About Hen & Rooster Knives
Knives are one of the oldest tools known to man. They were invented out of necessity and soon became invaluable not only for hunting and eating, but also as weapons. Today, knives are used for all of those things, and they are valued for their beauty and craftsmanship as well. Among knife collectors, Hen & Rooster is a company well-known for both of those elements.
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History
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In the mid-1800s, Carl Bertram owned a poultry business in Solingen, Germany. In 1845, he began hand-making his own line of cutlery, and in 1865, he adopted the Hen & Rooster logo as a nod to his association with poultry. The Bertrams ran Hen & Rooster as a family business for many years, eventually contracting with other companies to manufacture knives for them. These knives bore the Hen & Rooster logo on one side of the tang and the name of the contracting company on the other side.
A.G. Russell bought the firm in 1975, but the factory in Solingen closed in 1980. Three years later, the Hen & Rooster trademark was acquired by three knife makers. One of them, James Frost of Frost Cutlery, eventually bought the sole rights, which he still owns.
Types
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Today, Hen & Rooster still manufactures a large selection of knives in several styles. The company carries a line of bowie knives that come in the customer's choice of five handle materials from rubber to ram's horn. Pocket knives are also available in a wide variety of handle materials, and some feature etched blades. Customers can purchase kitchen sets with handles of Bakelite or German stainless steel, and Hen & Rooster offers straight razors with Corelon handles as well. Some of these knives are manufactured as collector's items in limited numbers.
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Accessories
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Hen & Rooster got its start with knives, but in recent years, the company has branched out to include other items. Two collector's item coin sets are available, one a South Carolina U.S. Mint State Quarter Series Triple Crown Collection. The set includes three South Carolina quarters and a pocketknife in the stockman style with a Corelon handle. A similar North Carolina set is available, and a limited edition set featuring a 2007 Eagle Silver Dollar and a trapper-style pocket knife can be purchased. Fans of the company can even buy shirts, mugs, wallets and sharpening stones.
Reputation
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Knives made by Hen & Rooster earned a reputation for fine craftsmanship from the very beginning, and the change in ownership does not seem to have changed public opinion. The knives still receive excellent reviews from collectors and customers today. Many of the knives are popular hunting tools, with the Skinner Genuine Deer Stag Knife receiving solid reviews from HuntingKnivesReviews.com. Reviewers at the site also like the genuine ram's horn bowie knife. The fixed blade knife earns approval for its sharp, German stainless steel blade.
One of Many
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Hen & Rooster's founder, Carl Bertram, not only has manufactured knives that stand the test of time, but he also has contributed to his hometown's own long-lasting reputation. Solingen, Germany, still boasts a widespread reputation as the "city of blades," in part because of knifemakers such as Bertram and many others. Around the time Bertram was perfecting his logo, Heinrich Boeker moved to Solingen and began producing pocketknives and razors. Other knife companies hailing from Solingen include J.A. Henckels, Twinstar and Linder, and they are just a few of many.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit rooster image by saied shahinkiya from Fotolia.com
