Mustad History 1832 – 2025. From fishing hooks to automobiles, margarine and other inventions that have captivated the world

The history of Mustad fishing hooks begins with…

A river. A water wheel. Earth. Iron. Vision.

In 1832, in Vardal (Gjovik), Norway, what would become the most famous brand of fishing hooks in the world was born, Mustad. Here, Hans Schikkelstad build a small blacksmith shop on the bank powered by the river's waters Hunnselva. Originally it was called Brusveen Spiger- og Staaltraadfabrikk and produced nails, wire, horseshoe nails and other metal items for a Norway who was just learning to build his own industry. It was an era when every product was a rarity and every innovation, a leap of the century. From this modest workshop would emerge, in the decades to come, a company that would not only become a global leader in the production of fishing hooks, but will end up patenting unique industrial machines, to produce margarine (yes, you read that right, margarine), to build scooters, automobiles, stoves, lawn mowers and many other inventions and then to influence the way the world's oceans are fished. This is how it begins history of fishing hooks Mustad, with water, iron and a vision that never stopped evolving.

1832–1877 – The first Mustad generations and the invention that changed everything in the history of fishing hooks, The Hook Maker

After his death Hans Schikkelstad, the factory management from Vardal was taken over by his son-in-law, Ole Hovelsen Mustad, who gradually expanded production and laid the foundations of a solid industrial structure. In 1874, together with his son, Hans Mustad, the company becomes official O. Mustad & Son, marking the beginning of the industrial dynasty of the Mustad family, which will profoundly influence not only Norway, but also European industry of metal items and fishing hooks.

At the time, fishing hooks were made by hand, in a slow and expensive process. In 1862, a carpenter employed in the factory, Mathias Topp, was promoted to foreman and began developing a mechanical system that would fully automate the production of fishing hooks. After more than a decade of testing, in 1877, Topp completes the invention that would transform Mustad: an automatic machine known as "The Hook Maker".

The device was capable of processing wire from one end to the other: cutting, bending, sharpening, forming the barb, creating the hook eye, all without manual intervention. Production became fast, precise and standardized. The invention was protected as a state secret. Technical drawings were encrypted, and access to the production area was limited to a few trusted employees, to prevent copying. This was the world's first fully automated fishing hook manufacturing machine, a turning point in global industrial production.

The success was immediate. Mustad begins sending employees all over the world, including Asia, South America, Africa and Oceania to collect thousands of types of traditional hooks. The models were then sent back to Gjovik, where they were analyzed and replicated industrially. This initiative gave Mustad a unique advantage: the ability to supply hooks perfectly adapted to each market, much faster and cheaper than any other manufacturer in the world. Thus, regional customization of hooks Mustad it quickly became a successful model later copied by other international manufacturers.

1877–1929 – Mustad, the European monopoly and the beginning of the global expansion of fishing hooks

Just a few years after "The Hook Maker" went into production, Mustad was already becoming a force in the European market. Under his leadership Hans Mustad and his five sons, the company went from a simple manufacturer of metal products to a well-established industrial network, with bases in multiple countries. Between 1890 and 1920, the Mustad family purchased and built over 300 competing factories and workshops in the Europe, thus consolidating the company's position as the absolute leader in the production of horseshoe nails and, of course, fishing hooks. The industrial model was unique: each factory was prefabricated in Norway and rebuilt identically in the destination country, France, Germany, Italy, England, even in more isolated regions, where Mustad delivers not only machinery, but also know-how, workers and complete structures.

In 1910, Mustad is expanding into Eastern Europe, even into Romania, where he buys a plot of land at Galati. Ale. Mustad, Clarin Mustad, Holfohr Mustad, Wilhemm Mustad and Christian Mustad establish the factory "O. Mustad & Sons"from Galati in the year 1913, practically a subsidiary of the Norwegian company O. Mustad & Son, specialized in the production of metal products, especially nails, metal objects and fishing hooks for serving Eastern Europe. The factory in Galati was one of the most important industrial units in the Romania in the first half of 20th century. In the following years Mustad establishes a new factory in Timișoara (through merger with Chain Factory) and buy a registered office in Bucharest on the street Nicolae Filipescu No. 43.

Until 1905, the company Mustad worked with over 8,000 employees in 13 countries, produced to identical standards throughout Europe and deliver in over 60 foreign markets. It was an industrial network where every fishhook counted and bore a Norwegian signature. In parallel, the Mustad portfolio expanded with industrial wire, tacks, needles, screws, all manufactured with the same precision. But the real engine of growth remains the fishhook. With over 100,000 models in the portfolio, the word Mustad becomes synonymous with fishing. In some regions of Pacific and Africa, islands of Polynesia, the locals still pronounce it instead of fishing hook, Mustad as a common noun.

