#solingen germany

[rabidhiss]

Solingen, Germany. The Centuries-Old City of Blades

This is one city I'd love to visit. Solingen is known for their high quality blades, from literal swords to cutlery. I wasn't aware of this place until I found myself looking for a straight razor. Everything I saw on Amazon was quite affordable. Then I happened on one that was upwards of $200, and it was mentioned that it was made in Solingen.

[theoutcastrogue]

Bartender knives / corkscrews

by J. A. Henckels / Zwilling, Solingen, Germany, 1900-1969

The short curved blade is a foil-cutter, for removing the foil of metal wrapped around the wine bottle's neck before uncorking it. Nowadays there's usually a convenient strip that you can pull with your fingers. (Also, the foil is no longer made of lead; well that was a bad move.) The long corkscrews at the bottom pictures are retracting, otherwise they wouldn't fit on a normal-sized pocket knife, and these are known as Müller patent knives.

[lasseling]

Mass Stabbing at German City’s “Diversity Festival”

Nine people were injured or killed by a knife-wielding assailant in a mass stabbing during a German city's annual "diversity festival" celebration

[starafterdeath]

A mass stabbing at a festival in Solingen.

[antifainternational]

March 30, Solingen

[travelella]

Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf Region, Germany

Alexander Schimmeck

[sprites4ever]

The militant group said in a statement on its Telegram account that the attack was carried out by one of its members “in revenge for Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.”

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2024/08/24/isis-claims-responsibility-for-knife-attack-in-germany-

Meanwhile, Palestinians wonder why Germany prefers supporting Israel.

MAYBE it's in part perpetuated by people who misuse their name and suffering as pretext for things like this. How were those festivalgoers who were celebrating the anniversary of their city responsible for Israel bombing Palestinians?

[creativemedianews]

Deadly attack in Germany: A number of people have been killed and injured

Deadly attack in Germany: A number of people have been killed and injured #anniversaryfestival #citycentre

[postcard-from-the-past]

Street scene in Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

German vintage postcard

[sebfreak]

I hope they find this monster very fast and I hope they kill him because he doesn´t have any rights to life anymore.

[artfromthefuture]

Solingen. Wandgemälde an der Fußgängerbrücke des stillgelegten Hauptbahnhofs by wwwuppertal Via Flickr: Solingen. Wandgemälde an der Fußgängerbrücke des stillgelegten Hauptbahnhofs

[justanotherguyincali]

Solingen. Wandgemälde an der Fußgängerbrücke des stillgelegten Hauptbahnhofs by wwwuppertal Via Flickr: Solingen. Wandgemälde an der Fußgängerbrücke des stillgelegten Hauptbahnhofs

[theoutcastrogue]

8 Fancy Pocket Knives

Etched pocket knife from Eskilstuna, Sweden

Silver / mother of pearl Victorian fruit knife, England

Damascene Toledo knife, Spain

Inlaid Toledo knife, Germany

Silver-plated fruit knife, USA

Damascene Toledo knife, Spain

Etched pocket knife from Eskilstuna, Sweden

Mother of pearl pocket knife from Eskilstuna, Sweden

@victoriansword [details after the cut]

1) Swedish pocket knife by EKA (Eskilstuna Kniffabriks AB), c. 1980-2000. Model 6 GS (1967-2010), with main blade, bottle opener/screwdriver, pen blade, and nail file. Tang stamp "EKA / SWEDEN" (from 1967), etched handle, 7 cm closed.

These were very popular in the 2nd half of the 20th century as gift knives or advertising knives. They were manufactured by many cutlers in Eskilstuna, and widely exported. The decorative pattern appears, with variations, on Swedish knives from at least the 19th century, and is inspired by Norse / Viking art, which often features twisted serpents/dragons. The interlacing perhaps also borrows from Celtic knots.

2) English fruit knife by Martin Bros & Co, 1848. Silver blade with 4 hallmarks (for Queen Victoria, the year, sterling silver, and Sheffield) and maker's mark, mother of pearl scales, 9.5 cm closed.

This is the posh version of what used to be an incredibly useful tool, a knife (and sometimes a multi-tool knife and fork) for eating on the road. The fancier ones were also status symbols, and very popular gifts – millions of silver fruit knives were manufactured in Britain from the 18th to the 20th century, mostly in Sheffield, Birmingham, and Edinburgh.

3) Spanish Toledo knife, as it's sometimes called, a damascened penknife of recent manufacture. Two pen blades, tang stamp "TOLEDO", 6.7 cm closed.

Not to be confused with Damascus blades! The handle is damascened – decorated with gold inlaid into oxidized steel (see here for details). Reminder that gold is a highly ductile metal (you can stretch it real thin before it breaks), so that impressive aesthetic result comes from a tiny amount of gold. It's a cheap knife, is what I'm saying, for tourists basically.

