Friedrich Herder Abraham Sohn

Friedrich Herder Abraham Sohn (commonly written Friedr. Herder Abr. Sohn, and trading online as F. Herder Solingen) is a German cutlery manufacturer based in Solingen, the historic blade-making centre of the Rhineland. The company traces its founding to 27 February 1727, when Peter Herder had the "Schoppenass" ("Pik As", the ace of spades) trademark entered in the register of the Solingen cutlers' court. That document is still preserved in the Solingen city archive, and the Pik As mark has been used by the firm ever since. Over the following centuries the business passed through generations of the Herder family and later through the Weyersberg family, exporting knives and scissors widely, especially to the Netherlands and Belgium and, from the late nineteenth century, to overseas markets in colonial Asia and from 1908 to South America, particularly Argentina. The company describes itself as standing for the highest craftsmanship in the production of knives, scissors and tools since 1727, combining traditional manufacturing techniques with modern technology. Its range covers kitchen and household knives, professional and craft knives, pocket knives, bread knives, vegetable and paring knives, utility knives, scissors and tools. Among its best-known lines are the Don Carlos professional and work knives, the Fork Brand (Gabelzeichen) export classics that have been offered unchanged since 1802, and the Buckels knife, a classic German breakfast knife handmade in Solingen. The firm also produces limited editions and one-off pieces, such as the Oryx project, and runs a "Fundstück" (found object) reverse-auction format in which individual pieces drop in price until sold. At the height of its development the company employed around 450 factory workers and salaried staff plus a similar number of home workers, but it remained a comparatively small and conservative family business. Facing intensifying price competition in its traditional markets toward the end of the twentieth century, it filed for insolvency in 1993 and was continued from insolvency as Friedrich Herder Abraham Sohn GmbH by the businessmen Hans Joachim Röllecke and Detlef Weides. No members of the Herder family remain among its owners today. The company has moved premises several times within Solingen, most recently to the Oberen Dammstraße at the Schlagbaum in 2016, and its former factory complex on Grünewalder Straße is now a listed monument.

The company's founding date is 27 February 1727, when Peter Herder of Pilghausen had the trademark "Schoppenass" ("Pik As", the ace of spades) entered in the register of the Solingen "Messmachergericht" (cutlers' court). The certificate is still preserved in the Solingen city archive. Later the Fork mark (Gabelzeichen) and a cross-shaped double-key mark were added. After Peter Herder's death in 1762 the business, which was already exporting to the Dutch market, passed to his sons Abraham and Johann Peter Herder. They were followed by Abraham Herder's eldest son, Johann Abraham Herder, born in 1761. When he brought his sons into the business he named the company "Joh. Abr. Herder & Sne". After the death of his son Abraham, Johann Abraham Herder took his grandson Friedrich Herder into partnership in 1839, shortly before his own death, and from 1841 Friedrich ran the company under the name "Friedrich Herder Abr. Sohn". The company has kept this name to the present day, even though no members of the Herder family are among its owners today. After Friedrich Herder's death in 1887, Gustav Weyersberg took over the management. He was the eldest son from the first marriage of Friedrich Herder's daughter Emilie to Hermann Weyersberg. The younger son, Carl Weyersberg, took charge in 1908 of the newly founded branch in Buenos Aires together with Hermann Bick, the son from Emilie Herder's second marriage to the Solingen pastor Bick. They led the company until it was continued from insolvency in 1993 as "Friedrich Herder Abraham Sohn GmbH" by the businessmen Hans Joachim Röllecke and Detlef Weides. The company's original location was a combined home and business house in Obenpilghausen. In 1859 a residential building was erected on today's Grünewalder Straße, followed later by production facilities and in 1913 by the surviving administration building opposite the J. A. Henckels company. In 1995 production and administration were moved to the company building on Obenitterstraße. In 2016 the company finally moved to the Oberen Dammstraße at the Schlagbaum. In its core business of knife and scissors production the company was strongly export-oriented. Its main sales markets were the Netherlands and Belgium. In addition, overseas markets were developed from the late nineteenth century, above all in the colonial territories of Asia (the Dutch East Indies) and, from 1908, South America, especially Argentina. At the peak of its development Herder employed around 450 factory workers and salaried staff as well as roughly the same number of home workers. The company remained a manageable and conservative family business that could not bring itself to diversify beyond taking up the production of drop forgings. It ultimately had nothing to counter the increasing price competition in its traditional markets toward the end of the twentieth century: in 1993 it filed for insolvency and was subsequently continued from it as a GmbH. Today the former "Schneidwarenfabrik und Gesenkschmiede Friedrich Herder Abr. Sohn" is a listed building complex at Grünewalder Straße 29 in Solingen-Höhscheid. Only the buildings designed by Hermann vom Endt (1861–1939) survive from the factory. The four-storey brick office building of 1911 to 1913 shows both neo-classical elements (risalits, pilaster articulation) and forms of the Heimat style (hipped roofs, white wooden cornices on eaves and gables). The natural-stone cladding of the ground floor continues in the perimeter wall of the factory site. The historically significant company building was acquired by the city of Solingen in 1994 in order to set up a start-up centre there after conversion. Conversion work began in 1995 and was completed in 1998, with a total of 24 million DM invested. The new start-up and technology centre opened on 25 February 1998 and today also houses Solingen's economic development agency.

