THE SAKO MOOSE
THE SAKO MOOSE T
he designing of the moose sculpture began in 2015 when the first sketch was drawn by the landscape designer Pirita Meskanen, WSP Finland Oy. The sculpture was proposed as a part of a yard plan for Sako’s old factory courtyard in Riihimäki. New and old renditions of sculpture art were combined in the making of the moose in the aspiration to achieve a bronze sculpture of the greatest moose in Finland. The statue is called Hiiden Hirvi. It depicts one of the largest moose ever shot in Finland. Extremely large moose are very seldom encountered and may be seen only a few times in the lifetime of a hunter. The body of the statue is based on this Hiiden Hirvi moose. The horns of the Sako statue are modelled after the most spectacular horns found on a moose in Finland. With their 24 tines, the horns achieved the Finnish record score for moose horns with 392.7 points awarded by CIC (International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation).
TRADITION MEETS INNOVATION O
ur reputation of manufacturing high quality products is rooted in the unique skills of our employees. Our manufacturing process combines traditional gunsmith craftsmanship with modern technology and design methods.
THE HUNTER AND THE CARTRIDGE
Mr. Veikko Sipilä shot this moose in Ylivieska, Finland on November 14th, 1982 using a Sako rifle and Sako’s 30-06 Springfield cartridge with 11.7 g Hammerhead bullet.
SAKO L61R FINNBEAR
The model developed for hunting big game in 1961 was the first rifle manufactured based on action that was Sako’s own design. Caliber 30-06 is one of the most used calibers in Finnish moose hunting. The rifle Sako L61R is traditional rifle with two locking lugs. The rifle is every hunter’s trusted tool that is robust and reliable.
MODERN RENDITION OF TRADITIONAL SCULPTURE T
he design process proceeded with sketching and Pirita Meskanen molded the first physical model in clay which was then burned into a ceramic in a kiln. The antlers were created using polymer clay and hardened in the oven. Furthermore, the clay model was 3D scanned by Materflow Oy for further development in 3D sculpting software. The design of the moose evolved in collaboration with Sako Oy. Through the process, the digital model was turned into a physical model several times through 3D printing which allowed for the comprehensive review and development of the design. Applying new technologies to old traditions enables quicker adjustments and offers new solutions to the time-consuming stages of the traditional design process. When the digital model was finished, Pirita scaled it to the final size and prepared the model for CNC routing to create the casting model. Especially for a large sculpture, preparing the casting model is typically a long process for the artist. Computer-controlled cutting of the casting models enables faster working. The casting models were done in collaboration with Scaletec Oy using expanded polystyrene, EPS. The scale models were transported to art foundry in Kellokoski. Pirita and art caster Jorma Kärkkäinen finished the casting models after which the making of the sculpture was passed on to Jorma.
WATCH THE MAKING OF PROCESS VIDEO
A LOT OF DEDICATION AND SKILLS T
he casting artist Jorma Kärkkäinen is pleased when he looks at the bronze moose that after a year of hard work will be transferred from the dark of the shed to the outside world for the first time. Nowadays the starting point of casting is a 3D model, but otherwise the stages of the work have remained the same for hundreds of years. Success in this demanding work comes with experience and that is something Jorma has plenty of. His father was a casting artist and his son has helped around the shed ever since he was little. The work began in summer 2019 and the most intensive stage continued until February 2020 when the cast parts were assembled into a moose. The patenting and different kinds of finishing stages took up the spring so that the moose was ready for its new prestigious place. When the moose was finished, his feelings were mixed. On one hand, there was the feeling of relief since such a big work is finally ready. But on the other hand, there was some melancholy present because the moose would no longer be in the shed to greet you every morning, he smiles.
TYPICAL MOOSE IN FINLAND M
oose (Alces alces) is the biggest mammalian in Finland, its body can be up to three meters long, the weight normally is between 200–550 kg and the height at the withers over 170 cm. The largest bulls can sometimes weigh over 600 kg - bulls weighing over 800 kg with a height of 210 cm at the withers have been encountered. A male moose drops its antlers annually. Finnish moose can have either shovel or pitchfork horns. The antlers of a full-grown male moose are typically 100–115 cm wide and there are 5–6 tines on each side. Antlers are considered large when they have 10 tines per side. The coat of an adult moose is greyish dark brown with white feet.
Sako Ltd, Beretta Group Company Riihimäki, Finland www.sako.fi