Grindaknívur (), is along with the ''mønustingari'' (spinal cord cutter) the
Faroese pilot whale
Pilot whales are cetaceans belonging to the genus ''Globicephala''. The two Extant taxon, extant species are the long-finned pilot whale (''G. melas'') and the short-finned pilot whale (''G. macrorhynchus''). The two are not readily distinguish ...
hunt's most distinguished equipment. The
haft
Haft may refer to:
People
* Al Haft (1886–1976), professional and amateur wrestler, wrestling and boxing promoter and wrestling trainer
* Harry Haft (1925–2007), Polish World War II concentration camp inmate forced to box other inmates, the ...
and
sheath are usually made of high quality
wood
Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
and have inlay of
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...
and
silver
Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...
.
There are no specific formal requirements to the whaling knife. In most cases the length of the blade is between . The whaling knife is considered one of the foremost Faroese contributions to
Nordic
Nordic most commonly refers to:
* Nordic countries, the northern European countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and their North Atlantic territories
* Scandinavia, a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern ...
artistic
craftsmanship Workmanship is a human attribute relating to knowledge and skill at performing a task. Workmanship is also a quality imparted to a product. The type of work may include the creation of handcrafts, art, writing, machinery and other products.
Workma ...
. The knife was earlier used for the traditional method of killing pilot whales; to sever the
spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue that extends from the medulla oblongata in the lower brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone) of vertebrate animals. The center of the spinal c ...
with a cut across the back of the neck of the animal between the head and the neck, but since 2011 a new invention called ''mønustingari'' (spinal cord cutter) has been legal to use for this purpose. The grindaknívur is now used after the whale has been killed with the mønustingari to cut the whales neck open, so that the blood can leave the whale's body.
See also
*
Grindadráp
References
External links
Whaling.fo - Website from the Faroese Government(English)
(in favour of whaling)
The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grindaknivur
Whaling implements
Whaling in the Faroe Islands
Knives
Culture of the Faroe Islands