got Germany?

I have yet another trip to Germany coming and I'm about to dive into the world of straight razors. I am intrigued by their history, the craft, etc. I have another trip to Germany coming and can't help but think about visiting Solignen or some place for a day trip (I'll be <2 hours by car with 2 days to kill) if there is any reason to do so. I'm from the US and a quick internet search didn't show that there would be much to see.
Is there? Anything worth purchasing that I'll save because I'm there? I didn't see much but I'm not sure I know where to look.
Do any of the mfrs there do factory or showroom tours or any such thing? Sorry if these are silly questions but they are questions of mine I'm hoping someone has some insight.
Thank you.

Revisor, Wacker and Aust all come from Solingen and produce beautiful razors. Dovo is there as well. I'd just contact these producers (contact info available on their websites) and ask.

I went to Solingen last month and did not see anything in the town itself.
I did not see much of a town anyway so maybe I missed an entire section. However the old castle there is worth the trip in itself. And in one of the shop of the fortified plaza a craftman sells handmade badgers. There is a souvenir shop that appeared to be selling local razors but it is only open on the weekend, so I could not check out what they had.

Have a fun, safe trip and good luck with your razor hunting.

Thank you for the information guys and BSAGuy for the nice wish .

Solingen got heavily bombed in November 1944. Is not known to be a beautiful city.

Solingen's a friendly little working German town, but if you're expecting to tour an active straight razor productiong you're bound to be disappointed. They've a neat blades/scissors museum on the main drag about 1mi. north of the city center that's well worth an hour or two of your time if you're near already (www.klingenmuseum.de/_english/dkm/museum/leitbild.html), but I don't think I'd travel to the town just for that were I short of German time. Boker has a showroom south of the city center, but of course no touring (though at least some element of production done there)...otherwise just a few cutlery/gift shops have some straights.

Thanks. I'll be near Bendheim/Walldorf not far from Heidelbefg. If such a thing existed or I knew I could purchase a Böker or one of the others much cheaper, I'd go. Otherwise, Germany is loaded with awesome sites to visit.

Polarbeard said:

Solingen got heavily bombed in November 1944. Is not known to be a beautiful city.

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Well, that's true of most of Germany and all but three cities in Japan, though. You'd be surprised how strong people can be when they rebuild.

I haven't been to Solingen but it might be worth a stop on a trip up to the Ruhr, if you're going there. Otherwise, lots of awesome stuff to see. Heidelberg itself is interesting. Last time I was there there was a ton of graffiti on the castle though.

Are there any products from the German manufacturers or even other European that are less expensive generally speaking in Germany?

whodunit68 said:

Are there any products from the German manufacturers or even other European that are less expensive generally speaking in Germany?

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Hi Steve,
I guess the usual suspects:
Palmolive stick and creams
Nivea stuff
Speick

If I remember correctly there are country specific pages somewhere on the wiki with shopping tips...
Don't forget to sample german beer...

br,
ToM

Hi Tom, thanks! What about on the hardware side? I've been to Germany many times so there were many opportunities to sample the local offerings ...

Steve

contact revisor and see if he can give you an appointment to browse his razors.

If you buy at retail in Germany the price shown includes a 19% Value Added Tax. If you order from Germany to be sent to North America the VAT is deducted from the price and that generally covers the shipping cost on a razor so it is more or less a wash either way.

Alternately you can get the German paper work for a VAT refund and apply to get a refund when you return home. That can be a lot of fun as years ago the paper work was all in German and that I think has not changed.

Bob

Thanks Sarimento and Bob. There is now an English version of the paperwork but the VAT process can be cumbersome and one can encounter along lines of the airports, unfortunately.

If I went, I'd hit antique shops for vintage razors