Norwegian speed skates
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Fig.1: Norwegian speed skates, around 1930 Around 1885 the Norwegian Harald Hagen designed the first ice skates with runner blades that were soldered in tubes. Detail 1a shows their initial appearance. From a description in a book that was published in 1888 we know that the present speed skates are very much the same as the original skates of more than 100 years ago: • very long, accurately straight grinded runner blades of just 1.5 mm wide; • soldered in tinned iron tubes with tinned iron platforms of which the first stands approximately 1 cm inward (detail 1b);g • harder steel than the Dutch, English and American models; • use of special boots without heels and soles • that are sewed to the platforms with copper thread; • very low weight. The large photo shows a Hagen model that was sold around 1935. It has all the characteristics mentioned above be it that de boot has a very thin sole that was riveted to the platform instead of sewed (detail 1c). The mark in detail 1d shows that these skates were made in the factory of L.H. Hagen & Co., Oslo. Unclear is whether there were family ties. But this might well be the case. Hagen was a manufacturer of weapons like shotguns as the mark makes clear (detail 1e). Interesting is that they also made the ski's Scott used for his expedition to the Southpole. In 1925 Oslo became th  e new name for Christiania the name of the Norwegian
capital until then. Detail 1f makes clear that the factory existed
and made ice skates before 1925. The mark in detail 1f comes from the
skates at the left. It is striking that these skates have straps to
fasten them to the boots. Manufacturer: L.H. Hagen & Co., Oslo (N) Mark: detail 1d and 1e Technical data: total length: 44 cm; height over ice: 6.5 cm at the rear, 5 cm at the front; platforms 29 cm long, 9 cm wide; runner blades: 1.5 mm thick, weight: 400 g including boot (The ice skates shown have been given in long term use by courtesy of Henk Jan Drenthen, Eindhoven.)
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Fig.2:
Norwegian speed skates, around
1910 As in the small picture above these skates are fastened with straps. They come from a different factory however. Therefore it seems that this way of fixing has been common for some time. Detail 2a shows in which way the heel was secured: a pin and two edges in combination with a strap that is lead through the hole that can be seen after the stanchion under the heel plate. Manufacturer: Christiania Staal & Jernvarefabrik A/S, Moss (N) Mark: Ving (detail 2b) Technical data: total length: 41 cm; height over ice: 5.5 cm; platforms: 29 cm long, 9 cm wide; runner blades: 1.5 mm thick; weight: 400 g
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Fig.3:
Norwegian speed skates, around 1960 Top model ice skates from the sixties of the 20th century. Sold as Ving Balangrud Racer (detail 3a). This model has been the standard to nearly all skaters of that period. It was named after a famous Norwegian all-round skater making furore between 1920 and 1930. manufacturer: Christiania Staal & Jernvarefabrik A/S, Moss (N) Mark: Ving (detail 3b) Technical data: total length: 41 cm, height over ice: 6 cm; platforms: 26 cm long, 7.5 cm wide; runner blades: 1.6 mm thick; weight: 600 g including boot |
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detail 1a
detail 1b
detail 1c
detail 1d
detail 1e
detail 1f
detail 2a
detail 2b
detail 3a
detail 3b