Antique Solingen Knives (PICS ADDED)

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greengt88

Well-known member
Looking for info on Solingen knives, particularly antique ones from 1950's-1960's.

I have one, and want to start a collection of them.
Id like to know which models are the most desirable, and what to look for when buying.

Any advice appreciated.
 
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If I understand correctly, Solingen is a city in Germany not a particular individual maker. It's sorta like Seki, Japan. Lots of individual makers that produced knives from that area and many of them were simply marked with the city name of "Solingen" or "Seki". Is there a particular maker that interest you?
 
Solingen has a factory in germany, thats where the knife i have came from, my grandmother bought it for my grandfather as a present for being discharged from the Army Reserve in 1962. There are no other indications of a maker on the blade other than saying "Solingen"
Its an antler handled hunting blade with a Stag on the leather sheeth

I will try and post pics.
 
green, I had a knife like you describe in the mid 60's. Blade was made of a steel that was very difficult to sharpen on a stone. Mine had a bone handle.

I have seen these knives for sale on ebay, you might want to keep an eye out. They are not terribly expensive, probably $100 best I can remember. Blade is of very good quality, of course.
 
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Heres photos as promised. Blade reads
Rostfrei Solingen
Cant entirely make out whats on the sheath. I assume it is either makers signature or model/style of the knife.
 
Rostfrei = stainless steel. The wording on the sheath was probably from a prior owner of the knife. It's a common knife from that era made by one of the several cutlery factories in the German city of Solingen. My dad has a small one very similar in his fishing tackle box.
 
Originally Posted By: CastIt's Soligen steel not Soligen knives. You'll find it in a lot of good knives.

That's my understanding too....I have an old carpenters plane that's also marked Soligen...at least the blade is anyway....

From what I've read it's generally hard as he11 and the one and only knife I have that's stamped Soligen...a Charles Johnson Barlow from the late 30's....bears that out.....
It's not my favorite steel but I like old single blade Barlows so I hang on to it.....it's 80yrs old and still wobble free but as you know...that has more to do with the maker than the steel...


 
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