C. & E. Fein GmbH is a manufacturer of high-end power tools located near Stuttgart, Germany. Founded in 1867 by brothers Wilhelm Emil Fein and Carl Fein, the company invented the hand-held electric drill in 1895 and was responsible for many other innovations. Fein became famous for its grinders, electric screwdrivers, and Fein Multimaster RS, the original oscillating multitool.
History
In 1867, Wilhelm Emil Fein and his brother Carl founded a "mechanical workshop" in Stuttgart, the company C. & E. Fein. By 1873, the company had begun its first product line, focusing on medical induction apparatus and medical inductors. Two years later, Wilhelm Emil Fein invented the first electric fire alarm. In 1879, the city of Stuttgart installed a comprehensive fire alarm system developed by Fein, which included nine intercom stations (morse telegraphs), 50 alarm stations, and several telephones.
The company's growth continued, during its 25th anniversary celebration at the Liederhalle Culture and Congress Centre, C&E Fein celebrated the completion of its 1000th dynamo machine. Fein's fire alarm systems were widely adopted in cities including Nuremberg (1878), Gotha (1881), Ludwigsburg (1881), Frankfurt (Oder) (1882), Worms (1883), Regensburg (1887), Eßlingen am Neckar (1891), Bayreuth (1891), Karlsruhe (1892), Schwerin and Kempten (1894).
In 1895, Fein invented the electric hand drill, which is considered the forerunner of power tools.[1]