Evolution of Basque Artisans: From Diversification in Eibar to the Trajectory of Cometa Airguns
Basque craftsmen and their industries went through periods of splendor and decline, having to adapt to the times, thus giving birth to industrial diversification. In the workshops of Eibar they manufactured from a corkscrew to a shotgun, or from a sewing machine to a bicycle. This particular way of seeing the work, linked to the craftsmanship and therefore the work put in the manufacture was decisive to cross borders and to export products all over the world.
Cometa Airguns is a family business that was founded in 1860 by Mr. Trifón Bascaran, based in Eibar, dedicated to the manufacture of alarm guns that are now known under the name of blanks and rifles Flobert system. As a curiosity we will add that they also manufactured cigarette rolling machines. The company Armas Trifón Bascaran in 1900 decided to expand production by also manufacturing hunting shotguns and air guns. Years later the factory was managed by his son, Mr. Justo Bascaran and his partner Mr. Ignacio, who focused the production on hunting shotguns and air rifles marketed under the name of Cometa and Indian.
From C & T Bascaran to Comet Carbines: A History of Expansion and Craftsmanship in the Compressed Air Gun Industry
In 1940 the company changed its name to C y T Bascaran S.L., which are the initials of Justo’s daughters.
Mrs. Concepcion and Mrs. Teresa Bascaran focused their production on airguns. The production was sold entirely in the Spanish market but from 1970 the international expansion of its products began, reaching more than 35 countries and exporting 80% of its production. Countries with markets as demanding as the United States, England, France, Germany and Russia are just some of a long list. In addition, its products have been marketed under the name of RWS, Browning Airguns, among others.
The factory changed its name in 1990 for marketing reasons, being called Carabinas Cometa S.A. and is currently managed by Mr. Guillermo and Mrs. Cristina Martiricorena Bascaran. Cometa airguns combine the craftsmanship of more than a century of history with the most modern technology. The handcrafted manufacture of its stocks and its excellent cold forged barrels are appreciated by shooters from all over the world. They also stand out for the solidity and precision of their guns and the absence of plastic components. When you get your hands on a Cometa carbine or pistol after reading this article, we hope you will appreciate the work and dedication of a family business that follows the tradition of the gunsmiths of Eibar. If it were not for the mechanization phases, the artisan system is still intact five centuries later, where each operator has his own specialty, gun maker, breech maker and assembler.
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