Solingen: Germany's Blade City and Its Scissor Making Tradition
Six centuries of bladesmithing in Solingen, the legally protected "Made in Solingen" designation, and how German manufacturing philosophy shaped professional shears worldwide.
The western half of the world’s blade axis
In Japan, a phrase describes the two greatest bladesmithing centers on earth: 「東の関、西のゾーリンゲン」(higashi no Seki, nishi no Zōringen). It translates as “Seki in the East, Solingen in the West.” That a Japanese industry proverb names a German city tells you something about Solingen’s standing.
Solingen sits in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. For over 600 years, this city has been synonymous with blades. Today it remains the only major Western manufacturing center that rivals Japan’s scissor-making heritage, and its “Made in Solingen” designation carries legal protection that most regional labels lack.
Six centuries of blades
Solingen’s bladesmithing tradition dates to the late medieval period. The city’s location along the Wupper river valley provided water power for grinding wheels and forges. By the 15th century, Solingen had established a reputation for swords, knives, and cutting tools across Europe.
As sword demand declined, Solingen’s smiths shifted to industrial and consumer products. Cutlery, razors, surgical instruments, and eventually professional scissors. The skill set transferred cleanly because the fundamental metalworking knowledge (steel selection, heat treatment, grinding, finishing) applied across all blade types.
Today, Solingen produces kitchen knives, surgical blades, grooming tools, and professional hairdressing scissors. The city is home to Zwilling J.A. Henckels, one of the world’s oldest cutlery brands, along with dozens of specialist scissor makers.
The “Made in Solingen” designation
“Made in Solingen” is not a marketing phrase. It is a legally protected geographical designation under German law. Only products manufactured within the city boundaries according to specific quality standards may carry it. This puts it in the same category as champagne from Champagne or Parmigiano-Reggiano from Parma.
For scissors, the designation means that the essential manufacturing steps (forging, grinding, heat treatment, assembly, sharpening) happened in Solingen. A company cannot import rough blanks from Asia, polish them in Solingen, and stamp “Made in Solingen” on the box.
This legal protection gives the designation real meaning when you see it on a pair of shears. It is a verifiable claim about where and how the product was made.
Key manufacturers
Several established companies produce professional hairdressing scissors in Solingen.
Jaguar has been manufacturing since 1932 and is part of Zwilling AG (through United Salon Technologies). According to Jaguar, their facility produces approximately 3,000 scissors per day through 120 or more production steps. Jaguar distributes to over 100 countries and is one of the most recognized German scissor brands worldwide.
Tondeo was established in 1928 and is also part of the Zwilling AG group. Tondeo describes their manufacturing as combining CNC precision with hand finishing. The company reports over 90 years of continuous production from Solingen.
Cerena operates as a family-run company with over 50 years of history. According to Cerena, their production process involves roughly 80% handwork across 120 work steps. They export to more than 30 countries.
NTS Solingen is part of the ROBUSO family of companies and describes itself as a family manufactory where all production happens on site by hand.
Other Solingen-based producers include e-kwip, Witte, Rhein Instrumente, and El. Herder (Tukan). The ecosystem ranges from global brands to small specialist workshops.
Friodur ice-hardening
One of the most notable Solingen innovations is the Friodur process, developed by Jaguar. Standard heat treatment hardens steel by heating and quenching. Friodur adds an extreme cold phase after the initial heat treatment, taking the steel down to sub-zero temperatures.
This extra step converts remaining soft steel structures (retained austenite) into harder martensite. The result, according to Jaguar, is improved edge retention, greater corrosion resistance, and more consistent hardness throughout the blade. Several other Solingen manufacturers use similar ice-hardening techniques under different names.
CONBLADE technology
Tondeo developed what they call CONBLADE technology for their blade production. According to Tondeo, CONBLADE combines CNC-precision manufacturing with specific blade geometry designed for reduced cutting resistance. The technology is paired with their Ball-Gliding screw system, which uses a ball bearing in the pivot assembly for smoother blade action.
How German manufacturing differs from Japanese
The philosophical gap between Solingen and Seki is real, even though both cities produce excellent professional shears.
Production structure. Seki operates on the bungyosei (分業制) system where diferent specialist workshops handle different stages. A single pair of scissors might pass through five or six independent shops. Solingen manufacturers tend toward vertical integration, keeping most or all production stages under one roof.
Sharpening tradition. Japanese scissors are typically finished using hamaguri (蛤刃) technique, a hand-ground convex profile shaped on water-cooled stones through up to seven angles. German scissors are sharpened using the Konvex-Schliff method, a convex grind applied with belt or wheel grinding systems. Both produce convex edges, but the techniques are fundamentally different and incompatible. Sending Japanese scissors for Konvex-Schliff sharpening (or vice versa) can permanently damage the blade geometry.
Steel hardness range. Japanese scissors typically achieve 58 to 65 HRC hardness. German scissors tend toward 54 to 60 HRC. Harder steel holds its edge longer but is more brittle and more difficult to sharpen. Softer steel needs more frequent sharpening but is more forgiving if the shears are dropped or nicked.
Weight and feel. German shears are generally heavier than their Japanese counterparts. This is partly a material choice and partly a design philosophy. Some stylists prefer the heft; others prefer lighter tools. Neither is objectively better.
Sharpening accessibility. Because German steel is softer and the Konvex-Schliff technique is more widely taught, finding a competent sharpener for German scissors is generally easier than finding one qualified for Japanese hamaguri work.
What this means when you buy
“Made in Solingen” is a reliable claim. Unlike many geographical labels in the scissors industry, this one has legal teeth. If a pair of shears carries the Solingen designation, the core manufacturing happened there.
German shears suit certain stylists well. If you prefer heavier tools, want easier access to sharpening services, or work in a high-volume environment where occasional drops are a reality, German shears deserve consideration. Softer steel means nicks can often be repaired without removing as much blade material.
Do not mix sharpening systems. If you buy Solingen shears, maintain them with Konvex-Schliff sharpening. If you buy Japanese shears, maintain them with hamaguri technique. Ask your sharpener directly which method they use before handing over your tools.
Heritage is not a hierarchy. Solingen and Seki represent two distinct traditions that developed independently for centuries. One is not better than the other. They reflect different philosophies about how blades should be made, hardened, and maintained. The right choice depends on your hands, your technique, and your working conditions.