The Flaming Legacy of Carl Nyberg: How the Blowtorch Became a Gardener’s Secret Weapon
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast:
May 28, 1858
Today marks the birth of Carl Richard Nyberg (May 28, 1858 – 1939), a Swedish inventor whose blowtorch creation would eventually lead to that most satisfying of garden implements – the flame weeder. A tool that allows one to dispatch unwanted vegetation with a certain dramatic flair that appeals to the theatrical gardener in us all.
Our dear Mr. Nyberg began his career meandering through various industrial establishments before settling at J.E. Eriksons Mekanikus. It was there, amidst the clanking machinery and industrial bustle, that inspiration struck him like lightning on a clear summer day – the blowtorch!
Not content with merely conceptualizing the device, the ambitious Swede crafted a prototype complete with safety features (how considerate of him to ensure gardeners wouldn't singe their eyebrows while dispatching dandelions).
Positively brimming with confidence in his creation, Nyberg abandoned his position at Eriksons in 1882 to establish a workshop in Stockholm dedicated to blowtorch production. One might say he leapt before looking at the precipitous drop below!
His early enterprise lacked both efficient production methods and trained salespeople – a recipe for commercial disaster if ever there was one. Unsurprisingly, the venture collapsed faster than poorly staked delphiniums in a summer storm.
Fortune smiled upon our inventor four years later when he encountered a gentleman named Max Sievert at a country fair. During their conversation, the shrewd Sievert immediately recognized the potential in Nyberg's fiery creation. Sievert began selling the blowtorch, rescuing Nyberg from the compost heap of failed entrepreneurs.
Learning from his previous missteps, Nyberg wisely diversified his offerings to include small paraffin oil and kerosene stoves alongside his signature blowtorches. This portfolio expansion proved fruitful indeed!
In 1906, Nyberg's company went public, and in a remarkable display of generosity, he distributed stock to his employees. These fortunate individuals became known as "Nybergs snobbar" or "Nyberg's snobs," enjoying considerably better circumstances than their counterparts in other establishments.
How delightfully progressive!
In 1922, his longtime associate Max Sievert acquired the company, maintaining ownership until Esso purchased it in 1964.
While Nyberg tinkered with countless inventions throughout his lifetime, his true passion lay in aviation. He earned the moniker "Flyg-Nyberg" (Flying-Nyberg) for his aeronautical pursuits. For over twenty years beginning in the late 1800s, he constructed and tested his aircraft, aptly named "Flugan" (The Fly), on a circular wooden track in his garden. One can only imagine his neighbors' expressions as they peered over their fences to witness this spectacle!
Nyberg pioneered the use of wind tunnels for aircraft testing and constructed the first airplane hangar. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of his aviation endeavors was that he pursued them despite harboring an intense fear of heights – a detail that adds a particularly delicious layer of irony to his story.
So the next time you take your flame weeder to those persistent weeds invading your perennial borders, spare a thought for Carl Richard Nyberg, whose fiery invention allows gardeners to dispatch unwanted greenery with such satisfying dramatic flair.
