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Utilizing Germany Spirits, Carrying the Precise Tradition to Make a Good Knife

2016-11-11WrittenbyTianJianmin

重庆与世界 2016年9期

□ Written by Tian Jianmin

Utilizing Germany Spirits, Carrying the Precise Tradition to Make a Good Knife

□Written by Tian Jianmin

My friend visited Germany in 2003 and brought me a set of knives by Zwilling J.A.Henckel, the look of knives was easy, it seems there were fruit knife and a paner. There was nothing special of its packaging, but it is convenient to use, and only for 5 Marks.

Recently, I visited a supermarket in Stuttgart, I found the same knife as the one my friend gave me. The style and packaging were totally the same, only price increased to 8 Euros. This product is unchanged for over ten years does surprise me. This miracle could only happen in a fully confi dent country.

Solingen is the “knives town” in Dusseldorf, it has 700 years history for making knives.Top knife brands like Zwilling J.A.Henckel, Boker, W Sthof Gourmet were all born here. Solingen has 350 knife and tableware manufactories, only hundred to one has over 1000 workers, and three-quarter of them only have around 20 workers. Most of the workers are working in families with traditional tequegiques. They have their own secret methods, the unique technique by icing the metal in 200 below zero degree, and using 200 degree ultrasonic speed to put the metal powder on the edgein order to make the knife sharp and corrosion resistant.

Germany knife is pursuing the top quality and small quantity with traditional design as their key concept. Persisting the tradition, combing classic and contemporary aesthetics with dedication is their spirit. Industrialization brought strong competition to traditional knife manufactories. Some manufactories use automatic technology to reduce cost, however, proud German felt it would lose knife's classic quality. Thus, German continued to uphold tradition, and dedicated to repel the wave of industrialization. No wonder that some gastronomist said “every knife comes with worker's temperature, symbolized the spirits of Germany.”

Germany is a precise country, it seeks the perfection in manufactory, therefore, Germany brands are trustworthy to most consumers. Most tourists visit Germany would bring knives as presents. Germany knives are hot sales in Chinese market, any 15cm small knife from brands like Zwilling J.A.Henckel, Boker, and W Sthof Gourmet would cost over thousand Yuan, one kitchen knife also sell for 300 to 400 Yuan. Though the prices in China were truly high, there are many needs and supplies.

In 2014 National People's Congress (NPC), He Wenbo, member of NPC, General Manager of Baogang Group, stated that many people like to buy Germany knives and tablewares, we provided raw material for their knives manufactory, nevertheless, domestic factories cannot make products like Germany knives. Therefore, many NPC members appeal to the dedication in making knives as China has made Shenzhou-6, why cannot making a good knife with our great raw steel.

A small knife is a great outcome of Germany national manufactory with precious quality, it symbolized the spirits and substances of Germany.