English speakers: The store's name means "THE BLADE."…read more I first did business with Markus Schwiedergoll at Die Klinge in 2010, when I was happy to find a place to buy some very high quality German cutlery. The German city of Solingen, and the state (or Bundesland) of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein Westfalen) enjoys a well-deserved reputation throughout the world for the high quality of their steel, especially knives and medical equipment and manicuring implements. I bought a large chef's knife, and loved it so much I had to go back and also buy a paring knife from the same manufacturer: Wüsthof. I've been very happy with my knives, and how Markus took care and time to help me choose the right length for my hand. He also taught me about how to maintain a proper edge on the knives. On a subsequent trip, I bought another chef's knife for a good friend, with smaller hands, so his is several centimeters shorter than mine. Markus also aided me with an exemption from the sales tax on my purchases, since there were going back to the United States. He shipped them directly to my home for me. While I was a bit "on edge" about getting the knives in the mail with my first purchase, since then I've come to know and trust him, and am very happy to have found his busy little store in the Kreuzviertel of Dortmunder Stadtbezirk Innenstadt-West. More recently, I emailed Markus from the United States and inquired about a specialty item. He promptly wrote back, indicating that indeed, he remembered me, and recommending a specific Wüsthof item that would suit my needs. When I showed up unexpected in his shop, he remembered who I was, and started to look for the Wüsthof item, but quickly realized he didn't have one in stock, but could have it in only a few days. I wanted two other items, he presented a selection to choose from, and helped me quickly select the ones that best suited my needs and desire for lifelong quality. I am very pleased with my purchases from him, their quality, and my knowledge that someone could be using them for years after I'm gone, and still get fine service out of them! Ganz vielen Dank, Markus! His business card says, I hope I've translated it acceptably: Schneidwerkzeuge, Schärfarbeiten, MultiTools, Leuchten, Zubehör Cutting tools, sharpening, multi-tools, lighting, accessories Messerfachgeschäft seit 1991 Knife specialist shop since 1991