Farusa
The company's story began in 1923, when Thorkil Hammer managed to borrow 200 kroner from his future mother-in-law. At the time, this was a significant sum, which allowed him to register his own business at the Copenhagen registry office under the name Thorkil Hammer A/S. In 1934, Thorkil and Kamma Hammer relocated the business to Savværksvej in Farum. Concurrently, the company was renamed Farum Savværk og Pakkassefabrik A/S, and its production consisted of railway ties as well as wooden packaging required by sugar and chocolate factories. Eight years later, in 1942, the company moved to new premises on Frederiksborgvej in Farum.
A Turning Point in 1972: Frisbee Production Begins Under the Old Name
A major turning point occurred in 1972 when the company began manufacturing frisbees. During its first year of production, the company still operated under its traditional carpentry factory name, Farum Savværk og Pakkassefabrik A/S, even though its own "Farusa Plast" stamp was immediately introduced for plastic products. It was not until the following year, 1973, that the company's official name was changed to Farusa Værk A/S, which aptly combined the previous words Farum, Savværk, and Pakkassefabrik.
Based in Farum, Denmark, the company obtained an official license to manufacture and sell frisbees in Scandinavia, covering Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. The American company Wham-O had already applied for a patent in Denmark on April 12, 1967, but Farusa did not launch production until 1972. In December 1976, the company's name was changed to Farusa Trading A/S, and it relocated to Bygmarken 14 in Farum. The actual manufacturing of frisbees at Farusa ended either at the very end of 1982 or the beginning of 1983, but the company continued to sell its remaining stock throughout 1983.
The Nordic Tripartite Agreement and Distribution in Sweden
Wham-O and the licensee had agreed that the licensed product would not be sold through subsidiaries. For this reason, a separate distribution structure was required for the Nordic market. A tripartite agreement was concluded between Wham-O, Farusa, and Johny Gustafson from Sweden, in which it was agreed that Gustafson would be responsible for sales in the Scandinavian countries. The exact date of the agreement is unknown, but Farusa's early packaging from 1972 contains no mention of a Swedish distributor, suggesting that the agreement was not yet in force when production began. Farusa started operations independently in Denmark, and the Nordic distribution network was built only slightly later.
The arrangement came into effect by 1973–1974 at the latest, when Gustafson took over the sales and importation of frisbees to Sweden through Plast Ab Jee Cee, a company he founded. Since Gustafson founded the Swedish Frisbee Association (Svenska Frisbeeförbundet) together with Mikael Hjärtsjö in 1974, these contractual structures and the connection to Farusa were already well-established at that time. The name of Gustafson's company was later changed to IFO Sportprodukter ab in the spring of 1978 (the name change officially took place between December 12, 1977, and May 7, 1978). Later, Gustafson expanded his operations by founding the EDGA (European Disc Golf Association), which also served as a marketing channel for the products.
Distribution Network in Norway and DenmarkNorway: According to official 1980 World Class packaging information and brochures, the main representative and importer in Norway was SportCo A/S, based in Oslo at Gabelsgatan 8, N-Oslo 2. This demonstrates that distribution was centralized through a large and established Norwegian sports agency capable of covering sports shops nationwide.
Denmark: In its domestic market in Denmark, Farusa Trading A/S handled distribution largely by itself in cooperation with Intersport Danmark. As volumes grew and the sport became more professional, the distribution network expanded and became established with specialized operators. By the time of the official 1980 World Class brochures and packaging information, Apropos Sport ApS (Kalkbrænderihavnsgade 22), operating in Copenhagen, served as the national agent. In addition, Skib-shoppen (Skib-shop), operating in Hellerup (Hellerupvej 4), had emerged as an official retailer and distribution point.
