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Carl Schmidt Sohn ™ (CSS) hasn’t survived for centuries, just on great kitchenware products alone. The company goes to great lengths to listen to its customers and to stay ahead of industry trends. This blog is dedicated to bringing CSS product and industry knowledge to you. Do you want the latest news on our product launches, sales, and specials? Then, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and sign-up for our monthly newsletter/blog notifications.
In the U.S., the Carl Schmidt Sohn™ houseware brand is intentional in its new product launches based on real consumer needs, not short-lived trends. It brings new products to market at reasonable prices, allowing Carl Schmidt Sohn™ brands to reflect the ever-growing cooking needs of consumers. I mean, we have NEUMARK kitchen knives for $7.99 MADE IN GERMANY!
Solingen, Germany
ln 1829 Carl Schmidt began the production of sabers, and within the year was producing up to 2000 swords per week and employed more than 100 smiths, grinders, and laborers. ln 1869 as Germany was fast becoming a hotbed for industrial tool production, Carl Schmidt saw the opportunity to start producing knives, cutlery, shaving blades, scissors and pocket knives.
Eventually the overseas demand for knives grew, and Carl Schmidt began to increase its knife production once again. By the turn of the century, the majority of “Carl Schmidt Sohn” knives including the product lines “Continental”, “Solingia” and “La Casita” were exported all over Europe with great success.
Since then the Carl Schmidt Sohn brand has been known for their excellence in manufacturing high-quality knives and cutlery in Solingen.
The legend says that Carl Schmidt designed a pair of scissors dedicated to Albert the King of Saxony in Germany. The ornate scissors displayed the king’s coat of arms and portrait. Oh my!
Going Global from Solingen
By the 1990s, Carl Schmidt Sohn developed further product ranges, including their innovative pressure cooker. The CS KOCHSYSTEME brand was up and running, expanding even further with kitchenware focused on versatility and affordable cookware.
After successfully expanding Carl Schmidt Sohn across Europe and North America, the brand developed its business into Asia through the export of knives to Japan. By 1997, Carl Schmidt Sohn had a presence in 40 countries worldwide.
In 2004, Carl Schmidt Sohn was awarded a Certificate of Special Merit by the German Chamber of Commerce for their outstanding achievements over their 175 year history – Now THAT is something to celebrate!
Carl Schmidt Sohn and CS KOCHSYSTEME enter the US market, and within two years open accounts with US retail giants such as HomeGoods, Home Depot, and Bed Bath and Beyond.
Today, the storied city of Solingen remains the knife-center of Germany where about 90% of German knives are produced from Wüsthof to Zwilling J. A. Henckels. Within our own collection, KÖLN kitchen knives made in germany were introduced at the 2019 International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago.
