Brothers Keep 100-Year Family Toolmaking Trade Alive

In a workshop hidden down a winding driveway on Gumbaynggirr Country in New South Wales, Tom and Paul Hummelstad are keeping a piece of Australian farming history alive with their hands.

The brothers craft ear-marking pliers, the traditional tools farmers have used for over a century to identify their cattle and sheep. They're the fourth generation of Hummelstads to make these specialized tools, learning the trade from their father Harry, who learned from his father Henry, who learned from Eyvind, a Norwegian immigrant who arrived in Australia in the 1880s.

"It leaves a mark in the ear so you can see daylight through," Paul explains. When cattle lift their heads to look at you, farmers can instantly identify their animals from across the paddock.

The craft requires precision and skill passed down through the decades. Each tool must be sharp enough to cut newspaper cleanly, then hardened in fire to last for generations. Tom recently repaired a pair of pliers made by their grandfather that's still in perfect working order.

The brothers believe they're among the last craftspeople in Australia still making these tools by hand. "It's a sad fact, really, just the way fabrication seems to be going in this country," Paul says. "I feel very proud of the fact that we can still do that."

Their four-month waiting list for repairs proves the demand hasn't disappeared. Even though electronic tags are now mandatory for livestock in Australia, farmers still value the traditional marking system as backup insurance they can see from a distance.

The family workshop holds tools more than 100 years old, still in use today. A photo of great-grandfather Eyvind watches over the workspace where his descendants continue the tradition he started when he arrived from Norway.

Sunny's Take

What makes this story special isn't just the skilled craftsmanship. It's that Tom and Paul could have walked away from this difficult, time-intensive work, but they chose to preserve it instead. In a world of mass production and disposable goods, they're creating tools that last for generations. When a customer couldn't tell the difference between a newly made pair of pliers and one Tom had just repaired from their grandfather's era, it showed that quality and tradition still matter. These brothers aren't just making tools. They're honoring their ancestors and serving farmers who depend on craftsmanship that can't be replicated by machines.

The Hummelstad legacy continues, one carefully crafted tool at a time.