Two Eras of Finnish Importation: Amexpo and Booster
In Finland, the history of frisbee importation experienced an interesting cycle between Amexpo and Booster. The first official importer was Amexpo Oy, founded by Seppo Niemisen on January 5, 1976. Amexpo made its historic first frisbee order to the Farusa factory on October 24, 1977. This batch included a box of Junior frisbees and a box of All American models, and the company also managed to print the very first discs featuring Finnish text. In late 1978, Helsinki-based Booster Oy took over as the official importer. Booster assumed responsibility for Farusa Wham-O Fastback shipments and propelled the frisbee boom into the Finnish mass market, selling tens of thousands of discs annually to major central wholesale corporations.In 1983, however, the circle came full close. As Farusa's Wham-O production came to an end and a new sport, disc golf, was taking its first steps, Amexpo Oy returned as the importer in Finland. It took charge of importing a new American game-changer, Innova (Innova-Champion Discs). As a result, the very first official disc golf discs in Finland to feature Finnish hot stamps—such as the early Aero, Aviar, Aviar XD, and Original Hammer models—were specifically brought to the market by Amexpo.
The Factory's Product Line and Own Disc Model
In its day, Farusa's own factory manufactured several Wham-O models as separate molding units, including the Junior, Professional, All American, Moonlighter, Super Pro, Master, Fastback, and Mini. In contrast, the World Class series discs were merely packaged in Denmark, as they were imported ready-made from the United States. Before production ended in the early 1980s, Farusa also managed to develop its own disc golf disc, the Midnight Sun, which was based on a Wham-O mold.
The Evolution and Different Versions of the Junior Model
While the American company Wham-O used the name Regular for this 85-gram basic disc, the discs manufactured in Denmark were invariably called the Junior. Over the years, Farusa produced five different versions of the Junior disc. For the later Junior versions (Versions 2–5) from the 1973–1982 Farusa Värk A/S era, a shared technical feature became standard: 12 inner and 28 outer flight rings. The tooling text on the underside of the discs also remained nearly identical throughout the series, including Wham-O's patent information (U.S. Pat NO.3.359.678), the Danish patent number (PAT.NO. 118,592), as well as throwing instructions in English and the manufacturer marking: A/S Farusa SA VVÆRK, Farum, Danmark. However, the collection's very first initial batch from 1972 stands as a complete exception to this.
Top Lettering and Structure: The exact profile of the center area of the disc cannot be confirmed, as the only known surviving specimen is in its unopened original packaging, where a large graphic label covers the center. For this reason, we also cannot see or confirm with certainty whether the word "Farusa" is written in raised lettering on the upper part of the disc. However, based on the visible edges, only the word "Frisbee" appears in raised lettering on the lower part of the top cover, without the official registration mark ®, as the mark was not added to the molds until the following year.
Version 2: FARUSA, JUNIOR, FARUSA FRISBEE®Top Lettering:
Raised lettering reading "Farusa Frisbee®". The official registration mark ® has been updated into the mold.
Center Structure: A distinct, wide, and sharp-edged raised ring has been created around the injection point in the center of the disc. This alters the disc's profile by creating a flat-bottomed indentation in the middle.
Disc Colors: Purple and Orange.
Years of Manufacture: 1973–1974
Background: In 1973, the company's name was officially changed to Farusa Værk A/S, and the new manufacturer text was updated into the mold. Johny Gustafson joined the Scandinavian distribution (Plast AB Jee Cee was founded), and the Swedish Frisbee Association (Svenska Frisbeeförbundet, SFF) was established in 1974.
Version 3: FARUSA, JUNIOR, FARUSA FRISBEE®
Top Lettering: Raised lettering reading "Farusa Frisbee®" (same lettering mold as in Version 2).
Center Structure: The mold has been radically altered. A completely flat center with no steps or gradations. Only two low and narrow grooves encircle the injection point.
Disc Colors: Light yellow, Dark yellow, and Orange.
Years of Manufacture: 1975–1976
Background: The change was made purely for production-technical and commercial reasons. As the Scandinavian promotional frisbee market grew under Johny Gustafson's sales, a flat area was required on the discs for company logos. The flat center created a perfect, defined surface for hot stamps and corporate promotional stickers. In December 1976, the factory relocated to Bygmarken, and the name was changed to Farusa Trading A/S.
Parallel sales packaging for the Farusa Junior model (Version 3) from the mid-1970s. On the left, a cardboard header card designed for toy store distribution with an early 4.75 kroner price tag, and on the left, a plastic bag from the Scandinavian main representative, Plast AB Jee Cee. Inside both packages is the same redesigned "promotional center" mold version.
Version 4: FARUSA, JUNIOR, FRISBEE® Laurels T.M.
