Sámi knife (medium)

Object/Artifact

-

The Askmo Collection

Name/Title

Sámi knife (medium)

Entry/Object ID

ACC0003

Description

This is a smaller traditional Sámi knife with a beautifully engraved sheath. The materials used are reindeer antler, birch, leather, and metal (for the blade and rivets). These are the materials naturally available in Lapland. This type of knife has remained substantially unchanged since the Iron Age, when the Sámi began trading for iron before producing their own. Older Sámi knives would have had a blade made of slate or reindeer. These latter ones would have been more or less unchanged since the Mesolithic. The sheath's lower part is engraved reindeer antler, and the upper part is leather but not decorated. The pummel is a flared-out shape with a flat top, all made of reindeer antler. The handle is made of birch.

Use

Hunting, fishing, and camp life.

Category

Sámi collection
Askmo Ski Collection

Made/Created

Artist

Unknown

Time Period

19th Century

Ethnography

Cultural Region

* Untyped Cultural Region

Swedish Lapland

Culture/Tribe

Sámi
Arctic hunter-gatherers

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Overall length is listed below. The length of the knife alone is 19.8 cm, the blade is 9.5 cm, and the handle is 10.2 cm. The sheath alone is 17.4 cm.

Length

22 cm

Diameter

2.7 cm

Material

Reindeer antler, birch, leather, and metal.

Color

Beige, Brown

Location

Location

* Untyped Location

Home office Taos

Category

Exhibit

Date

October 12, 2025

Condition

Overall Condition

Excellent

Date Examined

Oct 12, 2025

Acquisition

Acquisition Method

Purchase

Date

Sep 20, 2019

Created By

[email protected]

Create Date

October 12, 2025

Updated By

[email protected]

Update Date

August 27, 2026