Thor Bjørklund
Encyclopedia
Thor Bjørklund was a Norwegian
inventor. He is best known as the inventor of a popular cheese slicer which
developed into an important Norwegian export products.
Thor Bjørklund was apprenticed as cabinet maker. He also attended the Arts and Crafts School in Oslo
. He was employed for some time as a master carpenter
. He began to experiment with a carpenter’s plane
in the hope that he could create something similar for use in the kitchen. He succeeded. To start with, he made cheese slicers from his workshop, and on 27 February 1925 he patented the object which is today found in most households in the Nordic countries
.
In 1927 he started the firm today known as Thor Bjørklund & Sønner AS. The company still produce cheese slicers in Lillehammer
. As of November 17, 2009, Thor Bjørklund & Sønner AS operates as a subsidiary of Gudbrandsdal Industrier AS.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
inventor. He is best known as the inventor of a popular cheese slicer which
developed into an important Norwegian export products.
Thor Bjørklund was apprenticed as cabinet maker. He also attended the Arts and Crafts School in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. He was employed for some time as a master carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
. He began to experiment with a carpenter’s plane
Plane (tool)
A hand plane is a tool for shaping wood. When powered by electricity, the tool may be called a planer. Planes are used to flatten, reduce the thickness of, and impart a smooth surface to a rough piece of lumber or timber. Planing is used to produce horizontal, vertical, or inclined flat surfaces on...
in the hope that he could create something similar for use in the kitchen. He succeeded. To start with, he made cheese slicers from his workshop, and on 27 February 1925 he patented the object which is today found in most households in the Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
.
In 1927 he started the firm today known as Thor Bjørklund & Sønner AS. The company still produce cheese slicers in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
. As of November 17, 2009, Thor Bjørklund & Sønner AS operates as a subsidiary of Gudbrandsdal Industrier AS.