Why So Little Interest in Old Solingen Blades?

Interesting thread. I think The big reason people pass up the German knives and jump for the Kabars and such is the same reason a lot of people pass up a firebird for a mustang. Some things just get all the star power. That said. I know that anything German seems to get assigned a status of high quality but not the rock star status of American knives. I do have a very obscure knife by a German brand called Decora Solingen. That brand seems to emphasize gadgetry over toughness. The knife I have has a decent hunting style blade that's thin with good belly but it's fixed in a bakalite handle that has a magnifying scope on the butt of the handle for scouting game. It's a novel idea. I've looked up other decora knives that have corkscrews and awls integrated into the handle. I've found no information or mention of that brand other than the super crappy seller descriptions on ebay.
 
Return of the J.D. said:
One thing that's mystified me in the online knife community (prominently including this forum) is people's apparently-low interest in the old high-carbon knives made in Solingen, Germany, which are so common on, for example, eBay. These knives are generally quite well made, using something which I gather is either 1095 steel or something very much like it. A little shopping will get you one with a 10-inch blade for about $50--but instead people are paying almost twice as much for a Cold Steel Trailmaster or a Becker BK-9. Even a lot of the Ka-bar knives are at nearly the same price-range. An RTAK will set you back about 80 bucks--and yet you see these very-similar-and-maybe-better-steel German knives selling for a lot less than comparably-configured modern knives with what is in some cases very questionable durability. What gives?

A lot of the old German knives have a lot more character--several have actual stag handles, which I'd take over rubberized Kraton. (At least staghorn doesn't dissolve if you spray insect repellent in the vicinity.) The littler ones--with blades in the 4-to-6-inch neighborhood--look like they'd handle most of what you'd throw at a lot of the more-fad-friendly modern bush knives. I'm kind of mystified by the low interest level people seem to have. Is there a genuine quality concern that I just haven't heard about? Or is it just a fad thing?

What do you all think?
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The Solingen factories were contractors producing a bag of common components that were mixed and matched to order and sold under the distributor's brand. With a few exceptions, such as Puma, there was no real identity for these knives. The same common blades, handles and fixtures could be found on 50 different brands and hundreds of knife models around the globe. They were intended as basic using knives and marketed for hunting and the outdoors; they were not positioned for collectors as many of the current popular knives are.

By present standards, the blades were soft (sharpening was done on natural stones rather than ceramics or diamond), the sheaths were mostly terrible and the assembly with the pommel retaining nut was constantly coming loose.

n2s
 
I've dismantled some of the rattail tangs, & there is often a big hollow inside the handle & a drill hole through the skinny tang. Very weak build.
 
I have only one Solingen folder left. It's a beauty but the blade is paring knife thin and flexy. I don't need a sharpened prybar but if I can bend the the blade with my fingers it's maybe a bit under built for me.

Some older makers can get stuck in a rut. We've been making knives (cars, stereos, cameras) this way for 100 years; you must chose our way because it is impossible for us to be wrong.

It's a fine line from when you go from giving people what they want to telling people what they want is wrong.
 
I have recently inherited a Solingen fixed blade from my late grandfather. I am in the process of figuring out where the blade came from since on the sheath there are marking "Mombasa 16 . 11 . 1940" and below that "133 250" also the only markings on the blade is the name "Solingen" , what do you guys think? Any ideas where I can start my search on the history of this blade?
 
SkinnyNinja said:
I have recently inherited a Solingen fixed blade from my late grandfather. I am in the process of figuring out where the blade came from since on the sheath there are marking "Mombasa 16 . 11 . 1940" and below that "133 250" also the only markings on the blade is the name "Solingen" , what do you guys think? Any ideas where I can start my search on the history of this blade?
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Post your question with some photos of the knife and sheath here. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/f...-Levine-s-Knife-Collecting-amp-Identification
 
Many of the German made hunting/camp knives look great, but the sheaths were not the best, and the handles were very small/narrow. At least the examples I've seen. It looks like the famous Puma fixed blade, the name escapes me though, was an anomaly. I really like the designs, they gravitated to the 19th century Sheffield style designs.

