Bison 1879

For over 125 years, Bison has forged robust quality tools with optimized results. The product line "Bison 1879" is all hand-forged in Großschönau, Saxony, following old traditions. Bison 1879 originates from the family tradition started by Master Moritz Trep. Today, Bison is synonymous with quality craftsmanship, which becomes crystal clear in use.

Bison History

Bison 1879

The young blacksmith Moritz Trept acquired a forge in Großschönau, Saxony, and founded the tool factory "Trept – Huf- und Hackenschmiede" (Trept – Hoof and Heel Forge).

Trept began by making horseshoes, nails, hammers, knives, scythes, axes, and adzes by hand. Everything he produced bore his signature symbol, the horseshoe. He started specializing in hand tools, and by 1906, he had the first patents for tools made in his hammer, pending.

Bison 1919

Moritz Trept's sons take over the hammer and continue producing hammers, horseshoes, and wagon-building tools.

They added a workshop with an autogenous welding machine. In the 1930s, the company moved to a new location, a place where BISON still manufactures today.

Bison 1961

The blacksmith family specializes in their craft, giving up the production of horseshoes and wagon-building.

From this point on, the tool factory diversifies to produce metal, iron, and sheet metal products alongside their line of traditional hand tools. In August 1969, Rudi Trept secures the name BISON for hand-forged tools like axes, battle axes, hoes, and hammers. The hammer also changes its name.

Bison 1972

The tool factory is nationalized by the DDR. The name remains, and soon, BISON is known as one of the most influential producers of forged tools throughout Europe.

The factory primarily manufactures high-quality axes, adzes, and hammers, as well as tools for the National Guard, fire departments, mining companies, and railway companies. Their products are also exported to locations all around the world.

Bison 1990

After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the DDR, BISON was transformed into a management company.

Bison 1993

The forge is re-established as "BISON Großschönauer Werkzeugschmiede" (BISON Großschönau Tool Forge).

Bison Today

Bison manufactures high-quality tools for forestry and is one of the leaders in the industry in Europe.

Additionally, BISON manufactures tools for specialized uses by fire departments, the German army, and others. Much has changed over the past 137 years, but what has remained is the horseshoe emblem. The emblem, applied as a traditional embossment, represents excellent high-quality hand tools that BISON has been producing since 1879.