What Adler Werkzeug does

Adler Werkzeug (now operating as Josef Schmitt Werkzeug GmbH following a 2025 rebranding triggered by the acquisition of Helko Werk GmbH) is a fourth-generation, family-owned German manufacturer of forged forestry and garden tools, headquartered in Waghäusel. Founded in 1919 as a village blacksmith shop in Wiesental, the company now operates a ~10,000m² integrated production facility that consolidates carbon-steel forging, in-house wood-handle processing (FSC-certified European ash and US Hickory, capacity of up to one million handles per year), automated drying, water-based painting (installed 2004), and assembly. Its product portfolio spans forged axes, hatchets, splitting hammers, sappies, hepen, hoes, shovels, and replacement handles, organized under three brands: ADLER (premium, lifetime warranty on tool heads), WAGNUM (value-tier for everyday and professional use), and Private Label (custom-branded OEM manufacturing). A wood briquettes line (Holzbriketts), launched in 2022, monetizes production waste in 500kg big bags and 8–16kg cartons and contributes 700kW of waste-heat recovery capacity to the site.

The company sells through a multi-channel distribution model: owned e-commerce (adler1919.eu) for the ADLER brand, German specialist retail and international specialist trade for WAGNUM, and direct B2B relationships for Private Label customers. It also participates in international trade fairs and distributes German- and English-language product catalogues. Revenue mechanics are primarily unit-based hardware sales across consumer and B2B channels, with no disclosed revenue figures, no external institutional investment, and no public funding rounds. End customers are split between professional foresters, hobby gardeners, and international OEM/private-label clients. The 2025 acquisition of Helko Werk GmbH and concurrent rebranding to Josef Schmitt Werkzeug GmbH consolidated ADLER, HELKO Werk, WAGNUM and additional brands under one corporate identity, signaling a strategic shift from single-family forge to multi-brand tool platform.

Name

Adler Werkzeug

Legal name

Josef Schmitt Werkzeug GmbH

Website

https://adler-werkzeug.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Adler Werkzeug, a fourth-generation family-owned German manufacturer based in Waghäusel, produces forged forestry and garden tools (axes, hatchets, splitting tools, hoes) under the ADLER, WAGNUM, and Private Label brands, selling to professional foresters, hobby gardeners, and international B2B customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forged Forestry and Garden Hand Tools

NAICS

Saw Blade and Handtool Manufacturing (332216), Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing (321912)

SIC

Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460), Sawmills & Planting Mills, General (2421)

akta.pro primary industry

Wood Remanufacturing (Mouldings, Millwork Blanks, Cut Stock) (IMAMABAI)

Keywords

• Forged forestry tools
• Garden hand tools
• Axe manufacturing
• Replacement tool handles
• Wood briquette production

Headquarters

HQ city

Waghäusel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tool Hardware Sales: Sale of forged forestry and gardening tools through owned e-commerce and retail distribution channels. Revenue from axes, hatchets, splitting tools, hoes, shovels, and replacement handles.
2. Private Label Manufacturing: B2B manufacturing of custom-branded tools for international customers, leveraging combined metal and wood processing capabilities
3. Wood Briquettes: Sale of high-pressure pressed cylindrical wood briquettes in Big Bags (500kg) or cartons (16kg, 10kg, 8kg) made from production waste materials

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Adler Werkzeug (Josef Schmitt Werkzeug GmbH) manufactures and sells forged forestry and garden hand tools including axes, hatchets, splitting hammers, sappies, hepen, hoes, and shovels, primarily under the premium ADLER and value-tier WAGNUM brands, with replacement handles in FSC-certified European ash and US Hickory wood. The company also operates a Private Label division producing custom-branded tools for international B2B customers, and sells wood briquettes made from production waste.

Product overview

Adler Werkzeug (Josef Schmitt Werkzeug GmbH) operates as a manufacturer of forged forestry and gardening tools, offering products under three main brand tiers: ADLER (premium tools with lifetime warranty), WAGNUM (quality tools for everyday use), and PRIVATE LABEL (custom manufacturing). The core product portfolio includes forestry tools (axes, hatchets, splitting hammers, sappies, hepen), garden tools (hoes, field hoes, shovels), and replacement tool handles in ash and Hickory wood. The company also produces wood briquettes as a sustainable by-product from manufacturing waste. Products are manufactured 100% in Germany at the Waghäusel facility using carbon steel and FSC-certified wood.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ADLER: Premium brand for highest quality forged tools with lifetime warranty on tool heads. Includes axes, hatchets, hoes, shovels and replacement handles. Modern, ergonomic, stylish design with hand-sharpened and tested quality.
• WAGNUM
• PRIVATE LABEL

