JHQ vs. IHQ Quistgaard  

jhk meand jens harald quistgaard
I think IHK means the same.

It's a old Danish thing....
It's a old Danish thing. When saying "Jens" in Danish, the name sounds like it starts with an I. The same goes for almost all other words starting with a J. So, in the old days when a abbreviation was used for a word starting with a J, they used an I instead. Though it was discarded sometime in the 1960's I think. The items marked IHQ are therefore older.

Thank you!
So, is his first name pronounced phonetically "Inns" or "Eens"?

It's more like Iens. The I...
It's more like Iens. The I sounds like the y in fx strawberry and the e sounds like the a in Jay.
When saying Jens, we say it very fast and soft. Not hard like Jay or jello. The J (though sounding like an I) melts together with the e. Does it make any sense? 🙂

Yens
with an "s" sound on the end, not "z". The Danish phonetic spelling is different because their Y sound isn't the same as in English. It's like a German e with an umlaut (say "eee" with your lips formed to say "ooo".)
Thanks for clearing that up, M_Andersen. I have bought and sold tons of old Dansk things and never understood why they were marked IHQ.

Me neither............
I often wondered if the serif from the J was missing when it was stamped/ marked.
You explained it beautifully..thanks Martin 🙂

It almost sounds like it's the equivalent of "Ian" with an s on the end
I know there's a thread here buried somewhere in here that was all about pronunciation.
I know I must mangle just about every name I attempt, but fortunately I don't find myself talking about them too much, mostly writing.
So then is Quistgaard like it looks, "qwist-guard"? or is that also a horrible American mangle? Maybe it's "keest-guard" or maybe it's not "guard" at all?

Not "guard"
The double A, which is the same as å, is like a long "O" sound, and then you barely pronounce the R and the D is dropped entirely. So the second syllable is pretty much just "go" with a hint of an "hr", at the end....sorta.
I think the Quist would be "kvist" but I'm not positive.
The link below has a sound file of the name Kierkegaard, so you can hear how to say it. It's a nice site for very basic pronunciation.
http://www.speakdanish.dk/html/phrases_famous_danes.htm

I really like this thread :)...
I really like this thread 🙂 I'm quite surprised by your interest and curiosity regarding how to pronounce Jens H. Quistgaard's name.
Well, the "Quist" part sounds like "kvist", only it's said more fluently without the v, like when you guys say "quest".
The two a's in "gaard" sounds like the O's in "Oregon".
Should we also take his middlename Harald? 🙂

JHQ versus IHQ
In Europe it is very often used to write the J as an I. Only the items manufactured till about 1962 are marked JHQ, since 1963 you will find IHQ on items made in Denmark, Ftrance, Japan and Taiwan. Some candle holders are marked IBR, standing for Jörge Rajalin!
All the best Rob Meijer, Beverwijk, the Netherlands.
http://www.candlepower.nl/Dansk/Dansk-html/article_dansk_3_2008%20.doc.pdf

Resurrecting
So which is it... JHQ marked items are older than IHQ, vice versa, or is there no fast rule?

JHQ versus IHQ
Dear Woodywood,
the Dansk Designs with Light series started in 1962. The markings to read: DENMARK only (1962/1963).
Later DENMARK JHQ or JHQ DENMARK (1964/1965).
In smaller capitals the marking changed in: DANSK DESIGNS DENMARK IHQ© (1965 till ca. 1985). Cast in Denmark in the foundry of Svendborg.
Latest markings to read: DANSK DESIGNS IHQ/ TAIWAN.Cast in Taiwan. Between Denmark and Taiwan there where castings made in Japan, but these holders are marked with a label only.
More about cast iron holders on the site of www.candlepower.nl
Go to hte Shop and you will find my articles, written as a guest on that site.
All yours,
Rob Meijer, Beverwijk, the Netherlands.
http://www.candlepower.nl

Hi Rob
Thanks for your information. To clarify, I was asking more specifically about the Dansk wood products (pepper mills, ice buckets, trays, etc.).
Do you know if the same history of the markings applies to these? Thanks.

Dansk rare woods
Hi Woodywood,
an expert in Dansk Rare Woods is: Todd Pederzani on: http://www.tpederzani.com/pepper/Main_Page
I hope you will find more info soon!
All yhe best
Rob.