Also during this period, Christian Mustad, the founder's grandson, completely reorganizes the sales strategy: creates a "Mustad international catalog", translated for each country, and develops a global team of agents. The most famous of them would be Eyvin Prahl, which in 1929 passes time 445 days the entire African continent, opening markets, establishing trade relations and strengthening the image Mustad in territories where few had ever reached. His story remains today a testament to the courage, tenacity and commercial vision that defined Mustad spirit.

1915–1948 – Mustad, industrial inventions, automobiles, diversification and survival in troubled times

After he conquered Europe with his fishing hooks, Mustad entered an era of industrial curiosity. Beyond the standardized production of hooks, screws, needles, and wire, the company ventured into areas that seemed, at first glance, unlikely. In the factories Mustad Cast iron stoves, frying pans, waffle irons, push pins, motor scooters, automobiles, lawnmowers, roofing systems, and internal combustion electric toilets were made. The products were diverse, all reflecting an obsession with utility, durability, and innovation.

The engine of this revolution was Hans Clarin Hovind Mustad, inventor and fourth-generation family leader, known for Mustad inventions that transcended the boundaries of the fishing industry. He designed an electrically heated toilet lid in 1915, installed an air extraction system directly under the seat, designed a razor blade sharpening machine and even water skis with poles for walking on the fjord.

He even built a six-wheeled automobile, produced between 1917 and 1919, with revolutionary suspensions, two interchangeable bodies and a central headlight that rotated with the steering wheel, a technology later adopted by the automotive industry. This idea was only applied in the 60s of Citroën SM, who introduced directional headlights to the modern automotive world. When he got tired of transporting hitchhikers from Oslo with his limousine eleven places, Clarion designed Selfish, a car with only one seat and space for a briefcase. It was an engineering joke, a lesson in independence delivered with elegance and irony.

On the traditional production line, Mustad consolidated its dominance in hooks and launched the first artificial flies inspired by British models. In 1930, the company Mustad had a fish catalog a hundred models for salmon fishing and 451 for trout. In 1945, in the factory in Gjovik, over thirty women were working on the manual production of flies.

In 1944, in a war-torn Europe, Mustad was also found in another symbolic gesture. The Swiss company Patek Philippe created a unique watch for Clarin Mustad, Ref. 1518R, in a rose gold case, with a perpetual calendar and chronograph. It was the only known example in this configuration. It was not just a luxury item, it was a positioning statement in the discreet league of the big brands. As Rolls-Royce meant excellence in the car, and Patek Philippe in watchmaking, Mustad had become a global benchmark in fishing. The watch was sold in 2023 at an auction Sotheby's for fish 4 million Swiss francs, consolidating this prestigious alignment.

In parallel, Mustad continued to manufacture horseshoe nails on an impressive industrial scale. They served horse transport, European armies, agriculture and coal mines. In many regions, the quality of the steel and the precision of the manufacturing made the nails Mustad in a reliability benchmark. In Norway, Central Europe and even south america, blacksmiths almost exclusively used these products, considered standard in the trade.

The war brought colossal losses. All the factories Mustad From Eastern Europe were nationalized, with the fall of the Iron Curtain that redrawn the economic and ideological borders of the continent. Including the factories Mustad and Sons From Romania From Galati, Timisoara and the headquarters in Bucharest were nationalized in 1948. Approximately eight thousand workers were lost, and the company Mustad was left without two-thirds of its production capacity. However, thanks to a decentralized structure, in which each factory operated autonomously, Mustad managed to survive and reposition itself again for a new stage of expansion.

1910 – 1949 – Brief Chronology Mustad and Sons in Romania

1910 – Official request for industrial land in Galați

Mr. Mayor,

As a representative of the company "O. Mustad et Son" from Gothenburg (Sweden), which wishes to establish a systematic factory of horseshoe nails in Romania, and insisting that this factory be set up in Galați, I respectfully ask you to kindly give us for this purpose a vacant lot of approximately 10,000 square meters located near the docks or the freight station.

Considering the direct and indirect benefits that this new industry will bring to the city of Galați, I hope you will decide to give us this place free of charge.

Source: Galațean Documentary Treasury, file 183/1910, f. 436

1912 – Request and approval for the construction of the factory in Galați

The Council of Ministers, in its meeting today, October 3, 1912, […] proposes to grant the benefits of the law for encouraging national industry to the factory of iron bars, iron screws for wood and other iron and metal articles that Messrs. O. Mustad and Sons wish to establish in Galați, Prutului and Cărămidăriei streets, Covurlui county.

