A few years ago, I found a Frost 386 with some curious markings on the blade and sheath. I was intrigued enough by this to want to buy it and perhaps figure out what they meant.
Over the course of several months, I learned that the markings on the knives are the wagon numbers of the Iron Ore Line in the north of Sweden.
In each wagon, there was a knife available for use. Due to the many reindeer, they unfortunately ran over, the knife was used to dispatch and butcher the wounded animals.
The line is owned by Trafikverket (the Swedish Transport Administration) and runs between Riksgränsen and Boden in Norrbotten County over a length of 398 km. In most cases, it’s used by Malmtrafik’s 8,600-ton ore freight trains to transport ore from its mines to the ports of Narvik and Luleå.
The knife says Y1 1293 and sheath Y1 1305. The sheath and knives were probably mixed up along the way. Numbers were not stamped by Frost, but by the buyer.
The Frost 386 has a blade of 127mm, a rosewood handle, and a black leather sheath.
Additionally, SJ (State Railways) had its own Morakniv, which was manufactured, among others, by KJ Eriksson, CA, and E. Jonsson.
Edge angles
I get many questions regarding edge angles in various forums and therefore thought I could…
Anders Zorn & Morakniv
The artist Anders Zorn is probably quite familiar to most Swedes but also known abroad…
Knife Knowledge
When you’re cooking in the kitchen, chop vegetables and then scrape down what is cut…