they get enlarged. Trond

24th January 2011, 09:57 PM	#12
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	WELCOME TROND ITS GREAT TO HAVE A FORUM MEMBER WITH KNOWLEGE AND A GREAT COLLECTION SPECIALIZING IN ITEMS FROM NORWAY. WHERE I LIVE SEEING SUCH ITEMS IS VERY RARE. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FACINATED BY NORSEMEN/ VIKINGS AND ALL THE GREAT STORIES ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. NO DOUBT WE ALL WERE FACINATED AT AN EARLY AGE WITH STORIES OF GREAT WARRIORS AND SUCH. I KNEW OF THE NORSEMEN AND THEIR WARRIOR BELIEFS BEFORE I HAD EVEN HEARD OF THE SAMURAI OF JAPAN SO THOUGH BOTH WERE GREAT WARRIORS I STILL FEEL CLOSER TO THEM. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING FURTHER POST FROM YOU AND ESPECIALLY LOVE THOSE AXES.

25th January 2011, 02:09 AM	#13
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,093	Wow...all I can say is Wow! What a fantastic collection you have, Trond! Welcome to the Forum and thanks for sharing pics and info on your collection. I especially like the dussage. As a collector of naval items of the pirate/privateer kind, this type as I understand it did make a popular weapon for some. Very nice...