Solingen Reference
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 2:46 pm
Hi does anyone have a recommendation for a good reference source on Solingen knife history and makers? 
s-k
s-kHello Folks,
S-K threw this out there and I just had to respond. I have been busy on the home front, weather is making it nicer to be outside.
One of my first jobs when I got out of the service was working for this German guy. His family came to this country when Hitler came into power, 1935-38 or so. I do not think he was Jewish or anything like that, matter of fact, I do not think he was religious at all until right before he died. He did tell me Hitler was a Nut.
Most of the instruments used at that time were made in West Germany or Switzerland so the subject of knives came up often. He had a few himself. Anyway he told me that just about everybody in Solingen was involved in the Cutlery trade one way or the other. It was even a cottage industry, folks making stuff out of the homes. Just about anything with an edge to be thought of.
They (him and his wife) went back in the 1990's and he said it was still the same as far as folks being involved in the cutlery trade.
Anyway, he told me that is why you will find a lot of German knives with unknown or unheard of tang stamps like S-K showed once before. I have a few myself also I have never tracked down (yet). I even had a Mint BUSSE Solingen bone jack knife once, that Jerry Busse ( http://www.bussecombat.com ) brought from me off of eBay.
He called after he received it, said he never heard of it either.
I saw a book one time several years ago titled German Knife Makers or something like that in Knife World. It may have backed up this story, I never did buy the book. This was back before the web and I was just wondering if this story was true and anyone could add or inform.
9ball