The Fish that turned into a Shark

[Hilton Ralphs]

There's a very interesting story on wkfinetools that outlines the history of the tool maker Erik Anton Berg of Eskilstuna, Sweden. I think the author is a Creeker to boot (Kim Malmberg (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/member.php?81133-Kim-Malmberg)).

I'm pretty sure I can post the URL here (http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/kMalmberg/fishStory/fishStory-01.asp).

Now for some clarification.

Is Bahco pronounced as in 'bark' or 'bake'?

[Chris Griggs]

Interesting read. Thanks for pointing it out Hilton. And thanks for researching/writing it Kim.

[Kees Heiden]

Is Bahco pronounced as in 'bark' or 'bake'?


More like a long a, as in bark, but longer.

[Karl Andersson]

Nice article, great for Kim Malmberg to compile the corporate history, and I really appreciate it...but (uh-oh, here I go) my biology and fishing background can't resist pointing out what seems to be a flaw -that the fish on the early logo is a wels.

Looking through the references, i see that at least one website refers to the fish logo (earlier berg tools) as a "malfisk" or wels. Here is the logo - notice the specifically-included fins, two on the dorsal (back), a set of pectorals near the gills, and two on the belly.
271721

A wels is a huge, floppy catfish with a very unique fin arrangement: one little dorsal fin, pectoral fins, one small belly fin, and then a long fin along the whole belly to the tail, like a big fringe, then a smallish round tail:
271722

I think if a steel-maker or tool-maker or fisherman were going to go to the trouble to create a fish logo with such specific details as making sure fins were added (extra trouble for the die-makers, etc.), they would have made it a relatively accurate depiction of the fish. The logo doesn't look like a wels at all - but there are plenty of fish in Sweden with the exact fin arrangement as the logo - especially Atlantic Salmon, Brown trout, and Pikeperch (related to walleye):

271723271724271725



It could have been that Mr. Berg was a fisherman and appreciated a special fish, or just told Thorfinn the die-maker to "make a pretty fish" and Thorfinn was the "a-fish-ionado" (yes, I said it). maybe Mr. Berg called it a wels from the beginning,much to Thorfinn's chagrin, or maybe this is a modern misunderstanding or family lore.

It means nothing in the grand scheme of things - Berg collectors just need to know that the logo went from a fish to a shark around 1900. But I think somewhere out there in fishing heaven, Eric Anton and/ or Thorfinn are shouting "that ain't no wels, dangit!". My vote is for the salmon because the mouth is weird like the logo and the fish is steel-colored; but I'm sure thousand of Scandinavian descendants who risk life and liver on the ice of Minnesota each winter would vote for walleye.

OK, as you were, i'm done
later,
Karl

[Jim Koepke]

Last edited by Karl Andersson; Today at 8:47 AM. Reason: fix pictures

It appears the fix didn't take.

jtk

[Karl Andersson]

trying to figure it out. what about "insert image" am I missing?

OK, that did it...had to cut and re-paste the pics

[Chuck Nickerson]

Thank you for this geek-fest (no sarcasm intended).

When my brain is firing on all cylinders it produces this kind of stuff routinely.

[Kim Malmberg]

As the author of said fish tale I must confess that I translated the fish name from Swedish where no latin name was provided. So I think Karl is probably much more equipped than I am to point out the exact species. I will stand happily corrected. And I thank you all for the kind words.

[Kim Malmberg]

"Is Bahco pronounced as in 'bark' or 'bake'?"

Neither. Picture yourself being drunk, dutch and stepping out of the dentists office (no offence to dutch, dentists or drunken people).

The name is softly studdered bahh - co

[Hilton Ralphs]

The name is softly studdered bahh - co

Ah, so like an Australian then...

[Karl Andersson]

Oh, I'm more a geek, as noted, than a Swedish language expert - I looked at the reference and they said "Malfisk" which, with internet translation shows as a mal (wels) Fisk (fish). So someone has mis-named the logo. An image of a wels would probably have been easier to emboss...just don't want the tool guys to be belittled by the fishing guys for not knowing their fish. or something like that.

[Kim Malmberg]

Ha. This thread is turning out to be very entertaining. All I had to go with was the Swedish word "mal" which is a generic expression more than a specific ditto. I certainly don't want woodworkers to be belittled by anyone. The "mal" is or was available as game in very specific areas of Sweden. I too have been contemplating if mr Berg was a devoted fisherman or why a "mal" was chosen as the logo. Maybe future investigations will provide more credible evidence.

[Bruce Haugen]

Nice article, great for Kim Malmberg to compile the corporate history, and I really appreciate it...but (uh-oh, here I go) my biology and fishing background can't resist pointing out what seems to be a flaw -that the fish on the early logo is a wels.