Many are looking into woodcraft and thinking they are going to the woods to build Taj Mahal, instead of enjoying themselves. Buzzwords. I have a couple ESEEs (6, machete, Junglas), I like the Becker designs, too thick for me, but I still like it.

I think that if a company were to reproduce the old designs they'd make a mint. But most Americans are much bigger than the handles made back in the 60s and 70s.
 
I have one of the generic bowie style pieces made by Voos cutlery. It has plastic imitation stag handles, and the previous owner buggered up the edge so badly I took it to my belt sander & reground it to a convex edge/grind.
Voos%20bowie_zpstvkse0tk.jpg


I agree with many of the points already mentioned in this thread. All the German knives I've played with from this era have good steel that seems pretty tough, but the larger knives are often on the softer side. When I was working on this one, I estimate its hardness is only somewhere around 54 Rc, based on the way it worked on my stones, etc. I also dislike the skinny tangs on so many of these, complete with huge stress risers right where the blade meets the guard, and I don't like thick saber grinds. If you can find one with a full tang and a full height grind, I think it would serve you very well.
 
I have a couple of old Tree brand knives that belonged to my Dad. He swore by carbon steel. He said son, carbon will hold an edge longer than stainless. He wasn't alive long enough to see the quality stainless steels that are available today.

For me, I LOVE the patina on an old carbon blade. But then, I have a couple of Bucks with BG42 that I love also.
 
the old German issue K55's were great knives, we have a couple on the site cheap and I have a few at home I use from time to time.

-Josh
 
not2sharp said:
The Solingen factories were contractors producing a bag of common components that were mixed and matched to order and sold under the distributor's brand. With a few exceptions, such as Puma, there was no real identity for these knives. The same common blades, handles and fixtures could be found on 50 different brands and hundreds of knife models around the globe. They were intended as basic using knives and marketed for hunting and the outdoors; they were not positioned for collectors as many of the current popular knives are.

By present standards, the blades were soft (sharpening was done on natural stones rather than ceramics or diamond), the sheaths were mostly terrible and the assembly with the pommel retaining nut was constantly coming loose.
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I will accept what you say as fact. They were just factories and the brand identity didn't really matter. The same can be said about many of the Chinese and Japanese factories. Just factories that produce knives or knife components that are marketed under many brand names.

Victorinox has made and sold millions of folders that use a softer steel and people like them a lot. People like the convenience of the tools and the ease of sharpening. You could say the same thing about Case knives.

With regard to SilentHunterStudio's comment about making a mint today..... I don't know. People have moved on for the most part at least here in the US. Knife styles or designs are trendy. There are enough US companies to keep people satisfied whether they import the knives or make them themselves. People don't gravitate to the old styles of fixed blades, for example the Randall look so much. I like it, but tend to buy Blackjack knives which are essentially copies of the general design formula.
 
Historically Canada has always been supplied with French, then British, and eventually American cutlery. The only German knives that I remember as a kid were the old Puma ? line. I seem to remember drooling over something called the ''White Hunter'' as a youth. Normark knives were a bit of a thing decades ago as they were marketed in a major chain up here. Everyone seems to have had one at one time, decades ago. The Big Swede, Super Swede etc., I had them all. But then, those obviously aren't German.
 