Art. I. The factory of iron bars, iron screws for wood and other iron and metal articles that Messrs. O. Mustad and Sons wish to establish in Galați is granted the benefits of the law for the encouragement of national industry, specified below:

1) Duty exemption for cars, car parts and accessories.

2) Discount on CFR transport

3) Exemption from any other direct tax to the state, county and commune.

Source: Official Gazette of Romania, no. 162, October 19, 1912

1924 – Registration of the company in Romania

Ale. Mustad, Clariu Mustad, Holfohr Mustad, Wilhera Mustad and Cristian Mustad, form in Galati, Cărămidăriei Street No. 22, a joint-stock company under the name «O. Mustad Fii», a factory of hooks, targets, etc.

Source: Official Gazette, 1924

1936 – Industrial collaboration with Metaloglobus SA, Bucharest

Some time ago, the indigenous manufacture of scaffolding, which was the exclusive domain of the O. Mustad-Fii factory in Galati, was shared with the «Metalloglobus» S. A factory in Bucharest.

[…] The company «Metalloglobus» cooperates, having common interests, with the Manfred Weiss factories near Budapest, which produce, among other things, irons.

[…] It was agreed that the joint venture “Metalloglobus” would start manufacturing irons. However, the sale of this product would be carried out by Mustad-Fii and “Metalloglobus” by mutual agreement in sectors and at agreed prices.

Source: Adevărul, 1936

1938 – Detailed records of real estate owned in Galați

Mustad Fii, a general partnership, brings the following as its contribution:

[…] The following real estate — land and buildings — located in Galați:

Cărămidăriei St. No. 28, Mihai Bravul St. No. 9, Domnească St. No. 123, Domnească St. No. 125, Dr. Carnabel St. No. 67, Theodor Thenea St. No. 60 and Locomobilei St. No. 43.

All valued at the global amount of lei 15,000,000, of which lei 8,000,000 represents the value of the property at 28 Cărămidăriei Street.

Source: Official Gazette, Part 2, No. 179, August 5, 1938

1939 – relocation to Rusca Montană

In the context of World War II, after the closure of Dușan Milosevici's hammer workshops in Rusca Montană, known as Werk II, on September 30, 1939, their premises were taken over by the company "Întrepreneurile Metalurgice O. Mustad & Fii SA" (Factory of horses, chains and ironware). Werk II had been one of the three sections of the tool factory in Rusca Montană and was located on the site of the current general school, with workshops with pneumatic drive (Lufthammer) powered by water power. In the interwar period, agricultural and industrial tools, such as hoes, axes, chains or shovels, were produced here.

After the takeover, the Mustad company moved part of its production from Galați here, in the context of industrial reorganizations caused by the war. The workshops operated in Rusca Montană until March 30, 1946, when the activity was relocated back to Galați. Later, the building was transformed into a bread factory, and from 1970 it was converted for school use, becoming the current gymnasium school.

Source: Viorel Florea, The monograph of the "Ștefan Velovan" Junior High School in Rusca Montană and pages of local history, Rusca Montana, pp. 147–150.

1941 – Headquarters in Bucharest and offices in Galați, Timișoara and Rusca Montană

Art. 2. The company's headquarters are in Bucharest, Nic. Filipescu Street No. 43,

having secondary operating offices in:

— Galati, Cărămidăriei Street No. 32

— Timisoara, M. Guttenbrun Street No. 9

— Rusca Montana, Severin County

Source: Official Gazette of Romania, Part 2, No. 106, May 9, 1941

1943 – The Mustad football team and choir are founded in Galați, participating in matches at the Garrison Stadium

The district teams Mustad and FC Avia met at the Garrison Stadium.
The victory went to Mustad, with a score of 4–2 (2–2).
For Mustad, the following scored: Pumnea, Nicolae (2 goals) and Bradea,
and for FC Avia they scored: Neamțu and Risu.

As part of the summer sports program, the following match was announced:
Mustad – Năvodul, scheduled at 4:30 PM, followed by Rogifer – DVA

Source: Galați Sports Action, 1943

1948 – Registration in state records and the beginning of the nationalization process

MUSTAD O. FII SAR

Metallurgical enterprises – Ironworks, chains and ironware factory

Addresses:

— Bucharest, 43 Nicolae Filipescu Street

— Galati, Galati County

— Timișoara, Timiș-Torontal County

The company is listed in the administration's records as part of the nationalization process, as enemy property, under special surveillance.

