Please note that at the moment Pajankajo web store only operates and delivers in Finland to the residents in Finland. Unfortunately this means that global sales are not available for time being.
Light shines from the workshop of a happy Oulu resident
Pajankajo was founded on 04.05.2021
The essence of Pajankajo
A piece of design that the blacksmith has stamped with his own trademark is genuine. It tells the jewelry keeper that it has been made by a real person, not just a faceless, soulless party that only seeks maximum profit.
Not only does all values have a numerical value, but sentimental value is also a significant factor. This sentimental value will always be present in Pajankajo's steel jewelry, the value of which is the feeling of genuine, hand-forged Finnish jewelry.
Paajankajo's wooden jewelry uses traditional methods of hyphenating wood to make it more interesting. This emphasizes that even if automated processes are used as a machining method, there is still room for traditional methods in manufacturing.
Favoring Finnish materials as much as possible, gives the design a piece of Finnish Happiness. From materials made by happy people, a piece of jewelry made by a happy blacksmith from Oulu.
This is the essence of Pajankajo
The designer, blacksmith and director of Pajankajo is Joonas Kantola (b. 1989). Official title: Steel Designer
Kantola has trained in:
- 2015 Artisan in the Metal Industry
- 2019 Jewelry Artisan Award
- 2022 Further Qualification in Business Administration, Visualist
The inspiration is:
Environment
Minimalism, Line Art, Cubism
Video Games
High Fantasy Literature and Illustrations
Art Nouveau Inspired Profiles
The "handprint" of traditional metalsmith's work, texture and naïveté
From materials made by happy people, a piece of jewelry made by a happy blacksmith from Oulu
Fastening IS part of the design
When designing a piece of jewelry, it is important that the hanging of the jewelry is part of the design. This approach has become familiar from the working methods of a traditional metalsmith.
For example, if a hole is made in a traditionally forged steel work for fastening to the wall, it is driven through the steel heated with a mandrel. In many cases, the area around this hole is pre-shaped to be decorative so that the fastening is part of the design and not just a loose drilled hole just somewhere on the object. You must think in advance about where the fastening will be, before you even manufacture the product.
Not just a flat-footed flat shape
In addition to fastening, it is more important to know the properties of the materials used and how those materials can be processed. Internalizing the properties of the material allows you to make creative decisions.
Creativity is stifled if you just settle for repeating someone else's work, without understanding why it was done that way. In my opinion, jewelry makers should be able to challenge themselves and step outside their comfort zone. This is also because it opens new perspectives through which jewelry can be examined.
This is important for continuous learning and product development. For example, you can't make ecological jewelry if you don't understand how the production chain works outside of your own production.
I find simple, completely flat jewelry extremely boring, because anyone can easily make them with current production methods. When this type of jewelry is everywhere, they are lost in the mass. The designers must challenge themselves to achieve growth.
Jewelry makers must be able to challenge themselves and step outside their comfort zone