Grulla, the workshop that keeps Eibar’s gun making tradition alive
Grulla, the workshop that keeps Eibar’s gun making tradition alive
Eibar has enjoyed a long gun making tradition for centuries – a tradition dating back to the end of the Middle Ages. This industry also had an unusual boom at the beginning of the twentieth century, having at that time more than 1,100 people working in the sector. This is amazing, considering the population of 6,500 inhabitants. In 1932, five of the best master gunsmiths in the town joined forces to create a workshop where they could make unique shotguns whose owners could display them with pride. Thus, Grulla came to be: it is now one of the most internationally renowned companies in the sector.
Ninety years after the company’s creation, at Grulla the same traditional craft methods continue to be used now just as in the past, in some cases even having improved and refined the product. They specialize in fine weapons, manufacturing custom double-barrel shotguns. A fine shotgun is the utmost example of their mastery of the traditional craft of gunsmithing. The gun’s creation begins with the fitting of the barrel and the rest of the metal parts like the receiver, the sidelocks and forearm, shaping them manually until getting the perfect fit of all the parts. The process continues with the elaboration of the stock, starting from a high quality walnut wood. It is carved and sanded, bearing in mind the measurements taken of the customer. Next, oil is applied and the wood is worked until the desired design is obtained. The engraving process is the most creative of all: receivers, sidelocks, and barrels are decorated with the designs chosen by the customer. The engravings are fully customizable, and the details come out with each stroke of the engraver’s steady hand, shaping the lines that make up the design. The last step is the final finishing process, in which the master gunsmiths assemble the pieces and check that the fit, weight, mechanics, and operation of the gun are optimal.
At Grulla, different models of shotguns and rifles are manufactured, all of which stand out due to their superior performing internal mechanisms, their quality, and the materials used, with the Royal model being the highest in their product range. In addition to the weapons they produce to order, they also offer custom holsters and cases made with high quality leather. The cases can be made for a single weapon, or two or three can share the same case.
The Duke of Northumberland, Ralph George Algernon Percy, after having hunted all his life with English weapons, acquired some Grulla shotguns and confessed that they exceeded all his expectations in terms of their craftsmanship and reliability: “The balance is excellent and I can use them with strong, heavyweight cartridges – necessary for wild birds and pheasants that fly very high.”
The satisfaction of Grulla’s customers over the company’s 90-year history has encouraged the new generation that has taken over at the company to continue with the job well done, rejuvenating the commitment to quality, excellence, and service that has characterized the gun shop since its inception. Those interested in getting to know the manufacturing process of these works of art, and in purchasing one of the models that are made by hand following the specifications of each customer, can visit the workshop in Eibar to discover, in situ, the town’s important legacy in terms of the gunsmithing trade – a trade which is kept alive thanks to the passion and determination of companies such as Grulla Armas.
Grulla Armas
Avenida de Otaola 13, Eibar.
Tel.: +34 943 208 756
