Classics no longer made in Solingen, Germany?

[cbach8tw]

Ok, maybe I am late to the game on this, but I just got a new SMKW catalog and there was a little blurb how the traditional Boker classic patterns are no longer going to be made in Solingen, Germany. Anyone knows what gives? Moving production to Argentina Or Spain so they can use foreign parts? I remember reading in the forums that if it had Solingen, Germany then it was all made in Germany, just Germany then they could be made with some foreign parts. Or is it a way to get more Boker in their own domestic market? It was ironic that Germans could not get German knives in their own nation. Are the taxes doing business in Germany excessive they need to move production? Just curious, sorry if this has been discussed before.

 

[Frank Gray]

Ok, maybe I am late to the game on this, but I just got a new SMKW catalog and there was a little blurb how the traditional Boker classic patterns are no longer going to be made in Solingen, Germany. Anyone knows what gives? Moving production to Argentina Or Spain so they can use foreign parts? I remember reading in the forums that if it had Solingen, Germany then it was all made in Germany, just Germany then they could be made with some foreign parts. Or is it a way to get more Boker in their own domestic market? It was ironic that Germans could not get German knives in their own nation. Are the taxes doing business in Germany excessive they need to move production? Just curious, sorry if this has been discussed before.

Boker has been moving a lot of their production out of Germany, most likely, for economic and profit reasons. It’s also added confusion to the market since you can buy a bone trapper, mostly China made for about $40, while a Solingen made, if they still produce, is over $100.

 

[RevolverGuy]

Boker's are still being made in Solingen. They're headquartered there and the factory manufacturers classic pocket knives and kitchen knives from there. There may be some confusion as to their lineup, but it has not changed in the past 15-20 years. The way to find out where your knife was made is if the Tree shield on your knife says SOLINGEN and SOLINGEN is stamped on the tang of the main blade, then it was manufactured and assembled in Solingen, Germany. If the Tree shield says GERMANY, then it is a knife where parts were outsourced overseas (most likely China or Taiwan) and assembled in Germany. If the knife is branded ARBOLITO on the blade then it is made in Argentina. The knives made in Argentina are all fixed blades though, as they don't make any of the traditional slipjoint knives.

*Added 2/17/21: Someone just showed me that same SMKW catalog. The way I am reading it is that doesn't say that manufacturing will cease, but that some of the patterns may be discontinued, which are the one's shown on the page the disclaimer is made.

Below is the exact wording from the SMKW catalog:
Attention Collectors: Many traditional Boker pocket knives will no longer be manufactured at the factory in Solingen, Germany. We have a number of the German-made pocket knives still in stock, so this will be your last chance to purchase a legend!

 

[jbmonkey]

I read this on a smkw flier about buy now. no more coming from germany.

dont know if true but that dealer did say it in an ad. not saying ads are true but I guess it is possible.

 

[Fixall]

I read this on a smkw flier about buy now. no more coming from germany.

dont know if true but that dealer did say it in an ad. not saying ads are true but I guess it is possible.

There is a whole mew lineup of Micarta integral barlows coming out of Solingen here soon.

 

[cbach8tw]

I took it to mean that production is still there but that traditional patterns produced there would be discontinued. Thanks. Would the micarta integral barlows be considered traditional or modern? Maybe a modern versio.