Solingen
Description
Solingen, Germany is the City of Blades and home to premium European scissor manufacturing. Learn how its protected origin mark guarantees quality and craftsmanship.
Solingen (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)
Quick look
- Country: Germany
- Heritage: 600+ years of blade manufacturing
- Legal protection: “Made in Solingen” is a legally protected designation
- Steel standard: Mid-hardness steels (54-60 HRC), beveled and Konvex-Schliff edges
- Production model: Factory-scale with significant handwork; some manufacturers retain 80%+ manual processes
Why it matters
Solingen is often called the “City of Blades” and its reputation in cutting tools is comparable to what Seki means for Japan. The city has been producing blades since the Middle Ages, and today the “Made in Solingen” designation carries legal weight. To use it, a manufacturer must perform all essential production steps within the city limits. This isn’t just marketing. It’s enforced.
The German approach to scissors differs from the Japanese in several important ways. Solingen scissors typically use slightly softer steels, which makes them more durable under rough handling and easier to sharpen with standard European techniques. They tend to be heavier than Japanese equivalents, and many stylists who prefer a solid, substantial feel in the hand gravitate toward German scissors for everyday salon work.
Key manufacturers
Jaguar is the largest, producing around 3,000 scissors per day through over 120 production steps. They pioneered the Friodur ice-hardening process, which cools blades to sub-zero temperatures during heat treatment for improved molecular structure. Jaguar is part of the Zwilling/UST group, which also owns Tondeo.
Tondeo focuses on technology, with their CONBLADE system and Ball-Gliding screw mechanism representing the premium end of German engineering.
Cerena remains family owned and maintains that 80% of their production is handwork, using hot-forged blanks through 120 individual steps. They export to over 30 countries.
NTS Solingen (now part of ROBUSO since 2020) produces fully handmade scissors on site and also provides sharpening services for Japanese brands like Matsuzaki.
Konvex-Schliff vs Hamaguri
This is the critical difference that every scissor owner should understand. Solingen scissors use the Konvex-Schliff (convex grind) sharpening technique, which involves belt or wheel grinding. Japanese scissors use hamaguri (clamshell grind), a hand-sharpening technique using water-cooled stones. These are not interchangeable methods. A Konvex-Schliff applied to a Japanese hamaguri blade will alter the geometry permanently.
If you own scissors from both traditions, you need a sharpener who understands both methods, or you need two different sharpeners.
| See also: Seki City | Ono City | Edge Types |
Related guide: Manufacturing: Solingen Heritage
Sources
- Jaguar Solingen manufacturer information (jaguar-solingen.com)
- Cerena manufacturer profile (cerena.de)
- Solingen legal designation documentation
Frequently Asked Questions
To use the designation, a manufacturer must perform all essential production steps within the Solingen city limits. This is not marketing language — it is a legally protected origin mark enforced by German law, and the city government monitors compliance. The rule means that when you buy a scissor marked 'Made in Solingen,' the forging, heat treatment, grinding, and assembly were all done locally. Other German-made products without the mark may have had components produced elsewhere.
Solingen scissors typically use slightly softer steels in the 54 to 60 HRC range compared with the 58 to 65 HRC range common in Seki. The softer steel makes German scissors more durable under rough handling and easier to sharpen with standard European techniques. They also tend to be heavier. Stylists who prefer a solid, substantial feel in the hand often gravitate toward German scissors for everyday salon work, while those who want lighter, harder Japanese blades accept the trade-off of more specialised sharpening requirements.
Solingen scissors use Konvex-Schliff (convex grind), which involves belt or wheel grinding. Japanese scissors use hamaguri (clamshell grind), a hand-sharpening technique using water-cooled stones. These are not interchangeable methods — a Konvex-Schliff applied to a Japanese hamaguri blade will alter the geometry permanently because the underlying blade curvature and ride-line geometry are built for different tooling. If you own scissors from both traditions, you need either a sharpener trained in both methods or two different sharpeners.