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The art of silversmithing has a long tradition at Koch & Bergfeld. Since 1829 - the year in which the workshop was founded - the Bremen silversmiths have never ceased to craft masterpieces that are second to none..
Basically, there has been little change in the production of our valuable silverware since that era. The success of each piece depends on manual skill, care and patience as well as the many years of experience acquired by the staff at the Manufacture. After all, 28 work steps go into making up every silver spoon, and 32 into each fork. Koch & Bergfeld's listed factory complex in Bremen's Neustadt district, which is worth seeing for its architectural features alone, not only contains modern electronic machinery but traditional workbenches as well. Here, experienced staff concentrate their entire energies on each piece of cutlery to give it the form and shine that characterise the masterpieces of Koch & Bergfeld.
A total of over 250 books – so-called "folios" – contain almost all designs and products from the silverware produced in the course of over 175 years. Drawings by famous designers such as Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Gustav Elsaß, Bernhard Hoetger, Albin Müller and Henry van de Velde document the design and production of cutlery and silverware, sometimes even including the names of customers, weight and workshop number, manufactured by Koch & Bergfeld since around 1835. It is also possible to recreate rare pieces or previous limited editions at any time, thanks to the collection of stamping tools kept in storage at the workshop, which were handcrafted in fine detail according to drawings made by engravers – and still are today. This store of stamping tools is the true treasure chamber at the workshop.
Once an item of cutlery has been designed by the draughtsman and the stamping tool produced by the toolmaker, it is the turn of the silversmith. Presses are used to bring the blanks into shape using a complex stamping process before being given their final contours by hand. Special cutting, grinding, filing and polishing machines are available to create the key features of each item of cutlery. It is during this stage that they are provided with their distinctive feature: the hand-ground corners and edges which have made the masterpieces from Koch & Bergfeld so unique and well-known. Cutlery from Koch & Bergfeld gets its famous white sheen from an additional process involving the application of a fine layer of silver. The surface of the cutlery is then buffed up to a mirror finish using rotating cloth-covered wheels and a special paste. Before the valuable, gleaming silverware is lovingly laid in specially made cases and boxes, it is subjected to a careful quality check. Only perfectly sculpted, flawless pieces are awarded the certificate: "made by Koch & Bergfeld".
Given this high level of care and attention to detail it is not surprising that Koch & Bergfeld also ranks among Germany's premium luxury brands thanks to the intrinsic value of its products...
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