Buying a Solingen Knife

When searching for a knife, you have to know that there are different knives that serve different purposes, and each one is carefully created to serve that purpose. Whether you're looking for a survival knife, hunting knife, kitchen knife, or pocket knife, you should understand the type of metal required to make that knife ideal for the purpose at hand. And if you're looking for a cold steel knife, there are few that can boast the unmatched quality of a Solingen knife.

In the small town of Solingen, Germany, lies a company that has been making quality blades since the 16th century. Solingen seemed like an ideal town for blade manufacturing since the city was founded in 1374. With its dense forests ideal for charcoal as well as bordering streams and creeks that were overflowing with iron ore, it is no wonder that the people of Solingen take extreme pride in their cutlery.

Unfortunately, that almost came to a close following World War I, in which many of the markets were closed to the German company, and led to a lot of the manufacturers inside of Solingen having to close their doors. With the coming of the Third Reich, Solingen witnessed a rebirth making bayonets, swords, and other combat related cutlery.

Inside Solingen, there are a few knife manufacturers, with one of the most famous being Forschner. It may come as a surprised to you now that you know the incredible military history behind Solingen, but Forschner is most famous for its kitchen and cooking knives. The quaint town plays host to a few other companies that have carved their niche in the pen knife and sheath industry, and include such names as Boker, Eickorn, Mercator, Puma, Robert Klaas, and a few others.

It is because of this that Solingen has become known as the cutlery capital of the world. Anyone who buys a Solingen knife should rest easy knowing that they received the best and highest quality piece of cutlery, and are one of millions who have been served by the Solingen knife manufacturers in the past centuries. You would join a very well known group of professionals who also use knives made in the tiny town.

Wusthof, one of the Solingen manufacturers, has been making knives since 1814. Because of their unyielding quality, they are used by the German National Team of Chefs. They make over 120 different variety of knives and are used only by the most distinguished chefs. You would be hard pressed to find a five star restaurant that does not have Wusthof cutlery somewhere in their kitchen.

Jeff Russell is a veteran knife collector and knife enthusiast. He runs Standard Knife, a website dedicated to great knives at great prices.