Zwelling J.A. Henkle

J.A. Henckels is a knife manufacturer based in Solingen, Germany. Henckels is one of the largest and oldest manufacturers of kitchen knives, scissors, cookware and flatware.

History

J.A. Henckels International LogoOn June 13, 1731 Peter Henckels registered the "Twin" with the Cutlers’ Guild of Solingen. 40 years later, his son Johann Abraham Henckels was born, and later re-named the company. The Henckels logo has been in the current shape with a red background since 1969.

J.A. Henckels opened the first trading outlet in 1818 in Berlin, opening a shop in New York in 1883 and followed a year later by Vienna and in 1897 by Copenhagen and Rotterdam. In 1909 Henckels set up its first subsidiary in the U.S., followed by Canada, The Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Japan, Italy, France, Spain, China and Taiwan. In 2008, subsidiaries were set up in Great Britain and Brazil.

Activities

The company maintains several brands, including Zwilling J.A. Henckels, J.A. Henckels International and BSF. ("Zwilling", meaning "twin", is also the German for the astrological sign Gemini.) Additionally the company operates its own retail shops, studios and partner shops both in Germany and internationally, among them about 200 shop-in-shops in China. Since 1970 the company has been part of the Werhahn Group (Neuss, Germany), with a staff of 3,200 worldwide. Profits amounted to €282 million in 2007 with 80% of its profits outside Germany.

In 2004 Henckels took over the Japanese knife manufacturer Nippa and the U.S. beauty specialist Tweezerman and cookware companies Demeyere (stainless steel cookware from Belgium) and Staub (cast iron cookware from France) in spring 2008.

Knife lines

Zwilling J.A. Henckels Four Star Block SetHenckels produces multiple lines of kitchen cutlery. The Four Star line, introduced in 1976 is a fully forged knife with a molded handle made of polypropylene and a tang which extends into the handle. The TWIN Select series has ergonomic handles which are constructed of 18/10 stainless steel. The TWIN Cuisine features a fully exposed, horizontal tang embedded in a polypropylene handle. Some lines, such as TWIN Professional "S", have a traditional 3-rivet polypropylene handle. TWIN Four Star II was released in 2006, has a molded handle, and resembles the Four Star except it also has stainless steel end cap featuring the Zwilling logo. Most knives feature blades which are constructed from high carbon, stainless steel which is ice hardened for sharpness and stain resistance. The TWIN Cermax M66 series is constructed using a microcarbide powder steel with clad layers and is manufactured in Japan.

Manufacturing

Detail of TWIN Cuisine series etching showing the "Gemini" logo.Henckels knives are manufactured in several different ways. TWIN Select, Four Star, Four Star II, and Professional "S" are all forged from a single piece of high carbon stainless steel, which is ice hardened to improve stain resistance. Forging is intended to produce improved cutting-edge retention, weight, balance, and reduced opportunity for metal fatigue.

TWIN Cuisine knives are forged from one piece of steel using a traditional hot drop forging technique followed by ice-hardening to produce a heavy, durable steel. TWIN Gourmet and Signature knives are stamped from a single piece of steel. All knives featuring a forged hand guard are manufactured in Germany, with the exception of the TWIN Cermax.

Most knife blades are hand honed in order to keep a lasting edge. The forged series also have enlarged bolsters for safety and extra balance while cutting.

Henckels International cutlery is manufactured in several different ways. The Classic and Forged Synergy series are forged to produce a heavier utensil. The Fine Edge Pro and Fine Edge Synergy models are stamped to provide for a lower cost knife.