Lorenzi Messer, Zürich

Lorenzi Messer GmbH is Zürich’s last real specialist cutlery shop and Victorinox products have been part of the product range since its beginning. The shop was originally founded in 1927 by Lorenzo Lorenzi and his son Carlo. For the last 45 years, it was run by Marco Lorenzi. This is a family name associated across Europe with knives and cutlery. Today the business is operated by Reto and Cornelia Böhlen, who took it over in mid-2014.

The Böhlens are proud of the shop’s rich history, but are firmly committed to innovation and the future. Sound familiar? These are exactly the values we also espouse, so it’s no wonder we work closely with them.

Reto Böhlen is excellently placed to think about the future. In 2017, he took over from HP Klötzli as the President of the Swiss Master Cutlers Association and is now in a position to have a great deal of influence on the future of our industry.

We wanted to know more about what the Böhlens foresee for the future of cutlery, so our CEO, Carl Elsener, had a chat with them on this topic:

[Carl Elsener] I started working at Victorinox at age 20 after completing my studies, but knifemaking is in my blood, having grown up in our factory and watching my father at work. You also have an enormous amount of specialist knowledge. How and where did you obtain this knowledge?

[Reto & Cornelia Böhlen] Actually neither of us come from the knife business – Cornelia is a certified pediatric nurse and I studied electrical engineering, after completing my basic education in mechanics. We were however very engaged and open since the start and thus its natural that a certain wealth of knowledge builds up over the years.
In the technical field, my role as product and process developer in around 30-40 innovation projects was certainly influential. Within medical technology, a high quality and process awareness was fundamental. In the area of energy and environmental technology, I have learned to think sustainably. In my own development projects, I consistently sought the simplest solution. A former boss of mine once said "everything we do not build is never broken". That shapes me to this day.

[Carl Elsener] Like you, we are also committed to being innovative. What are the most exciting innovations have you seen in the knife industry in recent years?

[Reto & Cornelia Böhlen] There has been a clear increase in the number of highly complex knives on offer, as well as a corresponding increase in the number of customers who are prepared to spend more for good quality products. What previously could only be produced lovingly by hand can now be produced in large quantities and at reasonable prices thanks to modern production techniques. This is the case not only for blades but also for knife handles.
With much pleasure, I’ve also noticed the number of small businesses and independent workshops offering some remarkable products who are giving a new impetus to traditional craftsmanship. Less exciting are the various cheap online retailers who operate on a short-term and unsustainable basis. It’s important to separate the wheat from the chaff here.

[Carl Elsener] In recent years, we have diversified our product range to include suitcases, watches and fragrance, as a way to ensure the longevity of our brand. As Zürich’s last real cutlery shop, what steps have you taken to ensure that your business is sustainable in the long run?

[Reto & Cornelia Böhlen] We have already stated in our business plan that our goal is to be Zürich’s number one address for great knives, an unparalleled sharpening service and interesting additional services. We have defined four key communications factors: firstly, browsing in our shop should be an experience, so we have deliberately maintained the look and feel of a traditional knife shop, as well as ensuring that the service we offer is both knowledgeable and sincere.
Secondly, we wanted very much to maintain the combination of retail shop and workshop so that the customers receive everything from a single source and we can work out what works and what doesn’t. In this way, we can really stand behind the products that we sell and are acting in a truly sustainable and authentic manner.
Thirdly, we have decided to concentrate only on high quality products for the discerning consumer. Those who come to us should be prepared to spend money to get a truly great product. The customers should grow ever fonder of the products that we sell them and continue to get great joy from owning and using them.
Finally, we want to offer a truly great sharpening service. Knives we have sharpened should not only look like new again, but should also perform even better than new. Customers today buy a product not just for its function but also because of its aesthetic and they don’t want to let any old common and garden knife sharpener ruin this.
With these four key points, things have been going pretty well so far. I read last year in an online review portal that we were a “jewel of Zürich” and since we originally come from Bern, we were very pleased to read this! Our knife sharpening course are also extremely popular – we are about to celebrate our 1111th participant!

[Carl Elsener] What is your vision for the future of the Swiss Master Cutlers Association? And for the profession as a whole?

[Reto & Cornelia Böhlen] This I can express very concretely. In our shop, we often hear people saying “I didn’t even know that this still even existed”. That’s exactly what we have to change! The cutlery profession is a valuable, demanding, traditional craft which deserves to be more widely acknowledged once again.
In today’s fast-paced disposable lifestyle, which actually everyone knows is not really quite right in the long run, cutlers are doing something very sustainable and can be justly proud thereof. The carpentry profession are a good example – with their “Your carpenter, your maker” campaign, they have managed to position themselves well against companies like Ikea, Interio, Micasa etc. It would be nice if we could do something similar, albeit in a more modest way.