Portrait – Apprenticeship


Apprentices at Windmühlenmesser


Apprentices at Windmühlenmesser

Apprentices at Windmühlenmesser

Apprenticeship by Windmühlenmesser – the knife grinder

The human aspect is indispensable for many processes of our skilled craftsmanship because no other “tool“ is as flexible, adaptable and sensitive as the human hand, especially when it comes to producing fine and exceptional knives.

Our staff know about their crafting skills. They feel accepted by the company and like to work in our team.

For a long time, the skill of knife grinding seemed to be doomed. Since 1969, Solingen stopped teaching and studying this trade and the know-how was on the verge of disappearing completely. At the beginning of the 1990s we tried to revive this profession with its special competencies. Then in 1997, after long term ongoing efforts, we succeeded in reintroducing an occupational profile of 2 years duration to teach the skills of the knife grinder. We will continue to develop these trades because we know – the future of our craftsmanship is in their hands.

We are deeply indebted to our old master grinder Wilfried Fehrekampf who took over the big task of educating our new generation of young grinders, despite already being 65. From 1997 until his retirement on 16th March 2011, he taught ten young men in these special skills until they received their official degree. Nearly all of them stayed with us. They are in the position to process a knife in dry-fine-grinding, fine-glazing and blue-glazing and continue to bear their master’s and windmühle’s trade heritage.


2013 Bergischer ausbildungspreis

2013 Bergischer ausbildungspreis

2010 and 2013 Bergischer ausbildungspreis

Since 1997, we have provided regular training in occupations which are important for the next generation and the continuing existence of our special handicraft of knife manufacturing.

We were presented with the Bergischer Ausbildungspreis (training award) on two occasions for this, in 2010 and 2013. The award is organised by the three cities of Wuppertal, Remscheid and Solingen.


Knife production: checking work in progress

Knife production: checking work in progress