“Reider”

In traditional Solingen knife-making the blade is assembled with the handle by a person called “Reider”. He or she does this by hammering the knife billet into a slit in the handle. In Solingen (Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia) this work is called “Reiden”. The “Reider” punches the rivets through the holes of the handle and the blade, thereby connecting the separate parts into a knife. The sounds of the “Reider” are made by the hammering of the blade and the rivets.
This craft arose in the course of the industrialisation in the 19th century, particularly in the Solingen area. This profession was a supply trade, which was often practised at home. “Reiden” is still part of a cutlery mechanic's job training in some businesses in Solingen.
The working sounds of the “Reider” can be heard in the knife factory Windmühlenmesser Robert Herder in Solingen, which was founded in 1872. Today the enterprise is in its 4th generation, headed by Giselheid Herder-Scholz. It has maintained techniques and methods of manual knife-making which have vanished more and more with the growth of mechanical fabrication.

In Solingen the production of blades has a long tradition. As early as the 14th century blades were made in large numbers in Solingen. Until the end of the 19th century the entire economy of Solingen was dominated by the cutlery industry.

Sound recordist: Konrad Gutkowski/Julian Blaschke
Photographer: Konrad Gutkowski/Julian Blaschke
Video recordist: Konrad Gutkowski/Julian Blaschke