Wright will hold an auction of Berkel meat slicers from the company’s inception to the present day in New York on February 9.
Dutch engineer Wilhelmus Adrianus van Berkel came up with an original design for a mechanical slicer in the early 1890s.
The Berkel slicer is an iconic piece of kitchenware
By 1898 he had the first patent and opened up a factory in Rotterdam.
Berkel has been the dominant manufacturer of slicers ever since. Its products are famed for their style and quality.
While it mainly produces electric slicers, Berkel still makes its iconic flywheel models.
The highlight of the auction will be a Model C flywheel slicer, produced between 1898 and 1906.
It’s valued at $10,000-15,000.
The sale will also feature machines from other manufacturers, including a Burgers & VDF variable slicer from circa 1880.
The first Burgers & VDF slicer was built close to 30 years before Berkel got its first patent. However, as Burgers & VDF decided to switch to manufacturing bicycles soon afterwards, the market was left more or less open.
Wright comments: “With examples dating from as early as 1893 to the mid-1950s, this auction will feature thirty lots of slicers, kitchen scales and ephemera spanning the spectrum of design evolution.
“Crafted in enameled iron and polished steel, the machines express subtle elegance in both their aesthetic and engineering and have a place of pride in fine restaurants and home kitchens around the world.”
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