Fig.1: German ice skates, 3rd quarter 19th century
Beautiful skates with elegant curls and inlaid brass heel plates.

Manufacturer: Carl Wilhelm Wirths, Remscheid (D)
Mark:
Technical data: total length: 42 cm ; height over ice: 8.3 cm; platform: 30 cm long, 6 cm wide; runner blade: 13 mm high, 5 mm thick; weight: 330 g

Fig.2: German ice skates, 4th quarter 19th century

Beautiful skates with spoon like curls and inlaid brass heel and toe plates.

Manufacturer: Hermann Wirths & Sohn, Remscheid
Mark:
Technical data: total length: 36 cm ; height over ice: 3.5 cm; platform: 27 cm long, 6 cm wide; runner blade: 17 mm high, 4 mm thick; weight: 315 g

Fig.3: German ice skates, 4th quarter 19th century

Sturdy skates with nice curled up blades.

Manufacturer: unknown; mark: none
Technical data: total length: 40 cm ; height over ice: 3.5 cm; platform: 31 cm long, 6.5 cm wide; runner blade: 19 mm high, 4 mm thick; weight: 475 g

Fig.4: German ice skates, 4th quarter 19th century

Light skates with small curled up blades.

Manufacturer: Platte Bros., Remscheid (D)
Mark:
Technical data: total length: 34cm ; height over ice: 3 cm; platform: 25 cm long, 5.6 cm wide; runner blade: 15 mm high, 3 mm thick; weight: 255 g including straps

Fig.5: German ice skates, 4th quarter 19th century

Beautiful skates with elegant curls.

Manufacturer: unknown
Mark: This mark shows the size; not the manufacturer.
Technical data: total length: 39 cm ; height over ice: 3.5 cm; platform: 26 cm long, 6 cm wide; runner blade: 18 mm high, 3 mm thick; weight: 330 g including straps

Fig.6: German ice skates, 4th quarter 19th century

Sturdy skates with curled prows and inlaid iron heel cup. The slot in the end of the runner blade and the heel inlay are noticeably. They mark a marriage of wooden and full metal ice skates. The wide slot at the front of the wooden platform hints in the direction of a toe strap with two or three buckles.

Manufacturer: Hermann Wirths & Sohn, Remscheid (D)
Mark:
Technical data: total length: 36 cm; height over ice: 6.9 cm; platform: 26 cm shoe length, 6 cm wide; runner blade: 12 mm high, 2.5 mm thick; weight: 360 g

Fig.7: German ice skates, 3rd quarter 19th century

Splendid pair of skates with spoon like turned up blades.

Manufacturer: unknown; mark: none
Technical data: total length: 42 cm ; height over ice: 8.3 cm; platform: 30 cm long, 6 cm wide; runner blade: 13 mm high, 5 mm thick; weight: 330 g

Fig.8: German ice skates, 4th quarter of 19th century

The sturdy design suggest a product for the Swedish market but this is not quite certain.

Manufacturer: unknown, probably Wirths, Remscheid (D)
Mark: none
Technical data: Total length: 36 cm; height over ice: 4.6 cm;  platform: 28 cm long, 6.5 cm wide; runner blade: 27 mm high, 6.5 mm thick with gutter; weight: 415 g
 

German ice skates

The German forging and metalworking industry
is concentrated in
the vicinity of Cologne
and Düsseldorf.

This is because iron
could be digged here
relatively easy
and there was also
plenty coal for the fires.

Places like Remscheid, Solingen, Essen and Wuppertal
became famous
for their metal products.

Most manufacturers
of ice skates
(and parts for them)
were located
in Remscheid.
 
From the middle of
the 19th century
lots of ice skates
have been made
and mainly exported to countries as
the USA, England,
the Netherlands, France
and Scandinavia.

Of course ice skates
also have been produced
for domestic use,
but the amounts were neglectably
compared to those
destined for abroad.
 

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