kirve

Kirve is a metalworking technique that originated in Finland. It is also known as "kåge" or "küryte" in other parts of Scandinavia. Kirve involves metalworking with stone tools, specifically using coarse, unshaped hammers, wedges, and scrapers made from stone.

The technique involves shaping the metal workpiece by bounding and shaping it using stone tools. This is done by striking the stone tool with a wooden mallet, causing the tool to bounce or bob, hence giving rise to the name "kirve." The process requires a great deal of manual labor and patience.

The technique of kirve is known to have been used in Finland as early as the Finnish bronze age, and its use continued through the pre-Christian era and into medieval times. Metalworking using stone tools continued to be used in conjunction with metalworking techniques involving more conventional tools as late as the 19th century. The technique has also been documented in other parts of Scandinavia, with distinct variations.

kirve as a unique technique has contributed considerably to the evolution of Finnish metalworking. It also highlights the resourcefulness and adaptation of Finnish metalworkers who were able to use the readily available resources such as stone to create tools for metalworking.

Research on kirve as a metalworking technique continues, and new insights have been uncovered in recent studies on prehistoric metalworking.