J. A. Henckels
Encyclopedia
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.
. 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. In 2008, subsidiaries were set up in Great Britain and Brazil.
.) 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.
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
.
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.
"Ice Hardening" is Henckel's name for a common practice to all stainless steel cutlery manufacturers.
The correct name is cryogenic tempering, and involves immersing the finished knife blades in liquid nitrogen.
This process is required to get full hardness from most stainless knife steels, as it completes the conversion of Austenite
to Martensite
.
Knife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
manufacturer based in Solingen
Solingen
Solingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area, and with a 2009 population of 161,366 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Henckels is one of the largest and oldest manufacturers of kitchen knives, scissors, cookware and flatware.
History
On 13 June 1731 Peter Henckels registered the "Twin" with the Cutlers’ Guild of SolingenSolingen
Solingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area, and with a 2009 population of 161,366 is the second largest city in the Bergisches Land...
. 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
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, opening a shop in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1883 and followed a year later by Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and in 1897 by Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. In 1909 Henckels set up its first subsidiary in the U.S., followed by Canada, The Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Japan, Italy, France, Spain, China. 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 GeminiGemini (astrology)
Gemini is the third astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the Zodiac between the 60th and 89th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between May 21 to June 20 each year...
.) 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 €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
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
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
cookware from Belgium) and Staub (cast iron cookware from France) in spring 2008.
Knife lines
Henckels produces multiple lines of kitchen cutlery. The Four Star line, introduced in 1976 is a fully forged knife with a molded handle made of polypropylenePolypropylene
Polypropylene , also known as polypropene, is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications including packaging, textiles , stationery, plastic parts and reusable containers of various types, laboratory equipment, loudspeakers, automotive components, and polymer banknotes...
and a tang
Tang (weaponry)
A tang or shank is the back portion of a tool where it extends into stock material or is connected to a handle as on a knife, sword, spear, arrowhead, chisel, screwdriver, etc...
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
Handle (grip)
A handle is a part of, or attachment to, an object that can be moved or used by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt with intuitively or by following tradition...
. 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
Carbide
In chemistry, a carbide is a compound composed of carbon and a less electronegative element. Carbides can be generally classified by chemical bonding type as follows: salt-like, covalent compounds, interstitial compounds, and "intermediate" transition metal carbides...
powder steel with clad
Cladding (metalworking)
Cladding is the bonding together of dissimilar metals. It is distinct from welding or gluing as a method to fasten the metals together. Cladding is often achieved by extruding two metals through a die as well as pressing or rolling sheets together under high pressure.The United States Mint uses...
layers and is manufactured in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Manufacturing
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. ForgingForging
Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which it is performed: '"cold," "warm," or "hot" forging. Forged parts can range in weight from less than a kilogram to 580 metric tons...
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
Cutlery
Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...
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.
"Ice Hardening" is Henckel's name for a common practice to all stainless steel cutlery manufacturers.
The correct name is cryogenic tempering, and involves immersing the finished knife blades in liquid nitrogen.
This process is required to get full hardness from most stainless knife steels, as it completes the conversion of Austenite
Austenite
Austenite, also known as gamma phase iron, is a metallic non-magnetic allotrope of iron or a solid solution of iron, with an alloying element. In plain-carbon steel, austenite exists above the critical eutectoid temperature of ; other alloys of steel have different eutectoid temperatures...
to Martensite
Martensite
Martensite, named after the German metallurgist Adolf Martens , most commonly refers to a very hard form of steel crystalline structure, but it can also refer to any crystal structure that is formed by displacive transformation. It includes a class of hard minerals occurring as lath- or...
.