THANKS! It looks like the Solingen mark is an official EU mark of origin (DOM?) according to EU law, similar to some of the protected food groups and regions.
It may not prevent frauds and counterfeits outside of the EU but, it gives the consumer a chance to know they are getting the REAL article and allow the EU to go after the groups that are miss using the trademark.
Sid, looks like the only way to learn about the quality of Hartkopf blades will be for you to buy one, use it and then report your findings here. Then we all can know and it might even start a 'rush' on these knives. Maybe Hartkopf would send you a free knife if you tell them you will be reviewing it for the North American audience.
kj
Thanks Joe! I think I will keep looking at the resale and used places and see if I can turn one up. I have seen a few with the small skinny pen knife blades in the $40~50 range but, I really want something a bit wider, especially on a knife like this.
With the cap lifter, I think more along the lines of picnic type settings sitting in a meadow or by a brook with a beer and summer sausage or making a sandwich of some sort. Narrow blades are hard for me to control with my not too bad, but not terrible, wrists and grip as the blades will tend to twist in my hand. Heck, I might even enjoy an orange Fanta and a biscuit or bagel with butter or jam some morning after camping! How would I do that with a narrow bladed slip-joint (hence my Victorinox Spartan of my youth)?
Sure, where there is a will there is a way but, aging hands and bad wrists make blade selections a bit more challenging. Admittedly though in my youth, I never found any love of Congress or Stockman patterns and generally gravitated to wider blade profiles like the various Folding Hunters without deep clip points.
