MesserGabelScherenMarkt

Where Solingen's Blades Take Center Stage

Solingen has been Germany's most famous city of blades since the Middle Ages — home to hundreds of cutlery manufacturers, from industrial giants like Zwilling J. A. Henckels and Wüsthof to small artisan workshops. The MesserGabelScherenMarkt at the historic LVR-Gesenkschmiede Hendrichs makes this industry visible for a weekend — annually.

Date and Opening Hours 2026

Saturday November 7 and Sunday November 8, 2026, daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Venue: LVR-Industriemuseum Gesenkschmiede Hendrichs, Merscheider Straße 289–297 in Solingen-Merscheid.

1,500 m² of Authentic Industrial Halls

The sales area spans around 1,500 m² of historic industrial halls in the former Gesenkschmiede Hendrichs — one of Solingen's best-preserved industrial monuments, where industrial scissor production took place until 1986. Today, it is part of the LVR-Industriemuseum network (Landschaftsverband Rheinland).

Products and Manufacturers

The exhibitors are exclusively Solingen cutlery manufacturers:

• Knives: Kitchen knives (chef's knives, bread knives, steak knives), outdoor knives, hunting and collector's knives
• Forks: Table forks and specialty forks
• Scissors: Tailoring, hairdressing, craft, medical, and specialty scissors
• Razors: Classic straight razors, modern safety razors, shaving brushes
• Collector's items, traditional and innovative products

On-Site Sharpening Service

A special service offered by the museum: a professional sharpening service for a small fee. Visitors can have their old or dull knives and scissors professionally sharpened during the market — a rare opportunity.

Timed-Entry Tickets

To manage capacity, the market uses timed-entry tickets:

• 10:00 AM–12:00 PM (2 hours)
• 12:00 PM–2:00 PM (2 hours)
• 2:00 PM–5:00 PM (3 hours)

Prices: €8 adults, €6 concessions, free for visitors under 18 years old. Advance online booking via the museum shop is recommended — the weekend is regularly fully booked.

Museum Café

The museum café serves hot and cold dishes, coffee, and homemade cakes. A relaxing break between rounds of exploring the halls.

Solingen — City of Blades

Solingen, with around 160,000 inhabitants, is located in the Bergisches Land region. It is home to hundreds of cutlery firms and is protected by international trademark law — the designation "Solingen" as a place of origin may only be used for cutlery manufactured within the city limits. The LVR-Gesenkschmiede Hendrichs documents this industrial history with its best-preserved historical production facility.