Top Lettering: Raised lettering reading "Frisbee® Laurels T.M." The top branding changes to include Wham-O's traditional laurel wreath motif (Laurels) and the trademark designation T.M.
Disc Colors: Light yellow and Dark yellow.
Years of Manufacture: 1977–1978
Background: Wham-O's official international laurel wreath mold was introduced in Denmark as early as late 1976. This model was widely distributed across Scandinavia over a long period, packaged both in blue-and-white plastic bags and in toy store blister/header-card packs that still listed Plast AB Jee Cee as the main representative. Finland's Amexpo Oy received precisely this version in its very first order in October 1977.
Two different Wham-O Farusa licensed bags, both of which contained a Farusa Junior 4 version.
On the left (Older bag version): The bottom features the traditional 6-disc list (Junior–Master). The Scandinavian general agent is listed as Plast AB Jee Cee (Bromma, Sweden).
On the right (Newer bag version): The layout on the front of the bag has been redesigned to include illustrated throwing instructions and SFF logo. The disc list at the bottom is expanded to include models like the Fastback 106 g, and the manufacturer is updated to Farusa Trading ApS (Farum, Denmark).
This sticker is a copy of the Wham-O Master sticker.
Version 5: FARUSA, JUNIOR, FRISBEE® Flying Disc Laurels®
Top Lettering: Raised lettering reading "Frisbee® Flying Disc Laurels®". This is the final Junior version, where the laurel wreath designation has received its own official ® mark, and the words "Flying Disc" have been added to the text.
Disc Colors: Yellow and Brown.
Years of Manufacture: 1978–1982
Background: In 1978, Farusa revamped its production to match Wham-O's entire range of branded products. Unlike previous versions, this final Version 5 disc was reportedly never packaged in the old Plast AB Jee Cee bags or header cards, and no photographic evidence of such combinations has survived. Version 5 was put into production in Denmark only after Johny Gustafson's company had officially changed into IFO Sportprodukter ab. During the IFO era, a new graphic line and new "Frisbee® Disc" packaging were introduced, which also modernized the distribution of the Junior model. In Finland, Helsinki-based Booster Oy began mass distribution to supermarkets precisely during the production of this IFO-era Version 5.
A promotional disc for the Kauhajoki everyman's car racing competitions (left) and a rare brown test-run version (right). The model on the left documents Finnish disc sports history at its very origins: Finland's first frisbee importer, Amexpo Oy, and disc pioneer Seppo Nieminen operated precisely in Kauhajoki, which explains the locality's early and exceptional promotional disc collaboration with the racing events. The brown Junior disc on the right, on the other hand, represents the Farusa factory's internal plastic color testing (a test-phase molding) that was never released into broader commercial production or distribution.
Wham-O Mfg. Co.'s official brand guidelines from 1978. A strict legal requirement sent by the Californian headquarters obligated international licensed manufacturers, such as Denmark's Farusa, to protect the Frisbee trademark from genericide (becoming a generic term). The document mandated that it was compulsory to use a noun, such as "flying disc" or "disc," in connection with the name, which led to a mold change in Farusa's Junior discs and the creation of Version 5 (Frisbee® Flying Disc Laurels®).
THE THEORY OF TWO SEPARATE MOLDS
A mold-technical and visual analysis of the early history (1972–1974) of the Farusa Junior model leads to the following conclusion: the transition from Version 1 to Version 2 was not merely a partial modification of an existing mold, but rather the factory introduced two completely distinct steel molds.This theory of two separate master molds is supported by the following arguments:
A Radical Change in Surface Texture and Flight Rings: The outer edge of Version 1 features a significantly denser, highly fine-grained, and numerous micro-groove pattern, whereas from Version 2 onward, a completely different standard of 28 outer flight rings was established in production. It is impossible to remove or alter grooves turned or milled into a steel mold this radically without manufacturing the entire mold cavity from scratch.