Products and services

• Forged Forestry & Splitting Tools (Forstwerkzeuge) Forged forestry and splitting tools for professional and hobby use, including axes, hatchets, splitting hammers, sappies, and hepen, manufactured from carbon steel with hand-sharpening and in-house wooden handles for logging, firewood splitting, and landscaping.
• Forged Garden Tools (Gartengeräte) Forged garden hand tools including garden hoes, field hoes, cross hoes, pickaxes, and shovels, designed for various soil types (sandy, loamy, heavy, hard) and engineered for effort-saving use by home and professional gardeners.
• Replacement Tool Handles (Werkzeugstiele) Replacement tool handles produced in-house from FSC-certified European ash wood or original US Hickory wood, manufactured 100% in Germany in large series with automated drying, suitable for the company's own tools and as standalone replacement components.
• ADLER Premium Brand Line Premium sub-brand offering high-quality forged forestry and garden tools with a lifetime warranty on tool heads, including axes, hatchets, hoes, shovels, and matching replacement handles, sold through own e-commerce and selected specialist retailers.
• WAGNUM Value Brand Line Value-tier sub-brand offering axes, hatchets, sappies, trowels, splitting tools, specialized forestry tools, sledgehammers, hoe models, and replacement handles for hobby and professional users, available across price categories via worldwide specialist trade.
• Private Label / Custom Tool Manufacturing Service B2B contract manufacturing service that produces forged forestry and garden tools under international customers' own brand names, leveraging the company's combined metal forging and wood-handle processing capabilities for large-scale custom production.
• Wood Briquettes (Holzbriketts) High-pressure pressed cylindrical hardwood briquettes made from ash and hickory wood production waste without binding agents, offered in 500 kg Big Bags or 16 kg, 10 kg, and 8 kg cartons, and by self-pickup per kg, sold for heating use via direct sales and dedicated contact channel.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 1,000,000 tool handles produced annually
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Helko Werk GmbHmajor acquisitionOthers · 1 January 2025Acquisition of Helko Werk GmbH, leading to company restructuring and rebranding as Josef Schmitt Werkzeug GmbH in 2025. The acquisition expanded the brand portfolio to include ADLER, HELKO Werk, WAGNUM and other brands.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Council Tool Company: US manufacturer of forged axes, splitting mauls and forestry tools. Comparable product mix and forged-tool process; serves as a North American analogue in the same niche.
• Picard GmbH: German family-owned hammer manufacturer. Comparable Mittelstand profile, forged metal process, premium German positioning and similar size band; closest same-country process peer.
• Gränsfors Bruks: Swedish premium hand-forged axe maker. Closest comparable on craftsmanship, premium positioning and Made-in-Scandinavia heritage; competes head-on with the ADLER premium tier.
• Stiletto Tools: US premium hand-tool maker focused on forged titanium and steel framing/carpentry hammers. Comparable on premium positioning, lifetime quality claims, and professional trade channel.
• Ochsenkopf (Spear & Jackson): German-anchored axe and forestry tool brand owned by Spear & Jackson. Directly competes in forged forestry and splitting tools, with similar specialist trade distribution.
• Hultafors Group: Swedish owner of Hultafors, Wetterlings and other forestry/hand-tool brands. Directly comparable as a multi-brand European forged tool maker (axes, splitting tools) sold through specialist trade. Most relevant direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Bahco (SNA Europe): European hand-tool brand (owned by Snap-on). Overlaps in forestry axes, splitting tools and general professional hand tools via specialist retail. Larger but adjacent comparability in the same channel.
• Fiskars Corporation: Finnish global hand tools and lifestyle company (Fiskars, Gerber, Wedgwood). Overlaps with Adler in axes and forestry tools but as part of a much larger portfolio; benchmarks scale and brand investment intensity in the same category.
• Gedore Werkzeugfabrik: German broader-scope hand tool manufacturer (sockets, torque tools, etc.). Overlaps in forged metal hand tools and German manufacturing DNA, but spans a wider professional tool range than Adler.

Regional players

• Wera Werkzeuge: German family-owned premium hand tool maker. Comparable family-business, German-Made and premium brand narrative, though focused on screwdrivers/driving tools rather than forestry axes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/adler.tools1919

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Adler Werkzeug