SRF hantverk has strong ties to and share their history with the Visually impaired organisation in Sweden, SRF. In the late 19th Century a small brush manufacturing movement started out in Stockholm with the brushes made by hand by visually impaired craftsmen. The core of the SRF Hantverk business is the brush binding manufacturing at Sandsborgsvägen, Enskede – here 5 visually impaired craftsmen from different cultures make brushes according to the old Swedish tradition. SRF Hantverk also work with visually impaired craftsmen in Estonia. Like Sweden, they too have a history strongly connected to the visual impairments movement. Today there are 14 employees in total at Iris Hantverk.
The SRF Hantverk brushware brings new dimensions to the concept of sensitively made by hand. SRF Hantverk care much for the craftsmen and the survival of the brush binding manufactory. They believe that many like them appreciate the feeling and quality of a hand drawn brush made of natural materials.
History
In 1889 a group of visually impaired craftsmen founded a political independent organization, "De blindas förening", whose purpose was to encourage, the otherwise much isolated group of visually impaired, to actively participate in society in different social contexts such as musical events and lectures, but primarily to work for equal access to employment and live by their work.
A large part of DBF work came to revolve around the development of support for the artisans and their ability to live off their work. In 1902 DBF decided that materials for brush binding and basket making would be purchased collectively in order to reduce prices and be sold to the visually impaired craftsmen for purchase price. In 1906 a property was bought on Majorsgatan 12, it accommodated a number of functions: office and library, brush binding factory, warehouse for raw materials, sales of raw material and a shop. These undertakings made the foundation for what SRF Iris hantverk is today.