Myal said:
I have a couple

100_2742-1.jpg


the one that looks like a marbles knife is a regular user , the straight one is gunna get redone , needs working on , Ill get around to it one day if I dont off load it first

they arent choppers , but then I dont want choppers in a knife this small , just game dressing knife .

they are good blades , take a great edge and really hold it well , I like using a knfe that is way older than me too , like keepin history alive sorta
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In the early 90's knowing Solingen steel reputation I bought in Army & Navy Surplus store knife on the right "Edge Mark" Solingen Germany with carbon steel "461" blade that seems to stain easy.
It's a great fixed blade, very comfortable in hand, extremely light weight.
But it has one major problem, cheap thin long bendable finger guard.
When it's straight it hits cutting board surface so needs to be bended, but because it bends so easy by hand I'm afraid eventually it will break off.
Also, being made from cheap brass it gets green oxidation very easy even more so than my other knives from China, India, Pakistan that also have brass bolsters.
That is why I don't use it much, once a year I have to clean off green oxidation gunk it spreads to leather sheathe and on clothe.
That oxidation occurs even when storing it in dry shoe box, it gets worse from blood, sweat or water.

My second knife was a gift, it's classic 3-blade slip joint "Carl Schlieper" Hammered Forged Solingen Germany Carbon steel "425Y" with silver shield and yellow plastic handle with squared silver bolsters, American version of this knife was called "Jim Bowie".
Being yellow handle non-locking blades classic looking gentlemen's pocket folder it's very "sheeple" friendly especially when using small pen or sheep's foot blades.
I put 15 DPS convex edge on all 3 blades now it's a wicked slicer, but it looks like it has soft 54-55HRC steel that gets dings in it.
But 3 major issues that makes it less than friendly/ heavy duty user for me it also applies to all slip joints even ones with stainless steel.
1. Non locking, need two hands to open blades big minus in my opinion.
2. Carbon blades that get finger print stains every time I pull it open.
3. While slim handle makes it easy to carry in pocket, it isn't very comfortable in hand for tight grip for heavy use, due to the fact that remaining two closed blade spines dig into my finger when tightly wrapped around slim handle. The only comfortable grip is loose with index and thumb fingers, which limits the use for this knife to very light duty.

Also, that is why I stopped using my SAK and switched to Leatherman Wave.

For all those reasons I prefer modern knives, better materials, better ergonomics, better locking mechanisms, easier maintenance.
 
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upnorth said:
Historically Canada has always been supplied with French, then British, and eventually American cutlery. The only German knives that I remember as a kid were the old Puma ? line. I seem to remember drooling over something called the ''White Hunter'' as a youth. Normark knives were a bit of a thing decades ago as they were marketed in a major chain up here. Everyone seems to have had one at one time, decades ago. The Big Swede, Super Swede etc., I had them all. But then, those obviously aren't German.
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I don't know where you grew up in Canada but when I was a kid in Alberta in the 50's and 60's , German Solingen hunting knives (various brands) were everywhere...you could buy them in drugstores, hardware stores and hobby stores...and we all tried to get them. Our favourite hobby store in town sold plastic model kits, knives, rifles and shotguns. A lot of kids carried knives to school then, and we played knife games at recess, but the only time I remember anyone getting stabbed was in geometry class with a compass (the kind you draw circles with). Also, I still use "Big Swede" and "Super Swede" knives...one (BS) I keep in the truck and one (SS) is in the drawer of the desk I am sitting at right now.
 
robinpeck said:
I don't know where you grew up in Canada but when I was a kid in Alberta in the 50's and 60's , German Solingen hunting knives (various brands) were everywhere...you could buy them in drugstores, hardware stores and hobby stores...and we all tried to get them. Our favourite hobby store in town sold plastic model kits, knives, rifles and shotguns. A lot of kids carried knives to school then, and we played knife games at recess, but the only time I remember anyone getting stabbed was in geometry class with a compass (the kind you draw circles with). Also, I still use "Big Swede" and "Super Swede" knives...one (BS) I keep in the truck and one (SS) is in the drawer of the desk I am sitting at right now.
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:) Grew up in southern Ontario bud but spent most of my life in Sask. I remember the days when you could walk into Canadian tire and ask for a few boxes of shotgun shells or buy a 12 gauge single as a teen, pay at the counter, and walk out the door with the gun in factory box. Those days are long gone now huh. Ya I hear you. I've had knives for about 45 years now and never saw someone cut or stabbed. Well ok, I might have nipped my own fingers a time or two through the years. ;)
 
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