A Complete Shift in Typeface (Font): As a precise comparison of the top cover demonstrates, the lettering on the 1972 Version 1 is distinctly angular. Starting from Version 2, all Farusa Værk discs utilize Wham-O's official, significantly rounder and wider font. Altering letters from angular to round would have required the re-milling of the old steel. While such repair work was technically possible, it was risky in industrial plastic manufacturing. To ensure quality and durability, it made more sense for Farusa to invest directly in a completely new mold rather than patch-up work.When we analyze the texts on the front of the discs and the shapes of their letters, it is revealed that the Danish Farusa font is not a direct copy of this American Wham-O font; instead, they differ significantly on almost every letter. Even though Farusa held Wham-O's official license, their mold mechanic in Denmark clearly drew and engraved this "Frisbee" text with his own handwriting and tools. This further reinforces the theory that the mold for the 1972 Farusa initial batch was entirely independent—a masterpiece born of craftsmanship in Denmark.
Manufacturing Costs in the 1970s
A two-part injection mold of this kind, made for a frisbee weighing approximately 85–150 grams, typically weighs about 40–70 kilograms per half. This means the entire mold package weighs roughly 80–140 kilograms in total, including the clamping plates. The weight depends on the thickness of the steel blocks and the clamping structures required by the injection molding machine.
In the 1970s, mold manufacturing was expensive and time-consuming craftsmanship. Computer-controlled CNC machines were not yet widely in use, so molds were produced using manual milling machines, lathes, and—for the lettering—handcrafted master stencils or electrical discharge machining (EDM).
Cost Estimate in the 1970s: At the time, manufacturing the mold cost approximately 15,000 to 30,000 Danish kroner (DKK). Adjusted for inflation, this would correspond to an investment of around 15,000 to 30,000 euros today.
Why on earth did the factory abandon such an expensive investment after only about a year of use?
When analyzing the matter in light of early 1970s industrial history, licensing agreements, and financial turnover, three theories emerge for this radical decision:
1. Technical Necessity and Wham-O's Quality Requirements
Font analysis demonstrated that the first 1972 mold (Mold A) was Farusa's own temporary experiment, made with hand-engraved lettering and a numerous micro-groove pattern.
Lack of Flight Characteristics: It is possible that the discs produced by this first Danish mold did not fly well enough, warped during the cooling process, or broke easily, because the mold lacked Wham-O's official original dimensions and disc shapes.
Wham-O's Intervention: When Wham-O's representatives saw the first discs molded in Denmark, they may have demanded that Farusa scrap its own non-standard mold and implement the official mold specifications supplied from the United States. For the sake of brand quality, Farusa had no choice but to invest in a new steel mold.
2. The Birth of a Million-Dollar Business
In 1972, Farusa operated as a small local plastic manufacturer and sold discs exclusively within Denmark.
Market Multiplication: When Johny Gustafson from Sweden and Plast AB Jee Cee entered the picture at the turn of 1973–1974, the Scandinavian market (especially Sweden) opened up all at once.
Amortization of Costs in Seconds: When dealing with a mass market of suddenly millions of promotional discs, that mold cost—calculated at around 15,000 to 30,000 euros in today's money—became mere "peanuts" for the company. The price of the new, higher-quality mold was fully recovered within the first few large corporate orders. Making an expensive mold was therefore completely justified financially, as sales volumes grew exponentially.
Amortization of Costs in High-Volume Production: With a mass market of suddenly millions of discs, that mold cost of 15,000 to 30,000 euros in today's currency turned into a small and easily manageable expense for the company. The cost of the new, higher-quality mold was covered with just the first few large corporate orders. Developing an expensive mold was thus entirely reasonable from an economic standpoint, because sales volumes skyrocketed.
3. The Prototype Phase
In the metal industry at that time, it was common practice that the first mold (a so-called prototype mold) was not manufactured from the most expensive and hardest tool steel. Instead, a softer, unhardened basic steel, often referred to as "mild steel" or "production steel," was used for the launch. The advantage of this metal was that it was easy, fast, and cheap to machine, allowing test patterns and texts to be engraved into the mold at minimal cost. The downside, however, was the softness of the metal: the mold could not withstand long-term mass production, as it would wear out and lose its precision rapidly.
Testing Before High-Volume Production: In 1972, Farusa likely wanted to ensure that its injection molding machines were even capable of manufacturing such wide and thin plastic pieces before the factory committed to expensive, million-scale mass production. Once the test year proved the manufacturing method functional and showed that the market was receptive, this rapidly worn initial-phase test tool could be set aside and replaced with an official high-volume production mold made of extremely hard and durable steel.