Solingen Cutlery Saturday

Solingen — City of Blades with a World Reputation

Solingen, the "City of Blades" in the Bergisches Land (North Rhine-Westphalia), has been synonymous with high-quality knives, scissors, and cutting tools for centuries. Solingen blades were already in demand throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. Today, "Solingen" is a protected designation of origin — buying a knife from this city means buying a piece of economic history. The Cutlery Saturday is the once-a-year opportunity to experience this tradition firsthand.

The Four Manufactories

For years, four traditional Solingen manufactories have participated:

• GÜDE (founded 1910): forged steel knives, 25 employees — one of the top addresses for handmade kitchen knives.
• ROBERT HERDER (founded 1872): premium blades, 69 employees — chefs in particular swear by their thin, sharp knives.
• KRETZER (founded 1923): scissor specialist, 50 employees — tailor's and hairdressing scissors of world renown.
• BECKER Solingen (founded 1930): manicure and pedicure tools, 115 employees — specialist for high-precision cosmetic tools.

Stamp Card and Museum Entry

Visitors receive a stamp card, which is stamped at each manufactory. With three stamps, you get free entry to the LVR Industrial Museum (former Hendrichs drop forge, founded 1886) — one of the most impressive industrial monuments in NRW. The museum extends its opening hours to 6 PM on this day and is part of the staged manufactory tour.

Live Demonstrations from the Workshop

What distinguishes the Cutlery Saturday from a normal open day: Live demonstrations from ongoing production take place in each manufactory. At GÜDE, blacksmiths forge glowing steel on historical hammers. At Herder, grinders demonstrate their craft. Kretzer demonstrates scissor assembly. Becker shows precision work on mini-tools that are barely visible to the naked eye.

Factory Prices and Direct Sales

The economic appeal for many visitors: Factory outlet prices and exclusive discounts apply at all four locations on this Saturday. A handmade Solingen kitchen knife can be significantly cheaper here than in specialist retail. Those who invest seriously in cutting tools (chefs, hobby craftsmen, hairdressers) often plan the Cutlery Saturday months in advance.