Meet our Knifemakers

Meri

Meri is an open and bright personality whose down-to-earth approach to work and life brings a positive vibe to our team. Trained as a silversmith, she is responsible for finishing, decorative engravings, belts, and jewelry. Growing up in a family of craftsmen, she has always had access to all the necessary materials, tools, and art supplies. It was not uncommon to start meals amidst paintings and metalworking projects without clearing them off the table first. This tradition continues in the family to this day.

After her military service, Meri trained as a woodworking artisan in Kalajoki and also worked in sales but yearned to work with her hands.

“I learn by doing and enjoy working with my hands. That's why I decided to join Iisakki. I’m detail-oriented and feel like I’m in the perfect place in my career. The best part of working at Iisakki is the great colleagues and the vibrant community of craftsmen of all ages. The low threshold for making tools and aids in the factory also adds interest to the weekdays.

My hobbies are all crafts, although as a mother of young children, time for hobbies can be tight. Currently, ceramics is my favorite hobby, and I’ve enjoyed the process since overcoming the initial precision challenges.”

PEKKA

Pekka is an engineer who does whatever is needed and wanted. He is a cornerstone of the knife factory – our "tool fixer" who keeps our old machines in working order and makes new parts when needed. Pekka is responsible for blade production, casting, and other metal parts. The stranger the problem, the more enthusiastic Pekka is about solving it.

Even in his free time, Pekka continues working on machines as a hobby, building cars, motorcycles, and various gadgets, and managing his grain farm.

No matter what vehicle Pekka arrives in each morning, it is always intriguing enough to invite customers to inspect it thoroughly before coming into the store.

KIRSI

Kirsi is the newest of the knife makers but already skilled like a seasoned pro. With a meticulous and diligent nature, Kirsi has several crafts skills, including expertise in both goldsmithing and graphic design programs. Additionally, she has experience using glass in jewelry making, such as self-made glass beads.

Despite her background in jewelry making, here Kirsi focuses on leatherwork. Among the sheath-making tasks, metal soldering is the most familiar through her jewelry experience. She also enjoys leather stamping, though it is challenging.

“On a whim, I applied for the position and am satisfied with it. Although it’s factory work, the series are short and the tasks varied, sometimes working with leather, sometimes with metal. I like the small, nostalgically old-fashioned company. There’s a pleasant workshop atmosphere here. Working with my hands has always been close to my heart.

In my free time, I enjoy fiddling with and crafting various things. I knit and crochet, engage in all sorts of yarn work, read, and listen to audiobooks. I’ve also painted and drawn since I was little. My other interests include mythology, folklore, and Finnish cultural traditions and beliefs. I love drawing inspiration and themes from them for my work.”

JARKKO

Jarkko is the factory manager, a knife maker, and trained as a commercial pilot and helicopter pilot.

“After 20 years as a jet captain traveling the world, it has been good to dive back into the world of traditional craftsmanship.

My role includes not only the usual entrepreneurial responsibilities but also factory management, procurement of materials and tools, collection development, and digging into history to answer customer inquiries.

Outside the knife factory, I spend my time flying helicopters, tinkering with cars and motorcycles, and spending time with my wife and dog, including outdoor activities in Lapland.”

Ilpo

The phrase “Ask Ilpo, he knows” is often heard. Ilpo is everyone's favorite colleague – an exact and calm machine woodworker whose organizational skills make everyone’s job easier.

A graduate of the Kannus agricultural school, which Ilpo calls "bull high school," he studied technical subjects. However, Ilpo found himself working with wood when changing jobs. He trained as a carpenter while working and had a long career in furniture and kitchen cabinet making before joining the knife factory. Ilpo came to inquire about a job and suggested he could try for a couple of weeks to see if it worked out.

“Sanding handles is a step I particularly enjoy. What I like most about working with knives is the freedom and independence in the work, as well as the variety it offers.”

In his free time, Ilpo enjoys car orienteering, traveling, and is currently learning to be a grandfather.

SENJA

Senja is the heart and brain of the sheath department. A long-time member of the Iisakki team, she quickly established herself as an expert in sheath making. Senja’s high-quality, extremely precise work is well-suited to working with the unforgiving material.

“I’ve been crafting all my life, and this job allows me to express myself. Stamping and decorating sheaths is meticulous work where you can easily get into a flow state. Custom and special orders require planning and artistic vision, adding a great element to the job. I enjoy the variety and the fact that making sheaths involves both leather and metal work.”

Senja is a trained reconnaissance officer with military border guard training. Her hobbies include a wide range of crafts in various materials, DIY projects, ceramics, jewelry, knitting, drawing, reading, and caring for her garden and plants. She always has multiple projects underway and new plans in mind.

“I’m a dreamer, drawing inspiration from astronomy and various cultures. I love animals and am interested in self-sufficient living. Recently, I learned to spin yarn. My dream is to weave linen fabric from yarn I’ve spun from flax I grew myself.”

niina

The brave and cheerful child of a dairy farmer has already done many things, as is typical of her lively nature. Niina trained after high school, first as a carpenter and has even worked in the same workplace as our Ilpo, making, designing and installing kitchen furniture. Then she became hairdresser, where Niina enjoyed herself for ten years. She worked again in a factory for five years, before starting at the knife factory in the summer of 2025.

Niina discribes herself as a fairy positive person who likes to read and listen to murder stories. In her free time, decorating and renovating her own house offers her something topical and interesting to do.

Niina is welcoming, warm and enthusiastic, giving her all to every task and facing challenges with a positive attitude and a smile. With a varied professional experience in customer service, carpentry and logistics, and a ‘nothing is too much to ask’ attitude, she’s the friendly face waiting to greet you in our factory shop and share her knowledge about our history and craftsmanship to help you find just what you are looking for.

TUIJA

“At the factory, I’m sometimes like a mother hen, bustling here and there, cleaning and helping. Although I prefer to focus on my work alone at home, it’s always nice to come to the factory to catch up and plan for the future. The Iisakki team is an inspiring and diverse mix of practical sense and dreamy ideas, and it’s impossible not to feel good in this group!

As an entrepreneur, my responsibility is to ensure that daily operations run smoothly: finance, marketing, and IT.

In my free time, I handle household chores and engage in dog sports. Now that our children are out in the world, I try to travel as much as possible with my husband and our spoiled baby boxer.”