Making a Steiff Bear

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For Steiff every bear tells its own unique story, and this extract from the Steiff 2009 catalogue explains the philosophy behind handcrafting every Steiff bear:

"Each of our animals tells its own individual story. It tells of its soft, comical, or even untamed wild role models in nature. It tells its own personal story of its creation from a bold vision, to an initial idea. From his first birthday as a simple animal. Of fine materials, precious wool, cuddly plush, finest alpaca or mohair. It tells of the moment in which it received its unmistakable character - the loving, intricate, handicraft with which its realistic looking eyes are applied and the friendly facial features that are the result when the nose, mouth, and claws are stitched by hand. It seems as if time stands still for just a moment when you meet your new friend by Steiff for the very first time and it smiles at you with a curious, friendly smile."

Interesting facts about Steiff production:

• The entire production process for a Steiff bear takes about one year from the first sketch to the final, finished product.
• Each of the bears is created by hand. Printed on to material, cut out by hand, hand dyed, stitched and stuffed.
• The final seam is hand stitched and the features are then added using an air brush. This is the crucial step, as it shapes the bear's overall character.
• Once the item has been inspected and passed the strict quality test, the famous 'Button in Ear' is attached to the left ear and the bear is ready to find a loving and caring home.