Source: House for Administration and Supervision of Enemy Assets – File 41/1-2 letter O, Bucharest

1948 – Nationalization of the enterprise

Mustad Fii Galați becomes the Resistance Factory; Mustad Fii Timișoara becomes the Partizanul Factory.

Source: Free Romania, August 1948

1949 – The Mustad Residence in Galați transformed into a Cultural Center

For years, the walls of Mustad's house, which did not rightfully belong to him because he had not worked for it, sheltered his avarice, thirst for gain, greed, and debauchery [...]

Today, the walls of this house no longer harbor the rot of the capitalist world.

They have returned to those who raised them, guarding within them a place of culture, where working people from the neighborhood come every evening to read, to be enlightened.

Today, the facade of this house proudly bears the name:

Cultural Center "June 13, 1916".

Source: New Life, December 1949

1949–1977 – Mustad reconstruction, industrial fishing, Autoline, Hoofcare and the beginning of modern globalization

After World War II, Mustad found himself in a transformed world, but not without resources. Although he had lost almost all of his factories Eastern Europe, the group managed to keep its operational center in Gjovik and an important part of the global distribution network. This period was one of reconstruction, in which Mustad has relied on adaptability and product diversification to secure its future. Being an important market, United States were a priority for Mustad. In the years 1950, the company strengthened its global position by acquiring a competitor and establishing a subsidiary in Auburn, New York.

In the years 50 and 60, Mustad begins to invest in technologies for industrial fishing. At the industrial level, Mustad did not abandon its traditions. The production of horseshoe nails continued uninterrupted and even experienced a revival in the context of mechanized agriculture and the needs of the army. Nails Mustad were valued for their strength and balance, and in many countries, professional blacksmiths considered them the standard Mustad as an absolute reference. During this period, the company laid the foundations of what would later become a division with its own identity: Mustad Hoofcare, specializing in tools, nails and hoof care products. This branch has experienced constant expansion and will become, in the following decades, a separate industrial force, active in over 100 countries and supported by a global network of farriers and veterinary specialists.

In parallel, in 1970, the company transitions from a family partnership to a joint stock company under the name O. Mustad & Søn AS. This was a strategic move designed to facilitate foreign investment and internal restructuring. In 1972, the company launches the system Mustad Autoline, a revolution in commercial fishing. The system allows for automated fishing with longlines and hooks mounted on long lines, greatly reducing the need for human labor and increasing efficiency. This type of "automated line" fishing would come to dominate the industry in the coming decades, with Mustad in the position of global leader.

Post-war years were also marked by a series of important decisions regarding the product portfolio Mustad. Gradually, the company began to abandon less profitable product lines, such as classic screws and nails, to focus on niche markets where it excelled, namely horseshoes and fishing. During this period, Mustad The outsourcing process also begins, exploring Asian markets for lower costs and access to specialized labor.

Another point of reference is the development in 1973 of a regional center in Singapore and, later, a factory dedicated to sport and industrial fishing hooks. This move will pave the way for other international investments, including in Brazil, Portugal and Philippines. In parallel, Mustad strengthen its position in north america, where the sport fishing market was experiencing an explosion in popularity. At the end of the 70s, Mustad it was no longer just a manufacturer of fishing hooks and horseshoe nails, it had become a Norwegian industrial symbol, present on all continents, with a solid logistics network, ongoing technical innovations and an organizational culture that emphasized excellence, tradition and adaptability.

 

1977–2001 – The transformation of Mustad Fishing, the global rebirth of the hook and sport fishing brand

 In 1977, Mustad was undergoing a historical reconfiguration, dividing into two specialized entities: Mustad Industrier AS, focused on industrial items, including horseshoe nails, horseshoes, files, rasps and other hoof care products (Hoofcare), and Mustad International Group BV, the fishing hook division. This restructuring aimed at operational efficiency in a changing global economic context.

As production costs rose in Western Europe, Mustad expanded its activity in Asia. After the opening of the regional center and the hook factory in Singapore, followed by a unit for artisanal flies in Philippines, and from 2001, of a factory in Wuxi, China. This strategic move was accompanied by an ambitious training program. In 1994, Torill Kolbu, world champion fly tyer, was recruited to train the staff in Manila. This marked the rebirth of Mustad Flies, a line of elite products in sport fishing.

In parallel, the company expanded into south america, opening a modern factory in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and a unit in Portugal, for the southwestern European market. In 1995, Mustad gave up the margarine divisions (bought by the company Frame) and coffee, products distributed across the globe for decades. It was a return to the basics: metal, innovation and fishing.

