Steinbach nutcrackers are delightful wooden decorations hand crafted in Germany. They portray everything from kings, santa, religious figures and famous generals, to fairy tale and movie characters. Each year, new nutcracker models are released by Steinbach. Collectors are always anxious to see what the new designs will look like. They may find just what they need to add to their collection.

The Steinbach family has been producing nutcrackers for nearly two centuries. 5th-generation Herr Christian Steinbach held the reigns of the company for decades. His efforts brought the company to new heights and made Steinbach nutcrackers world famous. Much to the dismay of nutcracker enthusiasts, Christian Steinbach passed away in February of 2007, at the venerable age of 85. Christian had trained his daughter, Frau Karla Steinbach, to take control the family legacy and it is now in her capable hands. Karla is now in charge of both German nutcracker factories. Karla’s daughter, Karolin, is also involved with the family owned business. The 6th and 7th Steinbach generations continue to produce German nutcrackers in the time honored traditions laid forth by Christian Steinbach.

If you are fortunate enough to own a Steinbach nutcracker, you already know all about their high quality. When held up against a cheap import from China, there is no comparison in quality. Unfortunately, poorly made nutcrackers are cheaply available at big discount stores at Christmas. These are turned out in droves, rather than being made step by step by a true artisan. A Steinbach nutcracker may take 3 years or more to complete, beginning with the drying and curing of the wood.

Steinbach only uses the highest quality German wood and materials to craft their nutcrackers. There are over 100 steps involved in crafting a single finished piece. It takes an artisan with a true love of woodworking to complete such a detailed nutcracker. It normally takes about 6 weeks to finish a nutcracker, once the actual turning of the wood on a lathe begins.

According to German folklore, nutcrackers were first created to ward off evil and protect a home. That’s why they all have such stern looks on their faces and are baring their teeth. This is to scare away evil spirits and bad luck, and to promote good health.

The beginning of nutcracker carving dates back to the 18th century. Miners, in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) area of Germany, took up wood carving to supplement their income when the mines began to play out. Generations later, many nutcrackers and hand crafted items are still being produced in the Erzgebirge region.

Today, the Steinbach company continues to produce nutcrackers in the time honored traditional methods. The Steinbach company has two German factories, one in Hohenhameln and another in Marienberg, Germany. They not only create nutcrackers, they also craft incense smokers, music boxes and ornaments.

Steinbach smoking men, or incense smokers, are wonderful items. They are similar to nutcrackers, but they seperate to hold a cone of incense inside, allowing the smoke from the incense to drift from the mouth. They all depict a delightful character. Some smokers also have music boxes in them. Some smoking men even having moving parts, which are caused to operate by the playing of the music box.

Ornaments are tiny 3″ creations, designed specifically by Steinbach, to be hung on a Christmas tree. Just because of their diminutive size, don’t dismiss the detail and quality that go into making them. There are many people who collect Steinbach ornaments, just as there are those who collect Steinbach nutcrackers. Steinbach also produces mini nutcrackers, which are miniatures of the full size ones. There are collectors for them as well. It seems a collector can be found for any Steinbach product. Some collectors have over 500 of them!

Owning a Steinbach item can be a joyful experience. They are wonderful decorations to put on display at the Christmas holiday season. They brighten our homes and delight us with their music. They add to our cheerfulness and feeling of goodwill.

They can also be quite profitable. Steinbach nutcrackers increase in value with age. Some hard to find, limited editions have been known to sell for more than $1500. That’s quite a profit for the original owner, who had the foresight to make the first purchase. Of course, parting with one might be a hard thing to do.

Visit A German Collectibles Haus for the current Steinbach nutcracker models and upcoming nutcrackers for 2008.