[stuff deleted]
My vote is for the salmon because the mouth is weird like the logo and the fish is steel-colored; but I'm sure thousand of Scandinavian descendants who risk life and liver on the ice of Minnesota each winter would vote for walleye.

OK, as you were, i'm done
later,
Karl

As accurate as Mr. Malmberg's account is, I (being of Swedish and Norsk descent AND a resident of MN) appreciate Karl's speculation equally as much. However, I like salmon better than walleye and could be prosecuted by my neighbors for that statement.

btw, years ago on the oldtools list, the Shark Brand chisels were renamed "minnow brand" by some irreverent miscreant.

[Karl Andersson]

You're a good sport for taking this with a sense of humor, I certainly didn't want to overlook your generosity in writing the article in the first place. as to why he chose a fish - well, the shark has obvious "cool" factor going for it, but that coolness seems to be more of a 20th-century idea; it appears that earlier references (at least in England and America) characterized the shark as evil, sneaky, cheating, and other less-than-desirable adjectives. I suppose whatever original fish Mr. Berg did intend had a good or wholesome meaning to Swedes or maybe it's a reference to family history (e.g. the famous Berg Lutefisk factory where young Eric Anton learned to sharpen a knife).

yes, we could start a long debate about the steel content of Berg tools and their microscopic edge geometry, but where would the fun be in that.

What I'd really like to know is why was Karelian Birch so plentiful that Berg made their chisel handles from it, and where can I get some cheap? All I see is veneers these days. i think they or their supplier may have even sold replacement handles as export - I have an unused (never sharpened) old Buck Brothers paring gouge with a handle identical to an old (1920's) Berg chisel handle I own - identical down to the shape, the hoops, and the tiny bent nail used to hold the ferrule in place. The unused handle has "Sweden" stamped in the side.

see?- maybe this is a tool thread after all.

[Kim Malmberg]

I've no idea how he acquired the wood. I might be in trouble again but I think the wood he used was masur birch which grows in Lapland which also extends into Sweden. This might be the very same thing as Karelian birch. In Finland masur birch has been very popularly used in the handles of puukko knives. It is very dense and strong and takes a good blow without cracking. Some of my Berg chisels are fitted with these birch handles and although they have seen hard use they are still intact. I guess masur birch is our curly maple if this poor comparison is permitted.

[Bruce Haugen]

In the references I've seen, masur and Karelian birch are identified as the same thing. wood database (http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/masur-birch/). I've found a source of turning squares, but they're pricey. A couple of my biggest chisels have badly damaged handles -- some lout must have had a very heavy hand.

[Jim Koepke]

This thread has been interesting.

Three of my first store bought chisels were Sandvik purchased from the local chain, Orchard Hardware Supply (OSH).

My plan was to buy a set one at a time due to not having much spare cash at the time. After buying 3, the handle design changed and the name was changed to Bacho. They had a wire ring at the top for hanging them that didn't appeal to me.

About that time my brother gave me a batch of chisels he found at an estate sale and that got me started on my pursuit of vintage socket chisels.

The three original chisels are still used in my shop.

jtk

[Kim Malmberg]

Jim,
Any chance of some images of your chisels? I find Sandvik chisels every once in a while but so far they've all been fitted with hard black plastic handles.

[Jim Koepke]

Jim,
Any chance of some images of your chisels? I find Sandvik chisels every once in a while but so far they've all been fitted with hard black plastic handles.

I will try to remember to take some and post them later today.

Here is an image of the chisels:

271863

When the line changed from Sandvik to Bacho, the handles also changed a bit. My plan was to buy a 1/4" chisel next. That never happened.

The chisel at the bottom has only the one mark on the back. There is an unreadable red label on the handle.


jtk

[Kim Malmberg]

Thanks, Jim. Very interesting to see Sandvik chisels with wooden handles. I've no idea if Sandvik made chisels before they acquired Bahco or not, but I feel the steel in the Sandvik chisels are not as good as that of the Berg chisels, which later became Bahco. Your seems to be technically identical to mine, but your handles are a far cry better than those on mine (http://www.flickr.com/photos/77333663@N07/9720310592/in/photolist-fNX8FW-dXqVZV-dXwE6A-fQookq-fQookU-fQoomq-fQ6PnX-fQooid-fQ6Pnr-fQ6PkT-fNEyHP-fNX7Sd-fNX89h-dXqYAg-dXqYtZ-dXqW2R-dXqW8i-dXwEcm-dXqYsK-dXqW5c-fg5i7b-fg5hLN-ffQ4yF).