Discover Carl Mertens Knives Made In Germany
Made in Solingen, Germany - Why it Matters
Solingen, Germany is known for their high-quality cutlery. In fact, Solingen is known as the steel capital of the world and the "city of blades", and is where all Carl Mertens knives are made. In 1938, Solingen became the only city in the world whose name is a registered trademark, and in 1994, special legislation called the Solingen Decree was passed. This piece of legislation made it unlawful to use "Solingen" on any piece of cutlery not made in Solingen, similar to how sparkling wine may only be called Champagne if it was made in Champagne, France.
In order to mark a product with the name Solingen, all key manufacturing stages must have been processed and finished within Solingen. The product must also meet strict quality standards in order to be entitled to use the "Made in Solingen" mark. This means that a knife that was completely crafted and assembled in Solingen can not say "Made in Solingen" unless it meets these required quality standards.
Why Carl Mertens is Different from other Solingen-made Knives
Yes, knives that come out of Solingen must pass strict quality-control checks, and yes, many Solingen-made knife brands have been perfecting their manufacturing process for decades. However, Carl Mertens has a somewhat unique process compared to larger knife manufactures.
Forged vs Stamped Knives
Most people when shopping for knives will prefer a forged knife over a stamped knife. Forged knives are made from metal that's heated to red-hot temperatures and then beat into shape, giving the steel greater durability and strength. Stamped knives are literally stamped cookie-cutter style from a sheet of steel, and then sharpened. In short, forging makes steel stronger. For some companies, "forged" is just a fancy marketing buzzword to make their knives sound higher-quality, but for Carl Mertens, it's a promise. Many Solingen-based brands claim to forge their knives, but you should always do your homework before deciding to purchase. While they advertise their knives are forged, some manufactures only forge the bolster and then laser-cut the rest of the blade, leaving the actual blade the same flimsy quality as stamped knives. To be fair, with today's technology and heat-treating methods, most modern stamped knives are about on par with forged knives when it comes to quality. That being said, a stamped blade will be more flexible, while a forged blade will hold straight with significantly less bend.
100 Years of Business
Carl Mertens first began in 1919 as a small job-order grinding shop for pocket knife blades in Solingen, Germany. Over the past 100 years, they have become a premier brand showcasing excellent quality in flatware, exquisite kitchen tools, and of course, German knives. Carl Mertens handmade knives are known for creating beautiful, contemporary products made using the same traditional craftsmanship from when they began. Exquisite designs have led Carl Mertens to receive numerous design awards from IF Design, Red Dot, Design Plus, and more. Merging aesthetics with functionality, Carl Mertens creates truly unique pieces for your kitchen that are too beautiful to be put away for long.
