www.925-1000.com

Hello, everybody!
First: I do not have any questions concerning my item - I just wanted to share its history with you!

I am the happy owner of a paper-knife (silver and ivory). Please, see the pictures. The marks are: L.G. / 830S / a little boat / V5.
A well known silversmith here in Norway told me, this must be made in a foreign country and imported to Norway, but the marks (except the 830S) were unknown to him. I then contacted an auction-firm in Denmark (Bruun-Rasmussen) and they could tell me, that my knife was made in Finland, Helsinki in 1926, and the name hidden behind L.G. was L. Gunnari.

Because I have a friend in Helsinki, I wrote him and asked if he could help me with the maker's first name. Then I learned that the full name was Leo Gunnari.

To-day I found his baptism: He was born in Norway, Varanger (almost as far north-west as possible in Norway) on March 17, 1878, as the son of Thomas and Elsa Gunnari. He left Norway some time after his confirmation, and settled at last down in Helsinki, where he worked as a silver-smith and watch-maker. He died in Finland on Nov. 7, 1929.

According to all this, my paper-knife has been even more precious to me, it is amazing to know the history behind, and even the history of the maker! May be this story might be useful for others, collecting finnish silver?

Regards Elsebe

Hi Elsebe,

Welcome to the Forum.

Many thanks for taking the time to share these details with us, it is much appreciated.

Trev.

Thank you, dognose!

By the way, I have to correct myself: When I wrote north-west, I meant north-east. Silly me!
Regards
Elsebe

Dear Elsebe,

by chance I happened to find your text and fine photos of your finnish paper knife. It was nice to find out that the maker of the knife has been my grandfather, goldsmith Leo Gunnari. My mother was her daughter Mirjam Gunnari. Leo Gunnari worked as a goldsmith in Rovaniemi about 1908 - 1917 and then in Helsinki until his death 1929. Leo´s second wife Lilli Aarne was a daughter of finnish goldsmith Johan Viktor Aarne, who worked in Tampere and then in Saint Petersburg about ten years. There he was one of Fabergé´s finnish goldsmiths. His speciality were photo frames and art nouveau ornaments, some of them for the family of the russian tsar. After the Fabergé-years he established goldsmith shop of his own in Vyborg.
After Leo´s death my step-grandmother Lilli worked as the managing director of Leo Gunnari LTD. As a young boy I helped aunt Lilli by packing gemstones in small paper bags for her customers. The value of the gems was obviously much much higher than the salary I got for the job, I presume.

If you are interested to know more details of Leo Gunnari´s life, please contact me. I have a couple of fine photos of him.
You can check my family tree at GENI.

https://www.geni.com/people/Leo-Gunnari ... 0480188178

Best regards,

Seppo Hanste

Hi Seppo,

Welcome to the Forum.

Many thanks for sharing these details with us.

Trev.

Finland has a tradition using a horse head at a knife. Try google
Kauhava horse head knife

Very true, more exactly in Ostrbottnia https://www.google.fi/search?q=Kauhaval ... 38&bih=866

(admin edit - see Posting Requirements )

Leo Gunnari - Helsinki - 1929

Trev.

Hi -

this pageturner - some call it letter openers - were very common in Europa. They were made in nealy all European countries. The blade is not ivory but plastic (celluloid) with a structure simulating ivory! A quick check of the Internet shows many of this kind:






Regards
Goldstein

Gunnari Oy - Helsinki - 1957

Trev.

Interesting, but the clipping/advertisement has very little to do with silver or silver marks. It tells about synthetic stones etc. If somebody is more interested I can translate it. Anyway and briefly, the headline states "Summer is coming"....koruja; jewelry, rannekelloja: wristwatches, kiviä; (gem-)stones...
Have a nice evening

Hi Qrt.S,

The advertisement was posted to show a continuation of the firm of Leo Gunnari to help those researching the subject. It's called sharing.

Have a nice evening.

Trev.

::: I still believe the material to be ivory instead of celluloid, the lines in the material (called Schreger Lines) are almost impossible to fake using a synthetic material. :::: I could be wrong, but I've never seen a synthetic material simulate those lines. ::::