The Hen and Rooster brand has a bit of a tortured history. Founded in 1845 in Solingen, Germany by Carl Bertram, the name comes from Mr. Bertram’s primary business at the time — poultry! The Hen and Rooster logo was used to mark the knives and has since become an important icon in the knife world.
Hen and Rooster helped establish Solingen as the “City of Knives” — known worldwide as the city with numerous world-class knife makers. They continued to make knives under the Bertram family’s direction for over one hundred years.
In 1975, the firm was sold to A.G. Russell, which continued to make the knives under the Hen and Rooster name for five additional years.
In 1980, the Solingen factory was closed and the firm was liquidated. In 1983 a consortium of businessmen hailing from Tennessee and Solingen acquired the rights to the Hen and Rooster name. Shortly after, the full rights were sold to James Frost of Frost Cutlery. Today, he holds the exclusive rights to the brand and has resurrected production of the knives in Solingen, Germany.
As a result of this history, you will see many different types of Hen and Rooster Knives. The knife pictured at right is a Stag Bowie Knife, measuring 14.375″ overall, with a 9.25 stainless steel full-tang blade.
