The differences between an ordinary wooden cup and a traditional Finnish kuksa

1. The salty taste of the first uses

During the last stage of production, the kuksa are boiled for 6 to 8 hours in salted water to improve their longevity.

Thus, this salty taste is present during the first uses.

Moreover, when a kuksa is produced and not used for a long period of time, it can dry out and cause small salt crystals to appear on the wood.

This salty taste can be disturbing at first, but is easily eliminated by using the cup and cleaning it with mild soap.

It is also one of the few things that can really tell you the authenticity of your kuksa.

2. The wood used

The authentic material of a kuksa is the "pahka" in Finnish or birch burl. It is a growth of the tree that is found on the trunk or branches.

This is the traditional material. It is also a strong and durable wood.

3. Wood patterns of the cup

Wood has, as we often see, circle-shaped marks, but they are not always perfect circles, they can also be random shapes.

4. The method of manufacture of the cup

In the past, kuksa were :

• Handmade
• A difficult and very manual job
• Very long to cut
• Required a lot of raw materials. Therefore a lot of wood was wasted.

Nowadays, kuksa :

• Are sometimes made with machines
• Requires less raw material thanks to machines

Machine-made kuksa lose a certain authenticity compared to traditional Sami handmade kuksa.

However, it is still a symbol of Sami culture.

5. The designer's signature often on the back of the cup

Some Kuksa are signed on the bottom of the cup by the maker. This is not a guarantee of quality, but it can be a sign of authenticity.

6. The colour of the cup

The colour of a wooden cup can help you to recognise whether it is a genuine kuksa or not.

However, this is not the only thing you should look for.

The colour of the wood of a kuksa can vary greatly.

Because the colour of the wood sometimes changes with the seasons.

1. If your cup is a very light beige or brown colour, this is often a bad sign.
2. A medium or dark brown colour is a more reassuring choice.

You can see on this picture below, the difference between a wooden cup made in China (top) and a traditional kuksa handmade by a Finnish artisan (bottom).