Sustainability at Tormek
Designed with common sense
- Sustainability at Tormek
Whether you call it sustainability or common sense is up to you. We believe that choosing premium products should mean something. For us at Tormek, it means investing in reliability. In repairability, backward compatibility, long service life, and local production.
Here we expand a bit further on these ideas and what we believe to be common sense. We'll describe what we are doing – and what we need to do better – in terms of sustainability, in the short term and the long run.
And by the way, did you know that the words 'sustainable' and 'durable' are the same in Swedish – hållbar? That makes sense to us.
Sustainability or common sense?
At Tormek, sustainability has always been part of how we think, even before the word became widely used. The machines we make, we build to last. The tools they sharpen last longer and perform more efficiently. The crafts in which the Tormek-sharp edge is used are often part of a cultural heritage, be it local leather craft tradition, old woodworking techniques, or traditional Swedish sloyd.
We are absolutely convinced that working creatively with your hands also improves personal wellbeing.
MAINTAIN, RESTORE & RENEW
Common sense is not only about how products are made, but also about keeping them in use.
A long product life does not happen by accident. Design and production choices play a vital role, but so do ease of maintenance, access to spare parts, and clear guidance. We actively support customers in maintaining and restoring older machines through service information, replacement components, and instructional resources.
In many cases, updating an older Tormek machine requires only a few key replacements that are relatively easy to carry out at home. By encouraging repair and refurbishment instead of disposal, we reduce material waste and preserve the value already built into each machine.
We think it's pretty cool that you can upgrade an old Tormek ST-250 from 1973 to a level of functionality comparable to our modern machines.
Backward compatibility
Innovation at Tormek is guided by respect for our users and responsibility for the future. Whenever possible, new developments are designed to be backward compatible. This allows older machines to remain relevant and functional for decades.
As exemplified by Tormek user Magnus, if you have inherited your grandfather's old Tormek Natural 900 from the 1990s without a stainless steel main shaft (yes, we know...), you can get one as a spare part and rest assured it won't rust. Today’s grinding wheels fit, so the original natural sandstone from Gotland can be replaced. You could also add the XB-100 Horizontal Base to enable edge trailing sharpening. The result is functionality comparable to modern machines.
Tormek is not cheap. However, we believe that, over time, it is the most economical choice – for both our customers and resource use.
Made in Lindesberg
Our machines are designed, developed, and manufactured in Lindesberg, Sweden. We've had the same address since 1978, when Torgny moved the company from Storå five years after its founding.
Keeping production close to our development team allows us to maintain control over quality, continuously improve our processes, and take responsibility for how our products are made.
We also like to keep suppliers close. For example, 75% of the components in a Tormek T-8 Original are manufactured in Sweden, an additional 12% in Europe, and the remaining 13% in other parts of the world.
Local manufacturing does not eliminate environmental impact, but it provides a degree of transparency and the ability to make informed decisions about materials, energy use, and long-term improvements.
Stronger communities
On our 50th anniversary in 2023, we opened a small Tormek museum at our facility, showcasing old machines, products, as well as packaging and advertising material. It tells the story of a small part of Bergslagen’s industrial heritage and helps keep that knowledge alive.
Alongside the museum, we have created an exhibition space where we host an annual art and craft exhibition during the summer. So far, we have featured work from 57 artists, ranging from a two-meter-long hand-carved relief print stamp to hand-forged kitchen knives, guitars, stone sculptures, and a salmon leather fanny pack.
Over the first three years, we have welcomed more than 5,400 visitors from around the world. Some stay several days in Lindesberg just to visit the museum and exhibition. We see this as a way to contribute to the local community – by offering a cultural experience, attracting visitors. All while giving skilled makers in our user community a platform to show their work.
We also operate a concept store where we offer our full product range. In addition, we sell products with minor cosmetic defects that did not pass quality control, or usable returns, at a 20–50% discount. A small but meaningful way to make better use of resources.
Work in progress
Even with a common-sense approach, there are areas where we need to improve. One is providing clearer information on how to recycle or dispose of consumables and waste products. This is relatively straightforward to address, and we aim to have a system in place by 2027.
Transportation and material sourcing are the largest contributors to our CO₂ footprint. We have initiated a project to map this in detail, allowing us to identify where improvements will have the greatest impact. We are in the planning stage, and will report our findings when we have something to report.
We are also working with our suppliers to maintain a consistent product quality while reducing environmental impact. One example is our grindstone supplier, who lowered kiln temperatures from around 1200 °C to 900 °C. This reduced emissions by just over 164,000 kg CO₂e in 2024 (approximately 1 kg CO₂e per kg of grindstone produced). The change was made possible by an updated bonding formula, maintaining – if not improving – quality.
Actively working toward becoming a more sustainable company is still relatively new to us, and there is more to do. So far, we have relied on common sense. Now we are building on that.
