E Jonsson Mora knife the story and history of these great knives from

Credit post: from https://oldmora.blogspot.com/2019/11/e-jonsson-broderna-jonsson-1936.html

Posted 21st November 2019 by João Grilo

The earlier days

Kånå-Jerk Erik Jönsson or just Erik Jönsson, is a grandson of Jöns Persson. He followed the knife-making business heritage under the brand name E Jönsson (stamped E Jönsson). He took over the workshop, where once, worked his grandfather and since 1908 his father and uncle Erik & Anders Jönsson.

Kånå-Jerk Erik Jönsson started is knife making carrier in FA Anderssons Täljknivsfabrik (ref:Önaboken Bygdemål i Mora page 158) and KJ Eriksson factory.

KJE with staff outside the workshop in 1932, Erik Jönsson is among the staff

In the Mora book:
"It is told that when Kånå-Jerk Jönsson was out peddling his wares, he had second-rate KJ knives with him, stamped with the word UTSKOTT (reject) on the blade. When asked what the stamp meant, he is said to have fibbed: “Well, KJ has joined forces with someone with that name and he wants his name on the blade, too.”

The beginning of the company

Above: Jönsson's Knife Factory in 1925. Man (15 years) and his three-year-old Erik Zander from Boden

Ref "Mora Armaturfabrik's first foundry. then, as now, part of Jönssons Knivfabrik. The year was 1927. From left: Gunnar Noren, Anders Myr, Erik Göransson, Frost K. Mattsson, Anders Göransson, Karl Myr and Folke Mattsson."

Kånå-Jerk (Erik) Jönsson took over his father Anders and uncle Erik’s blacksmith’s workshop in 1933. Erik and Anders Jönsson sons of Katrin-Jöns Persson’s took over the smithy from their father in 1908

The company was localy knonwed as "Kånå verkstaden" or "Kånå workshop"

Some of the initial inventory was bought from the Johannes Knagg closed factory.

In the 1930s (most probably 1935), Kråk-Anders Persson (K.A.PERSSON) cousin of Erik Jönsson, learned knife making in the workshop and then later would venture on his own. In 1950s, KA Persson got sick and sold all his inventory to Bröderna Jönsson.

Around 1936, the company changed the name to Bröderna Jönsson after the brothers (John and Anders) of Erik Jonsson joined the company. Bröderna Jonsson translates to "Jonsson brothers". The stamp Bröderna Jönsson was not immediately adopted.

In a book from 1939 "The owner's grandfather Jöns "Persson started in the 19th century to make harness watches and bells, etc. Around 1929, the current owner started to make knives and the fabrication currently amounts to 30-40 dozen per day. Sales are mainly within the country but some are also exported to Norway. The company employs 8 men, of which four brothers. Manufacture according to "Östnorsmetod" "of steel and iron. Two travelers handle the sale. The current owner Erik Jönsson was born in 1899 in Östnor and the son of Ander Jönsson from Östnor o.h.h. Watch Kerstin Andersdotter from Öna. " Google Translator Ref:

Areal picture from 1940s. The house on the bottom right is the E.Jonsson factory. You can see 2 persons outside, maybe Kånå-Jerk himself is looking at the plane.

During the 50 and 60 were common in the US, sold under the brand name Bröderna Jönsson but also Norse Knife via mail order.

Mail order advertisement for "World´s most extraordinary knife" the Norse King, for $2,98. On the right Fied And Stream Jun-1970

Above: Kånå-Anders 1961

After the deaths of the brothers in 1987, the company is led by Erik (son of John Jönsson), and his cousin Holger (son of Anders Jönsson), started producing knives with the original stamp E Jönsson. The workshop still produces knives in small quantities.

Date: 1988 from the book "Hantverket som blev industri"

They are the last traditional knife makers still operating today, outside the MoraKniv group but with limited small quantities. Erik is now in his 70's and Holger is now more than 90 years.

The blog http://thebladeblog-ulf.blogspot.com/ was an interesting article about E Jönsson with great pictures of the barrel knife from the 1960s they produced and a picture of a pair of pf Scissors from a 1947 catalog. Check out the blog for other great articles

"The Jönssons office has no computer; the company no website. Letters, quotes, and invoices continue to be typed on an old typewriter. This is a workshop of a bygone age, and with every knife made one can’t help but feel that something of the history of Mora and the soul of this remarkable family is imparted into each blade. " Ref

From the workshop was produced what probably the smallest Mora knife ever. It's a 3,5cm blade length blade with a bullet case handle. The knife sits inside the case and one wants to use it you just need to pull the bullet out of the casing and turn the blade outwards. Accordind to Erik Jonsson "Many of these was sent to the UK and the guys who smoked pipe used them to clean out the pipe."

There is also a very interesting video on youtube about the history of the company made by The Dutch Silver Lion

The current name of the company is Jönssons Knivfabrik KB

New E Jönsson stamped knives can still be found available on some webshops example here (no affiliation)

In the page https://www.utsidan.se/forum/threads/morakniv-e-joennson.60684/

A user called DePaul said he contacted the owner Erik Jönsson to give some insight into the conversation

- The knives manufactured using spring steel (carbon steel), more specifically in 1778 (SS 1778), ie the carbon content is around 0.7 - 0.8%, probably Bofors steel.

- Blades are manufactured on-site in Östnor but heat-treated by another local company

- Most production is exported

Somewhere between 2018-2020(based on the dates that the knives appeared for the first time in the webpage), Casstrom (also a knife company from Sweden), had the E.Jonsson in their catalog and had some type of role in distributing the E.Jonsson knives in Europe (especially in the UK)

Print from Casstrom Wholesale/distribution catalog year 2019.

On 12.02.2020 a violent fire destructed the old knife factory. At the moment the future of the company is unknown.

According to Erik Jonsson, the polishing machine caught on fire.

Very little was salvaged. thing like the old Katrin Jöns Persson and old machine "Märta" have been lost.

Some old knives and punches were saved.

The future of the company is unsure but when asked if there is a possibility a reborn by someone in the family, Erik responded "Didn’t sound to probable. But you never know."

https://www.dt.se/logga-in/just-nu-en-person-skadad-i-explosionsartad-brand-vid-mindre-knivfabrik-i-mora-det-smaller-hela-tiden
https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/dalarna/kraftig-brand-i-knivfabrik-i-mora
https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/brand-i-knivfabrik-i-mora-smaller-hela-tiden/

https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/dalarna/kraftig-brand-i-knivfabrik-i-mora

The company history

Photos of Erik Jonsson for a magazine article dated 2012 source

Photos from the workshop found on "Du vet att du är från Mora när" facebook page. Photos taken in 2018

An eccentric press. Used for punching, stamping, cutting, bending, etc. There were presses manufactured in Mora by Anders Mattsson. Went under the designation "Rococo press" due to its elegant undercarriage

Special mention Ref This is the only automated machine on the premises. According to Anders Brask. old CEO of Frost, the machine is called "Märta" in honor of Märta Persson, who the machine replaced. The machine was built by Lasse Sjöberg at Frosts in the early 70 s. This machine made the ferrules

"The mail came to the village and Erik Jönsson d.ä. had to pick up his mail from FM Mattsson, he didn't like that and fixed a mail intake at his barn, with a box inside."