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Dansk
Glassware & CrystalGoblets
Forty years ago, New York
entrepreneur/engineer Ted Nierenberg and his wife Martha traveled to Denmark,
and at Copenhagen's Kundstanvaark Museum saw a hand-forged fork, spoon and
knife with teakwood handles that had won a design competition for 35-year-old
Jens Quistgaard. Elegant and pure, the design combined two natural materials
in a graceful manner - a simple concept for the Nineties, but revolutionary
for the Fifties.
Quistgaard told Nierenberg that his designs were too difficult to
manufacture and no one wanted to tackle them. But Nierenberg's search led him
to manufacturing sources he knew could execute such pieces; he convinced
Quistgaard that they had to try. The pattern was Fjord. The company was Dansk.
And the energy born of the fusion of Nierenberg's marketing genius and
Quistgaard's brilliant creativity ignited a whole new industry. "Tabletop" had
been redefined.
Nierenberg knew nothing of retailing, but he went out on the road to sell
Fjord. The first 60 stores he visited placed orders. Fjord went "platinum" and
for 30 years was in the Dansk product line. It was discontinued in 1984 when it
could no longer be manufactured maintaining Dansk's quality standard at an
affordable price. When it was retired, Fjord sold for $100 a place setting.
Please
click on the pattern name to view the pattern inventory.
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