Skaugum

Skaugum Bestikk is handmade in Geilo with a passion for form and aesthetics. Since 1943, Skaugum's cuttlery have been involved in both everyday life and parties, and their story continues.

In 1946 Herman Solhaug went to Sheffield, England to learn about the production of cutlery. After returning to his home in Geilo, he founded the cutlery factory Geilo Jernvarefabrikk. In the early years of its existence, the company designed the series Mærtha, a cutlery that combined plastic with 18/8 forged steel. One day Geilo’s sales manager quit and started working for a competitor. He took with him the name ‘Mærtha’, since it was not a protected trademark. Geilo Jernvarefabrikk’s director, Jens Christian Hauge (he was also Norway’s Minister of Defense from 1945-52), flew into a rage! He telephoned King Haakon VII and asked him to allow Geilo Jernvarefabrikk to call its cutlery Skaugum – the name of the king’s farm in the district of Asker. The king said yes, providing the company was run in a transparent, proper fashion. Another part of the story is that Hauge had known King Haakon VII since 1944, when Hauge was a member of the underground and the king was living in exile in London. Skaugum soon became popular amongst the Norwegian populace. In 2011 Geilo Jernvarefabrikk officially changed its name to Skaugum.