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What is the hair made out of ? Two kinds of rope fiber; sisal for the body hair and jute for mustache, eyebrows hands, and tails. Sisal will vary from white to yellow in color and jute is naturally a light brown. The original Trolls were made by unbraiding a jute rope, then gluing the curly strands over an old Christmas Tree stump. How long does it take to make a Troll ? Because of wood curing, and the gluing and dyeing processes, it is pretty much a 5 day cycle, start to finish, once all the various "Troll parts" are ready. All work is done by hand with more time devoted to making larger Trolls, as you would expect. What is the largest Troll you've ever made? The largest is 10' tall x 4' wide...had to make him outside because he wouldn't fit through the door! What is the difference between the male and female Trolls? The easiest way is to look at it's face...females have only eyebrows (2 whisps of jute fiber around the eyes). Males have eyebrows too,as well as a mustache (2 larger whisps of jute fiber protruding, of course, from his prominent nose).
Aren't Trolls supposed to be dim-witted and evil? There are many stories told about Trolls. For over a thousand years, different countries have each had their own versions of the ancient Troll legends. Most stories were not written down on paper, but had been passed down through the generations by telling these tales at small gatherings of family and friends. So the folk tales would change over the years and also differ from region to region. Some of these tales were eventually recorded and the translations can be found in a variety of books on this subject. There you will find many different types of Trolls described, as well as a good variety of personal traits and appearances. In some stories,mostly from Norway, Trolls were sometimes described as ugly, dim-witted and mean. But there are a lot of stories from other countries such as Sweden and Denmark, which tell about Trolls that were wise, kind and helpful...especially to animals and deserving humans.
I have an older Troll... what is the best way to clean or replace missing parts? You can remove the accumulated dust by blowing compressed air, vacuuming or by light brushing. Hair can be combed with hair brush and then clipped/trimmed with scissors. Items like nuts, cones, seeds, etc., can easily and quickly be reglued using a hot melt glue gun, or you can use a variety of other slower curing glues like Elmers white glue, model cement or epoxy. Finished decorations can then be protected by spraying hair spray, Pledge type furniture spray wax, or a spray clear acrylic sealer. The sun over time will cause some fading, especially in the Albino Trolls.
I have a Troll that I can't find in the Field Guide, what kind is it? Most likely you have a regular or original style Troll. This follows the original design that Ken used to accompany his storytelling. Some have called them the workers.....the ones who accomplish great tasks while you're not paying close attention. They come in 7 sizes: 5", 8",12",16",20",30", and 60" tall
Who does all your drawings ? Almost all of our artwork, from the annual Christmas card to the label on each box, was drawn by Ken with intricate detail. After his passing, we have handed over this important task to various talented family members. (daughter Vivi drew the new Trolls) We plan to carry on with our illustrative traditions, but fully realize it will be a hard act to follow. |