History
The history of our enterprise
On April 1, 1923, a trading company with a warehouse was established in Hirschberg/Schlesien (Silesa, now in Poland) by Kurt Merker. He supplied the glass factories and glass refining shops in the Riesengebirge mountains, in the Earldom of Glatz, and in the Lausitz region with glass making equipment. Later he moved to Hermsdorf u/Kynast.
His supplies included grinding and polishing wheels. He also supported the intrdouction of the newly developed man-made grinding wheels.
In 1948, at the age of 50, Kurt Merker returned home from a POW-camp in Russia and was discharged in Kelheim at the Danube River. He picked up his former business connections in the Bavarian glass industry and called on the newly established workshops of displaced Germans expelled from Silesia.
His son Gernot Merker entered the business in 1956. Together they expanded their supply line to include all types of tools and equipment for glass production and refining shops. Their clientele grew and included customers in all of Western Germany and abroad.
In 1972, the company moved into their new office building at Elsterstrasse. The warehouse has a storage area of 600 m2 and includes a demonstration workshop. In 1981, Gernot H. Merker published his first of several books specializing on glass. He organized numerous exhibitions on glass.
From 1982, the company for decades was regularly represented at the international trade fair GLASSTEC in Düsseldorf where they display a large cross section of their supplies.
The company was converted into a "GmbH" (Ltd.) in 1984.
After the death of Kurt Merker in 1986, Gernot H. Merker took over and carried on as sole owner until his daughter Isabell Merker joined the enterprise in 1991 after her business management studies. She visits numerous glass conferences and fairs in Germany and abroad.
After the death of Gernot Merker in 2022, Isabell Merker runs the Kurt Merker GmbH Kelheim in the 100-year tradition and supplies the glass industry, the glass refining shops, and everybody who works with glass.
Please call on our experience at any time! We will be honored to serve you!
Kurt Merker Ltd. at fairs
Kurt Merker Ltd. exhibited at fairs in Germany and Europe in the last decades
Some examples:
- World Crafts Council, Wien-Oberlaa 1980, AUSTRIA
- Glass Art Society conference 2002 Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
- Glasstec Düsseldorf, GERMANY
- 7th international Symposium of Engraved Glass, Kamenický Šenov, CZECH REPUBLIC 2017
- Glass Art Society conference 2018 Murano, ITALY
Head office
Office building and warehouse at the Old Harbour in Kelheim.
Former office of Leo von Klenze, who finished the construction of the Liberation Hall begun by Friedrich von Gärtner 160 years ago.
Office building and warehouse, Elsterstrasse 6 in Kelheim.
Range of supply
Machinery and tools for handmaking and handdecorating of glass
We supply all machinery and tools for handmaking and handdecorating of glass. Our website shows a small part of our supply range only. We will gladly send you our catalogue on request.
Glasshouse equipment
Blowing irons/pipes, gathering irons, wooden blocks, cutting shears, handle shears, diamond shears, tools/pucellas, pointed pliers, pincers, mould doping, heat mitten, yokes, ladles, wood moulds, optic moulds and much more.
Our website shows a small part of our supply range only. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions.
Engraving lathe KMK1
Engraving lathe KMK 1 portable
A portable complete unit ready to plug in for permanent work in studio or when travelling. For engraving with diamond- or stone- and polishing wheels, cooper wheels.
- shaft with tapered bore MK 1.5
- 7-step round belt pulleys for 540 to 3360 rpm
- with single phase motor 0.25 kW, AC 230 volts, 50 ccs
- with emergency stop
- (or for US voltage 110 volts, 60 ccs, no stop)
- ready for engraving, with splash guard, funnel, tub, armrests
- steel spindle with tapered thread medium, ejector, tool kit
We supply all accessories for glass engraving as diamond engraving wheels, ceramic wheels, polishing wheels, polishing powders, spindles, dressing tools and so on. Ask for our catalogue.
Our website shows a small part of our supply range only. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions.
Diamond engraving wheels
We produce diamond engraving wheels according to customer requirements in any dimensions, profiles and grit sizes or wheels on shank or with bore.
We supply all machinery and tools for handmaking and handdecorating of glass. Our Website shows a small part of our supply range only. We will gladly send you our catalogue on request. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions. We place great emphasis on the personal contact with our customers for an individual and specific advice. Either by mail or by phone, we are at your disposal with our 100-year experience at any time.
Cutting lathes
Cutting lathes for glass cutting with diamond cutting wheels, ceramic wheels and for polishing.
Cutting lathe KMK 3
- built-in triphase motor 400 volts 50 ccs, 1,1 kW
- 6-step pulleys for endless V-belt, 300 - 2800rpm
- also available with stepless speed regulation
- halogen lamp 24 volts
Cutting lathe KMK 4
- built-in two-speed triphase motor 400 volts 50 ccs
- stepless speed regulation with frequency converter, endless V-belt, 310 - 5000rpm
- halogen lamp 24 volts
We supply all accessories for glass cutting as diamond cutting wheels, ceramic wheels, polishing wheels, polishing powders, spindles, dressing tools and so on. Ask for our catalogue.
Our website shows a small part of our supply range only. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions.
Polishing wheels
Polishing wheels for glass engravers and glass cutters
- Poplar wood wheels
- Cork wheels
- Combi-wheels
- Brush wheels
- Felt wheels and buffs
- Polyurethane wheels
Our website shows a small part of our supply range only. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions.
Flatgrinding
We supply flat grinders and polishers with different plate diameters. Please asks
Diamond magnetic discs
- Electroplated diamond in several grit sizes for cutting
- resinbonded prepolishing discs
- synthetic felt discs for polishing with cerium oxide
Diamond magnetic discs flexible
- in many different types: point coating, arrow coating, resinbonded, velcro-discs with diamond, siliconcarbide / felt / cork
The discs are available in many diameters and grit sizes, please ask!
Stoppering tools
KMK-diamond stoppering tools
- cones and sockets for carafes and perfume bottles
- polishing cones
The stoppering tools are produced to your design. Please tell us dimensions and grit sizes required. we quote.
Our website shows a small part of our supply range only. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions.
Contact
I look forward to your inquiries
We place great emphasis on the personal contact with our customers for an individual and specific advice.
Either by mail or by phone, we are at your disposal with our 100-year experience at any time.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions.
Isabell Merker