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The ToVe Wrecking Bar
The story of the blue wrecking bar you may have seen, used, and remember, but know little about.
Do you know the story of Tove?
It lies in the garage, hangs on the workshop wall, or travels in a toolbox. A natural part of everyday life for many. The blue wrecking bar has been present in Swedish homes for generations. Durable, reliable, and instantly recognisable. But where did it come from? Here is the story behind the ToVe wrecking bar, the blue wrecking bar you have seen, used, and remember, but know little about.
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A Swedish Wrecking Bar Rooted in Craftsmanship
In 1952, the owner of Gränsfors Bruk, Torgny Eriksson, together with office manager Axel Bäckström and salesman Tore Vestin, contacted Svedbro Smidesfabrik. They wanted to develop a new wrecking bar model, with Gränsfors supplying the steel and Svedbro handling production. The result was a model based on a wrecking bar Svedbro had been manufacturing since 1942.
The new wrecking bar was named TOVE, after salesman Tore Vestin, a combination of his first and last name. It marked the beginning of a collaboration between two Swedish forging companies. However, the partnership soon proved problematic. Steel deliveries from Gränsfors were often delayed or ran out, and payments to Svedbro were slow.
In 1960, Per Enander of Svedbro was offered the position of workshop manager at Gränsfors Bruk. At the same time, he was given the opportunity to sell Svedbro Smidesfabrik to Gränsfors. He declined. Instead, with support from the municipality of Gnarp, he chose to build a new forge in Gnarp. Together with his wife Elsie, he continued running the business until their retirement in 1985.
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A New Era: Svedbro Smide and Gränsfors Bruk
In 1982, the Swedish state forestry authority Domänverket sold Svedbro Smide to entrepreneur Gabriel Brånby. In 1985, Svedbro Smide acquired the bankrupt Gränsfors Bruks AB, marking the beginning of a new era. Over the following 20 years, the operations were run as a single entity under the name Gränsfors Bruks AB, with wrecking bars and forestry tools produced in Gnarp and axes manufactured in Gränsfors.
In 1988, the forestry tool division was sold to Sandvik subsidiary Eia. Gränsfors Bruk then focused on axes, log splitters, Tree Felling Jacks, planting tubes, and wrecking bars. The planting tube division was later sold to the Finnish company Lännen.
In 2005, the company was once again divided into two separate businesses: Gränsfors Bruks Crowbar Forge in Gnarp and Gränsfors Bruks Axe Forge in Gränsfors. In connection with this restructuring, the crowbar forge changed its name to Gränsfors Smide i Gnarp AB.
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From ToVe Wrecking Bar to Svedbro Wrecking Bar
In 2015, the company reclaimed its historical name, Svedbro Smide AB. This was done partly to avoid confusion with the sister company Gränsfors Bruk AB and partly to honour the company’s long history dating back to 1878.
During the 2000s, under the leadership of Gabriel’s sons Adam and Daniel Brånby, Svedbro Smide continued to grow despite global challenges. With an unwavering focus on quality and craftsmanship, Svedbro Wrecking Bars, the Tree Felling Jack Stalpen, and other prying tools are now sold in more than thirty countries.
From an idea in the early 1950s to a sought-after tool worldwide, the Svedbro Wrecking Bar is a piece of Swedish industrial history, forged with persistence, skill, and pride.