4) German pocket knife, confusingly also called Toledo, by Hartkopf. With main blade, pen blade and nail file. Brass handle inlaid with oxidised steel. Tang stamp "Hartkopf&Co / Solingen", 8cm closed.

It's "damascened" in the broad sense of inlaying, hence the name "Toledo": it supposedly emulates the Spanish style, and perhaps pretends to be Spanish, but both the metals and the geometric patterns are different. Knives of this type were popular in Germany all through the 20th century as gifts and advertising knives.

5) American fruit knife by William Rogers Mfg, made in Hartford, Connecticut c.1865-1898. Main blade, seedpick [also called nut-pick or nut-picker *snickers*], silver-plated nickel silver, decorated with flowers and apples. Tang stamp: an anchor logo and "Wm ROGERS & SON AA", 8.2 cm closed.

Sometimes fruit knives like this were bought by fruit shops/groceries (relatively fancy ones, presumably) in bulk, and sold or given to customers as gifts.

6) Spanish Toledo penknife (another one). With pen blade and damascened handle, different pattern, probably a bit older. Tang stamp again "TOLEDO", 6.8 cm closed.

7) Swedish pocket knife by Emil Olsson, c. 1920-1950. Blade, pen blade and corkscrew. Tang stamp "EMIL OLSSON / [star logo] / ESKILSTUNA", 9.2 cm closed.

Another etched serpent pattern on the handle, though by now you have to squint to see it. This knife has seen some shit. Until ~1940, pocket knives were widely sold and used in Sweden because they came with corkscrews, and all the bottles had corks, and everyone needed to open bottles. After the war, bottle caps replaced corks for everything except wine, and the pocket knife's utility plummeted, and cutleries started closing. There used to be hundreds, and by now only EKA's left. So statistically, if it's from before ~1950 it saw a lot of use, and if it's after ~1950 it did not, it was a gift or something.

8) Swedish pocket knife by EKA, c.1935-1965. Model 38 PB, with blade, pen blade, flat screwdriver, and corkscrew. Handle with mother of pearl scales and nickel silver bolsters, tang stamp "E.K.A. / ESKILSTUNA / SWEDEN", 8.3 cm closed.

The corkscrew is a quirky one, known as Gottlieb Hammesfahr patent: it pivots on the pin and opens perpendicular to the handle, not pulled downwards as in most pocket knives.

[head-post]

Oktoberfest tightens security measures after Solingen stabbing

Germany tightened security measures at Oktoberfest after a stabbing in Solingen, with queues for entry expected to be longer as metal detectors will be installed for the first time in the 189-year history of the Bavarian beer festival, according to AP News.

Authorities say there are no specific threats to Oktoberfest, which begins on Saturday with the traditional opening of the barrel in Munich and runs until 6 October. Around 6 million people are expected to attend the event, many of whom dressed in traditional lederhosen and dirndl dresses.

Heightened security measures were put in place following the 23 August attack in Solingen that left three people dead and eight injured. A 26-year-old suspect from Syria was due to be deported to Bulgaria last year, but he disappeared and avoided deportation.

The violence shook Germany and put immigration back at the top of the country’s political agenda. In response, the Interior Ministry extended temporary border controls to all nine of its borders this week. The checks will last six months, threatening to test European unity.

The effects of the terrorist attack in Solingen and other recent violence across Germany will also be felt at Oktoberfest. For the first time, hand-held metal detectors will be used, which police and security officials will use on a random basis or after suspicious activity. Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter stated:

We have had to react to the fact that attacks with knives have increased in recent weeks and months. We will do everything we can to ensure that nobody comes to Oktoberfest with a knife or other dangerous weapons.

Enhanced measures

In addition to about 600 police officers and 2,000 security personnel, more than 50 cameras will be installed on the festival grounds. Visitors to the festival are also banned from bringing knives, glass bottles and rucksacks.

Peter Neumann, professor of security studies at King’s College London, claimed Oktoberfest organisers were taking a sensible approach to security against the backdrop of Solingen, as well as other recent uncovered plots across Europe. Extremists and groups such as Islamic State were keen that an attack could “cause a lot of terror,” he added.

These are all global events where you can expect to cause a lot of attention.

French authorities say they have foiled three plots against the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris and other cities hosting summer events. Austrian authorities last month arrested a 19-year-old who allegedly planned to attack cancelled Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna and kill tens of thousands of fans.

Oktoberfest is a challenging event to police, although authorities say there have been no specific threats to the festival.

It’s an iconic event and this is exactly the kind of event that they’d want to strike. But with millions of people – drunk people to be honest – running around, it’s really difficult to control every movement.

Festival organiser Clemens Baumgärtner pledged that the 16 days of Oktoberfest would provide “the safest place in Germany.”

Read more HERE