Made in Germany – genuine skilled craftsmanship from Solingen

RUCK has been working closely with traditional Solingen blacksmiths and manufacturers since 1998.

The Solingen-forged blank undergoes several processing steps in the manufactory before it is finished to RUCK quality. Up to 0.3 mm of material has to be filed off the forged part to ensure that no components that are susceptible to corrosion remain on the surface. With you through every step of the process, every one of the many precise steps is carefully coordinated and built upon the next. That's why it's important to think about the end result in advance.

The first steps in the process involve grinding the milled pliers blanks and preparing them for the springs that will be used later by drilling a hole for the spring, cutting a thread, and countersinking the drill hole. Provisions are also made for the later hinge by drilling the rivet hole.

A glance behind the scenes shows how expertise and passion for high-quality instruments are reflected in every single product.

Spring hole drilling

Thread cutting

Rivet hole drilling

At this point, the instrument only exists as individual parts – the boxbeck and the intermediate beck. However, the two parts are ‘married’ to each other by a process known as insertion. The boxbeck is heated inductively to a glowing state and expanded so that the intermediate beck can be inserted. A press is used to close the opening again and to ensure that the two parts are correctly located in each other. The head is then processed using a hammer and anvil, the legs are straightened using a straightening fork and the blank is transferred for the first surface grinding. This and the following steps are largely characterised by the trained eye, years of experience and expertise of the employees.

1 | Induction heating

2 | Arborisation

3 | Push through & press together

4 | Machining the head

5 | Thigh straightening

What follows is a series of various grinding, polishing and filing processes to carve out the specific shape of the instruments, to file down forged surfaces and to expose the bare steel. During this process, the instrument is given a rivet that serves as a pivot point in the joint. While repairs may sound simple in theory, in practice they are a complex task that requires a great deal of experience and sensitivity. This applies to the entire instrument production process. Many of the machines used are our own creations, developed to meet the specific requirements of these complex processes.

Grinding the "jaws"

Grinding of legs

Sanding the high edge

Inserting the rivet

„When grinding, you can input
your handwriting. You see the formation:
From a brutal forging blank,
it suddenly becomes a highly refined instrument.“

- Managing Director of the Solingen factory.

Electropolishing of RUCK instruments

After the instruments have been set in the hardening shop furnace, they are electropolished (e-polished). With you in a rack developed in-house, the instruments are immersed in an electrolyte bath for several minutes and so integrated into an electrical circuit. This circuit allows the filing of material in hard-to-reach places in the micrometer range and serves to remove free iron particles that are susceptible to corrosion. This brings the chromium content of the surgical steel to the surface, which ensures shine and improved corrosion resistance.

A large benefit of e-polishing over mechanical polishing is that all the instrument's cavities can be reached. This makes it easier to clean the joint, for example, and the corrosion resistance gained in general increases the longevity of the instruments, yet another benefit. Incidentally, e-polishing is an exclusive RUCK servicing offered by the Solingen factory!

Inserting the instruments

Cleaning after the e-polish

joint lubrication

White filing

After the shaping and rough processes are complete, it's time to move on to the finer details. White filing requires a delicate touch. So that an instrument can cut, it must start at the cutting tip and close downwards..

Checking the light gap

This can be best checked by holding the instrument up to the light. If the light gap in the cutting edge closes when it is gently squeezed, adequate filing has been done. The instrument is then sharpened according to its area of application.

Passivation and laser treatment

The next step is passivation and laser treatment. Passivation is similar to electropolishing, but without the electric shocks. Thanks to a chemical reaction, the instrument receives its final surface finish, which, when used in combination with electropolishing, ensures that RUCK instruments are highly corrosion resistant. Laser technology is used to mark and label them.

Inserting the spring

The springs are then mounted on the instruments, which have pre-drilled holes that match the blanks. Thanks to the springs, the instrument opens again independently after cutting, so that working at a consistent speed can be successful.

Final inspection

The quality of the instruments is thoroughly checked at every station. Despite all this, there is a final inspection. Besides the visual inspection of the instrument, a cutting control is performed on a paper with a nail-like coating. Three important subtleties are to be observed here:

Hearing: Does the ‘cracking’ during cutting indicate an error?
Optics: Does the paper fray?
Feel: Do the two cutting edges jump out at each other when the instrument is opened?

If the product is flawless, it is packed by hand and ready to be shipped.

Here in Solingen, genuine craftsmanship is combined with skill and expertise to offer you durable high-quality products that you can rely on.