• 2016

  The company moves to the Oberen Dammstraße at the Schlagbaum.

• 1995

  Production and administration are moved to the company building on Obenitterstraße.

• 1993

  The company files for insolvency and is continued from it as Friedrich Herder Abraham Sohn GmbH by Hans Joachim Röllecke and Detlef Weides.

• 1925

  Constant Steel: one of the leading companies in the development and production of high-grade steel products.

• 1913

  The surviving administration building is completed opposite the J. A. Henckels company.

• 1908

  Carl Weyersberg and Hermann Bick take charge of the newly founded Buenos Aires branch; South American markets are developed.

• 1887

  After Friedrich Herder's death Gustav Weyersberg takes over the management.

• 1859

  A residential building is erected on today's Grünewalder Straße, later followed by production facilities.

• 1841

  Friedrich Herder continues the company under the name "Friedrich Herder Abr. Sohn".

• 1839

  Johann Abraham Herder takes his grandson Friedrich Herder into partnership shortly before his own death.

• 1802

  Registration of the Fork Brand (Gabelzeichen), renowned for tradition and culture in the Middle and Far East.

• 1762

  After Peter Herder's death the business passes to his sons Abraham and Johann Peter Herder.

• 1727

  Peter Herder has the "Schoppenass" ("Pik As") trademark entered in the register of the Solingen cutlers' court on 27 February.

Traditional Solingen craftsmanship since 1727, combining heritage manufacturing with modern technology for professional and home users.

• Chef knives

  High-quality chef knives described as the soul of every kitchen.

• Vegetable & paring knives

  Handcrafted knives for fruit and vegetable preparation.

• Bread knives

  Handcrafted bread knives for perfect slices.

• Pocket knives

  Practical and versatile companions for everyday use and outdoor adventures.

• Utility knives

  Top-quality utility knives from the Don Carlos line.

• Buckels knife

  The classic German breakfast knife, handmade in Solingen with serrated or straight edge and various wooden handles.

• Don Carlos work and professional knives

  Work and professional knives optimized for every cutting task.

• Fork Brand (Gabelzeichen) series

  Export classics proven and unchanged since 1802.

• Oryx limited editions

  Limited editions such as Oryx: Project Aurum, limited to 101 pieces, with custom engraving.

• Scissors and tools

  Scissors and tools for crafts, industry and specialized applications.

1. 1F. Herder Solingen – The Passion of Sharpness Since 1727herder-solingen.de
2. 2Our historyherder-solingen.de
3. 3Buckels Knife – Tradition & Innovation, Handmade in Solingenherder-solingen.de
4. 4Fundstück-Freitach – Die Rückwärtsauktionherder-solingen.de
5. 5Friedrich Herder Abraham Sohn – Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Friedrich Herder Abraham Sohn – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org