Here at JustTeddies we are dedicated to telling the story of Steiff, weather its the biography of Margaret Steiff (founder), Richard Steiff (created the first teddy bear) or information as to how the magic of Steiff happens. This page is the latter.
This page gives an outline of how a Steiff animal is made.
Over 130 years ago in 1880, Margarete Steiff created the first ever soft toy animal, the first ever Steiff animal. She had noticed a pattern for an elephant in the magazine Modenwelt. The materials needed were felt, two 10cm long white bone threading needles, fleece, two black porcelain buttons, a little silk thread and a piece of colourful material. Needles and scissors were her only tools.
The Steiff production factory today is a very different mechanism all together in modern times. The production process used highly precise and advantaced machinery, the staff who number in the thousands are a completely organised in order to achieve maximum efficiency.
Though the production process may have changed, Steiff remains dedicated to the unmatched quality that has seen its name become the most recognised worldwide for soft toys. Steiff has never wavered from its motto "for children, only the best is good enough".
Over the past 130 years millions of children have decided to give Steiff animals a loving home and a friend for life.
Research and Development
At the forefront of every Steiff bear, animal or accessory is the design itself. This fundamental principal has not changed in 130 years. Richard Steiff often visited Stuttgart's Nill Zoo, this was the only way to study animals and get the appropriate real-life detail necessary, at the time.
Today, Steiff designers travel as far as Kenya in order to study animals in their natural habitat in order to make the lifelike soft toy animals.
Once a design has been created materials must be chosen. Steiff are constantly pushing the boundaries of material design hence new styles of materials must be manufactured especially for production of a single item in some cases. Once all the necessary materials are available the prototype department produces a sample. This business process has also not changed in over 130 years.
Many Samples are made, using slightly different techniques and/ or interpreting the designs in different ways. The designer chooses a sample once they are satisfied and it is prepared for presentation to a committee of Steiff staff from various departments. All must approve for the product to go into production. Once the product is approved the final stage involves the development team, who must decide if they can effectively market this bear or animal. For example; does it use a new material? Is it created in a new way? does it represent a new style? etc.
If the development department is satisfied with the sample it is called a "hand-sample". It is given the "button in ear" as an official Steiff product and the sample ear tag denoting its status. When Steiff first began hand samples were given their own button or "Musterknopf" instead of a Steiff button. If one were to procure such a sample many years after its manufacture it would be worth a small fortune.
Up to ten identical copies of this hand sample are made, for various departments. These are given a tag with the words "type same" on it. These are used in various stage of the production as models. Then, just as 100 years ago, patterns are created. This was of course done tediously by hand taking hours back in 1890 but in modern times precision computer software creates the patterns to an incredible accuracy.
Once all the the equipment and materials are available in the Steiff factory. Even today this process takes months before production finally starts.
Production
Production begins with cutting. As materials differ in density strength and elasticity so must the cutting techniques differ. Mohair for example has a long pile which might get damaged by some industrial machines so it is cut. Depending on the length of the mohair either manual or electrically assisted scissors are used. This is not a simple process as the weave of the mohair must not be damaged or bald spots can appear later in production.
Felt and velvet on the other hand are much easier materials to work with as they can simply be stamped out.
Obviously when cutting large fabrics, extensive and clear stencil marks must be imprinted onto the material. This is done using a metal plate to mark on the material all the necessary contours of the shapes required.
Once all of the parts for a piece are laid out they must be sewn together. Every Steiff bear is individually sewn at a sewing machine. Steiff bears are sewn "inside out" in order not to show the seams. this is much more complicated than it may seem. The pile must be carefully stroked into the seam while sewing.
If you can imagine that Steiff produces millions of soft toy animals and teddy bears each year. The speed at which the staff are able to create the bears is simply remarkable. Today, as 100 years ago, nothing is left to chance. Each step in the production stage is carefully planned and documented. This ensures quality control. Steiff bears are sewn to the same standards as a designer fur coat.
Once all the parts have been sewn, they are turned the right way round rather like a sock though we are sure you can imagine that the smaller the part the more difficult this task becomes.
In modern times the insides of the Steiff soft toy animals are filled with synthetic filling that is washable and hygienic in every circumstance. Some, the Steiff replica bears are still filled with excelsior, a wood wool originally used to stuff the bears when they were first produced all those years ago (pre 1950). The Steiff bears receive their voices at the same time as they are filled. The voice box is inserted into the middle of the bears body surrounded by the filling so that it cannot be seen or felt from the outside.
After the stuffing process has been completed the bear or animal is put together piece by piece and the final seams are sewn shut. Jointed bears have hard cardboard discs at the points to be jointed. Two interlocking points are joined with a split pin, in this way the bear or animals limbs and head can bee attached to the main body of the piece yet still move independently. The jointing techniques were first adopted for the "cute little bear" (roughly translated) range that began over 100 years ago.
The most important features of a bears expression are its nose, eyes and mouth. For this reason Steiff bears are hand stitched in these areas to give the precision necessary to create the perfect expression. Even the glass eyes are hand threaded into each Steiff bear.
The finishing touches are all that remains, these are applied by experts, with a sturdy hand and years of experience these staff members use air brushing to add highlights and shading to the finished bear. This is perhaps the most important stage of the process as one slip can ruin a bear.
Finally bells, bows, ribbons etc are all added to the finished bear. It is scrutinised by the quality control department and given a brushing down to get rid of any unwanted fluff.
Once this is completed the bear is given its "button in ear" marking it forever as a Steiff bear. A member of an elite family that grows every year.
For more information please feel free to contact us at www.justteddies.co.uk.
