Heritage - Hästens through the centuries | Hästens
Hästens through the centuries
Six generations of master craftsmen have lead Hästens to where it is now—a family company still driven by the virtues of sleep and humble pride over its craft. Each generation has played its part in shaping Hästens, overcoming challenges on the way. Here's a condensed history of Hästens, call it bedtime reading if you will.
The first generation
Christmas 1839 was dismal for nine-year old Pehr Adolf and his six siblings in the family’s little house outside of Örebro. Their father Johan Janson, had just told the children that their mother had passed away, exhausted by the harsh conditions of the time. During the 1800s, poverty reigns in Sweden and a third of the population emigrates to the United States in hopes of a better life. The father of Pehr Adolf stays in Sweden and, as the children grow up, he recites the significance of possessing expertise both as a skilled craftsman and merchant:
“I WANT YOU TO BE BETTER THAN ME. TO LEARN AND MASTER A PROFESSION OF YOUR CHOOSING THAT WILL LET YOU GIVE PEOPLE SOMETHING THEY NEED. AND BY DOING SO, ALWAYS BE ABLE TO LOOK AFTER THE ONES YOU LOVE.”
Pehr Adolf becomes a young man with great ambitions, determined to become a master saddler. The decision will not only change his own life, but that of his children and future generations. At the age of 18 Pehr Adolf becomes a saddle maker’s apprentice, crafting exceptional saddles and harnessing in Swedish leather.
Four years later, on March 22, 1852, he is awarded his certificate as a Master Saddler by the King of Sweden. Alongside saddles and harnesses, the saddler's tasks include making the finest horse-tail hair mattresses and leather goods. The most skilled craftsmen knew how to make these with utmost precision, but also with great speed—in a passionate spirit of excellence.
With great pride, Pehr Adolf is fulfilling his dreams and those of his father. He soon marries the love of his life Elisabeth Charlotta Carolina Almblad. Eventually the couple moves to the small community Hed outside the town of Köping (pronounced "Sherping") with their three children, Adolf Fredrik, Ida Elisabeth and Per Thure. Both sons follow in their father’s footsteps and become saddlers. Adolf Fredrik later leaves saddlery and becomes a politician; one well ahead of his time, campaigning actively and passionately for gender equality.