OEM2020i

IN THE MIDST OF THE
MID-1800s RECESSION,
MUSTAD, A NAIL AND
WIRE PRODUCER IN
GJØVIK, NORWAY, HAD
AN IDEA THAT WOULD
CHANGE THE WORLD
OF FISHING FOREVER.
There was a reason for the extreme
secrecy. The Mustad Hook Maker worked,
and allowed the company to take over the
market with higher quality hooks at lower
prices. More than 60,000 types of hooks
were gathered from across the world for
the Hook Maker to recreate. Stronger,
cheaper versions of them were returned
to fishermen in every corner of the globe.
By 1877, the “Hook Maker” was turning
raw steel wire into high-quality hooks,
completely changing the way fishing hooks
are manufactured. To avoid having their
innovative machine copied by competitors,
Mustad encrypted the blueprints and kept
the machine’s location secret. They even
prevented certain factory workers from
speaking to one another, even going as
far as to having them eat their lunches in
separate rooms.
Innovation, quality and a
pioneering spirit have led to
Mustad becoming the largest
hook producer in the world.
Today, Mustad can be found
in over 160 countries around
the globe. In many of those
countries, the name “Mustad”
translates to “fishing hook.”