The Eskilstuna Industry.
As this town occupies a special position in the iron manufacture of
Sweden, we may here give a few historical and statistical data concerning
it. A wrought iron industry in the real sense of the word arose there
after the year 1771, when the so-called free town of Eskilstuna was
founded and received privilegies. The manufacture of wrought iron was,
until the last few decades, carried on principally by hand in stnall low
forges, but the products gained a good reputation and were even exported
abroad.
The Tunafors Factories at Eskilstuna.
The so-called Eskilstuna work, which is specially characteristic for the
town, includes manufactures of iron, ‘steel, and other metals, such as
knives, scissors, hinges, locks, mountings, hooks, and other wrought iron
articles for building purposes, files, hammers, tongs, gimlets, saw-blades,
pitch-forks, spades, household articles, skates, fancy goods, etc. The
Eskilstuna work has, in recent decades, more and more developed into a
great industry, inasmuch as the small forges have had to give place to
large factories. New and improved machines have been acquired, and
during the last ten years alone about twenty new factories have been
established. Among the manufactures which have been added in recent
years may be mentioned household articles of pressed iron, copper, brass,
nickel, and aluminium, automatic blind-rollers, drawing instruments and
cases of compasses, steel for chisels and planes, screw tools and spiral
drills of American pattern.
Owing to the efforts of the manufacturers to keep their products on a
level with increasing requirements in respect of appearance and quality,
the demand in the country for articles of this kind can now be satisfied by
home manufacture. A considerable proportion of the finer wrought iron
articles was formerly imported, especially from Sheffield (England) and
Solingen (Germany). Eskilstuna has also been called, not without reason,
the Sheffield of Sweden.
The Tunafors Factories at Eskilstuna. Interior.
The present extent of the metal industry at Eskilstuna and neighbourhood
(the parishes of Fors and Kloster) may be seen by the following
figures. In 1912 the total number of factories amounted to 113, in
which altogether 4 403 workmen were employed, and products to the value
of about 17-5 million kronor were manufactured.
Several of the factories also possess foundries and mechanical works,
so that Eskilstuna is, on the whole, one of the most important industrial
centres in Sweden. The largest establishments are those of Munktell,
mentioned several times above, and Tunafors, which is situated near the
town.
In connection with Eskilstuna, we may mention the State rifle factory
Karl Gustavs stads gevarsfaktori, situated quite near the town, which
was established in 1814. It employs 400 workmen and has an output of