Olav Honve walks with steady pace through the premises of Sylvsmidja in Voss. His rough working hands have pressed, soldered and polished up the most delicate silver treasures since he was 15 in 1971. Treasures from Norway’s most authentic and beautiful cultural heritage, the bunad silver.

Photo: Olav with his eye for silver. In the workshop both silver and the handcraft are preserved.


Sylvsmidja – The Story
But the story starts much earlier. The year was 1940 and war was a reality in Europe. Master Goldsmith Leif Johannessen was a recognized goldsmith in Bergen but no longer felt safe living with five children in a big city like Bergen. They decided to move to the countryside- to Voss. But who could know the family was about to make a move from ashes into the fire. Voss was one of the places in Norway worst hit by German bombs – more than 150 houses were leveled, including the house Leif had rented. The house in Bergen had been sold, so there was no turning back.

Photo: Leif and Betzy Johannessen moved from Bergen to Voss in 1940 and founded Sylvsmidja.

 

The family of seven managed to find a one-bedroom flat to live in, and space for a 129 sq ft / 12 sq m workshop. Leif got local help to come up with the name Sylvsmidja and opened the store September 15, 1940.

During the war, food rationing and scarcity of materials made it a tough time to launch a goldsmith store – jewelry was the last thing people needed. But Leif was a clever craftsman, so his reputation spread, and people came by with all sorts of things that needed repair. He fixed everything from horse bridles to sheep bells, he rendered up screws and nuts, knitting needles were soldered and polished, and this was how they managed to make a living through five years of war.

Little did they know that the workshop would grow to become Norway’s leading supplier of bunadsølv with a market share of 66%-70%. Today the company has 65 employees, and produces bunad silver for costumes across Norway.

The symbol of an ancient drinking horn, shaped like the letter J for founder Leif Johannessen, is the unique registered hallmark that is stamped on all Sylvsmidja products. The horn has been with us since the beginning, and is an important sign of quality.

Our skilled silver- and goldsmiths are rooted in the long tradition of high-quality handcraft. For more than 80 years our craftsmen have perfected the workmanship, and discovered the secrets of making authentic bunad silver that “shines through generations.”

More than Bunad Silver
There are even more beautiful products made within Sylvsmidja’s walls. Drawing inspiration from Norwegian nature and the design language of the bunad silver, the jewelry collection “Spor” was created through collaboration with designer Anne Lise Tollefsen. The production takes place in Voss. Spor is a modern collection that can be combined as you like, for everyday wear and special occasions. The ornate details are what creates a unique look.

Photo: SPOR with inspiration from Norwegian nature

 

Celebrate your heritage with this limited-edition Syttende Mai pin and ribbon!

Show your Sons of Norway pride- Wear the sterling silver (.925) pin and ribbon with your Syttende Mai finery or remove the ribbon and use year-round to accent your everyday look.

$55 – Members receive a $5 discount with current member number.
View the pin and find an order form at https://sofn.com/SyttendeMaiPin

Deadline for pre-orders: March 15.
Pins will ship in April.