The company's portfolio has been redefined. Mustad has completely withdrawn from the field of screws and traditional metallurgical products, focusing on developing the range Mustad Autoline (dedicated to large-scale industrial fishing), on Hoofcare and innovation in hooks. By the end of the years 90, Mustad had become a global brand, active in over 130 countries.

The expansion again included Central and Eastern Europe. After 1991, the company Arrow International became an official importer, thus Mustad returned to Romania through shops, fairs, competitions and fishing communities, being recognized as a quality standard. Mustad It had thus found its place on the Romanian market, in a new form, but with the same authority built over decades. It had become not just a hook brand, but a cultural presence in fishing communities, in the country and around the world.

The Mustard Trophy, known internationally as Golden Hook, was launched in 1967 as a global project to promote responsible sport fishing. Carried out in over 30 countries, the trophy annually rewards the best visual contributions from the world of fishing, from photos of released catches to stories about man's relationship with nature.

In Romania, the competition was introduced in the 90s and quickly became a landmark for the sport fishing community. Under the patronage of Mustad and Arrow International, the contest was promoted for two decades in magazines like Modern Fisherman, Fishing Adventures, SuperFisher or Fishing For All, and later online at PVTV. Even though the written press has disappeared, the Trophy Mustad remains today a symbol of responsible fishing, being among the first competitions in Central and Eastern Europe dedicated to promoting the catch & release spirit.

2001–2025 – Sale, global repositioning and expansion into the world of modern fishing

In 2001, Mustad (fishing division) was sold by the founding family to the Norwegian investment group NLI Development, later renamed burn, a fund with the mission of transforming acquired companies into industry leaders. Following this transaction, the hooks division Mustad Fishing was separated from Mustad Hoofcare, which remained in the family's possession Mustad, already reached seventh generation. Currently, from a financial point of view, Hoofcare produces a volume of products comparable to that of Mustad Fishing and operates in over 100 countries.

In 2019, Mustad Fishing consolidated its position as a global leader in fishing, expanding its portfolio with the acquisition of brands Live Target (realistic lures and wobblers) and Tuff Line (textile yarns). Thus, Mustad entered the area of soft plastics, wobblers, filleting knives, luggage, technical clothing and premium fishing accessories. It was a strategic transformation: from a hook manufacturer, Mustad has become a complete supplier for all styles and levels of sport and commercial fishing.

In 2025, Mustad remains a global leader in the production of hooks and related equipment, present in over 160 of countries. The brand covers all fishing disciplines, sport, marine, industrial or recreational, and integrates sustainability into all its processes, from manufacturing to packaging.

The story Mustad is a unique example of resilience, innovation and global influence. From a water wheel on the river Hunnselva to the factories in China and fishing competitions in Romania, Mustad redefined what it means to be a leader in a century-old industry. With every hook, Mustad connects the industrial past to the digital present and the sustainable future of global fisheries.

In Romania, after 35 years old, collaboration with Arrow International with Mustad Fishing continues. In addition to the distribution of hooks Mustad, Arrow constantly promoted the products Mustad Fishing among Romanian fishermen, supporting competitions, events and ethics catch & release.

Today, every hook Mustad connects the craft of the past with the future of modern fishing, on the waters Norway until Romania. Over 10.000 of landmarks Mustad Fishing waiting for you in the portfolio Arrow International: hooks, jigs, handmade flies, lures, lines, threading knives, luggage, rods and accessories for all styles of fishing. This range in continuous development and innovation reflects the industrial adventure that began with water and iron, continued with margarine, automobiles, scooters, stoves, water skis, high-performance hooks and many other inventions that revolutionized an entire world.

Don't miss the article about Mathias Topp, the father of The Hook Maker machine!

 

The Mustad story continues…

This is not just a story from the past. It is a bridge between generations, a line that connects fishermen, workers, engineers and dreamers from all over the world. If you have lived in Gjovik, in Galati, at Rusca Montana, Timisoara or any other place where the hooks Mustad were produced or used, then you are also part of this thread.

Maybe you inherited a box of old hooks from your grandfather's chest. Or you found a worn label at a fair, a photo of a hook lost in time, or you remember your father telling you stories on the boat about "the good ones, the Norwegian ones." It all matters.

The story of Mathias Topp, The Hook Maker, is not complete without the voices of those who have felt its effects. If you know a story, a name, an object, a memory, send me a message.

Every detail is like a wire that enters The Hook Maker: from it emerges a new hook, a link in the chain of this industrial and human heritage.

This is not just a documentary. It's a living construct. And you have a place in it.

Send me a comment, a photo, or an email. Any piece can help us complete this puzzle.

Bibliography "The History of Mustad Fishing Hooks":

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