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Sol-Nils Olsson 1845 - 1924

Many people believe that Sol-Nils Olsson was the first manufacturer to manufacture knives in the modern Mora knife design, which features a broad, straight blade, a birch handle, and a leather sheath. 

On April 7, 1845, Sol-Nils Olsson was born in Sollerön. In order to marry Karolina Vilhelmina Viklund on November 24, 1867, he then relocated to Kråkberg on October 31, 1867. 

Date: Unknown. The images was edit and digitaly repaired.


He and a friend from Färnäs began to wander the countryside, selling blades. They were referred to as Knussel and Black.

Because he was extremely impoverished, Sol-Nils was Black, which signifies broke. Another nickname for him was "rain Nils" or "regnen nils" since it always rained when he visited Våmhus.

In reality, Knussel was Jannes Hallin (Hållams-Johannes Andersson), who went on to establish HALLIN & Co. in Färnäs, which subsequently changed its name to AB Moraknivar. The moniker "Knussel" does not reflect well on him; it means "hustler" (not a sincere businessman).




Sol Nils Olsson was the first smith to sell, according to a passage in the book Med Dalälven från källorna till havet, Mora. "Now came the time for knife and metal workshops. Knives had previously been forged for household needs in each yard, with short broad straight blades and usually wood burl handle and leather sheath; Sol Nils Olsson in Kråkberg was the first to make such for sale" 

He struggled to get many orders because he was not a very good businessman. Rather, in approximately 1877, he joined Finn-Anders Andersson, the first maker of Mora knives and the first to establish a large-scale knife production company, as an assistant, and used his expertise in knifemaking to help the company expand.

The challenges he faced and his inability to archive success where others could are discussed in an article published in the Hemmets Journal in 2015. 

"But he lacked the resources to start a company, so others took care of it and made it world-famous, says Inga-Lisa Sollgard.
So there was no money for Morakniven and it was to continue fighting for bread. And the chances for a better life were thus in Gävle, the city that has already attracted so many from the countryside for a better life."

1910: From left: Sol August Vilhelm Nilsson (son of Sol Nils Olsson), Anna Karolina Andersdotter married Nilsson, the baby Kerstin Nilsson, Karolina Vilhelmina Viklund (wife of SNO) and Sol Nils Olsson on Sollerön (father of August Nilsson). Source https://cust.kulturhotell.se/


On an unknown date, Sol-Nils left the Finn-Anders Andersson knife factory but they continued to have a business relationship, as shown in these old letters from 1916 and 1917




Bresäter 27/11 1916
F.A. Andersson
I have to inform you that I will be traveling back to Dalarna (or county) so you will have to send the knives to Bredgrin so my address will be
Nils Olsson
Bengtsho
Bredgrin



Bresätter 13/3 1917
Mr. F. A. Andersson
Please be kind and send me a couple of ten knives as you can send as written in the last invoice.
I'm back from Dalarna (our county) så it should be sent to Nässundet
Best Regards
Nils Olsson



Sol-Nils Olsson dies January 26, 1924 in Kråkberg. 

Sol-Nils Olsson with his wife Carolina Vilhelmina Viklund

Knives and Stamps
There are very few examples online of knives made by Sol-Nils Olsson. the ones I have seen are stamped "Sol NOS" and "S.N.OLSSON MORA"









Examples of knives made by the craftsmen






An early Finn Anders knife on top and a Sol Nils knife on the bottom. These knives belong to the knife collection at Jönssons knife factory
Credits: http://w2.ostnorsbyalag.se/cmsarkiv/balterlarsanderssonfinngard1ic.pdf




Many thanks to Thomas from  Morakniv for some of the material and help in the translations of the letters 

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Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 7, 2020 at 11:56 AM

    So is Nils selling FA Anderson's knives as he is asking him to send knives to his different adresses as he moves around the country?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. João GriloJuly 15, 2020 at 1:50 PM

      Just a guess , after he stopped working in the FA Anderson forge e become some type of seller. He would go from town to town collecting order. There are several letters between the two were they talk about orders.

      I have just release a article about FA Anderson https://oldmora.blogspot.com/2020/07/fa-anderssons-1870-to-1920.html

      Delete

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