Handicraft with character from the Moosalp region

It is the old familiar smell of leather that makes many a "terbji" reminisce when he enters the small shoemaker's shop in the heart of the village. Back when there seemed to be so much future and so little past. Not much has changed over the years in the workshop in Fällach - cowbells, shoes for repair, bell straps - there is a kind of "disorder in order" with which only the artist himself knew and the passion for the craft is literally palpable.

How it all began

It is in this very workshop that Karlen Sattlerei- und Handels GmbH, or in short, the small family business Karlen Swiss, has its origins. In 1951, Titus Karlen opened his own shoemaking workshop in his home town of Törbel. Before that, he spent three years in Zermatt to learn the shoemaker's trade. In the old post office, in the middle of the village, up a steep alley, Titus set up his workshop. He quickly made a name for himself far beyond the village borders for his high-quality and reliable work. Handmade shoes, horse harnesses, bell straps, belts, incidental repairs, various accessories and numerous military items - his quality and attention to detail characterized his working methods. In particular, the elaborate bell straps for Eringer cows, sheep and goats are still very famous today and will last for generations. In order to maintain the skillful craft, his son Hans-Jörg has learned from his father again and again in recent years.

Towards the end of the 90s, the small craft business had to reorient itself. Father Titus was approaching 70, larger orders such as from the army were on the decline, and Hans-Jörg had another job as a sales representative at Lowa Schuhe AG anyway. In this situation, it was either reorientation or leave it alone. In 1998, however, the opportunity arose to take over a company that manufactured folklore articles. At about the same time, there was a strong demand on the market for loden, a rolled woolen fabric. However, obtaining good quality loden turned out to be extremely difficult and so one fine day Hans-Jörg's eye fell on an old army blanket in his car. He thought to himself that this woolen fabric was very similar in texture to loden. This was the birth of Karlen Swiss and its first collection, the Army Recycling Collection.

Shaped by the homeland

Today the company is run by Hans-Jörg and Yvonne Karlen, who employ seven other women from the village. The Army Recycling Collection had proven itself at home and abroad and is still trendy today with its "Swissness". The background idea of recycling/upcycling old, partially used materials and making fashionable accessories out of them hits the nerve of the times, especially nowadays. Since the launch of the first collection, the family business has continued to develop. In the meantime, the collection assortment has also grown and in addition to discarded army blankets, for example, old mail sacks or Schwinger pants fabric are also processed into trendy, timeless accessories and products in 100% handwork. The team of women around Yvonne breathes new life into these contemporary witnesses with creative ideas and sends them out into the world in search of new people, stories and experiences.

In the small mountain village where the unique one-of-a-kind products are created, culture and tradition still play an important role today and lead to a strong cohesion among the village population. It is the culture and traditions, the growing up in the village, the togetherness and the very own character of Törbel that shape the locals from childhood and thus also the Karlen Swiss company. And equally, the small family business, which has its origins in the heart of the village, is an important part of Törbel. Anchored in the village, it has been contributing to village life in its own way for 70 years now.