babygator72

Does anyone know where the factory is that makes Black Forest carves products, such as cucoo clocks and music boxes?

ira

It's in a cave located under a giant oak in the Black Forest.

(The devil made me do it)

cmeyer54

Triberg in the heart of the Black Forest is known as the home of the cuckoo clock. Biggest shop there is the House of 1000 Clocks - you can't miss it.

Bob1

Above info is correct. Go to Triberg and get a good sales consultant in one of the shops that will show you the difference between a quality clock and a KMart special.

You do not want to buy one in Germany that you can get in the US at KMart. There are major differences. Do a search on this site and you should find one of my postings on this......or just buy a cheap clock and head home. In that case you do not need to go to Triberg. Just enter any German department store.

Bob1

Here is one of my responses on the cuckoo clocks from a few months ago:

Author: Bob1
Date: 05/29/2003, 02:48 am
Message: You are referring to the cheap cuckoo clocks you see in the US. Germany has real clocks with metal works and great carvings that do not compare to what they ship to Target stores here. Look for the real thing and you may change your husband's mind. Plus, the good ones have a switch to turn the sound off and keep the time going.

A few other tips on buying a cuckoo:

Wooden weights: They have hand carved weights you can get instead of the cheap molded ones. This really makes a quality difference.

Dark chains: The cheap clocks have bright gold chains that look great new but quickly tarnish. The good clocks have quality dark chains that always look the same.

Carved wooden numbers, not stamped plastic. Plus the hands of the clock should be hand carved wood, not stamped white plastic.

The clock will be finished on the sides and the roof. The roof will have hand laid shingles. Cheap clocks will have nothing on the side or roof...just a flat board.

Music and hand carved figures. Not stamped.

Metal workings, not plastic. Ask to see the inside and have them tell you how it was made and where.

Check on how long the clock will run before you pull the weights. They have daily pulls and clocks that only need it weekly.

As you can see, your husband may be thinking of one type of clock while the true German cuckoo is a much higher quality. We learned all of this in the Black Forest 20 years ago and have two great clocks that work well in our home and we enjoy daily. It does pay to find someone who sells the real clock and not get the Target version. Plus, they do not cost all that more. Americans just do not know to ask.

Also...thanks for helping me kill a 3 hour delay at LAX. Nothing else to do but Fodors and then on to Australia. Enjoy Germany!

KY

I am also keen on buying a good quality cuckoo clock. Any idea how much will it cost roughly? I msy need to save up.

ldowst

You can preview cuckoo clocks on the web. Try: www.house-of-black-forest-clocks.com - they have many quality clocks and a very helpful staff. As for cost - it depends on quality and size. Expect to pay anywhere from $100 for the smaller good quality clocks up to over $600-700 for a very good quality larger clock. The website should give you a good idea.

KY

Thnks for the info.

Meg42

We just purchased a cuckoo clock in St. Goar and had it shipped home. We ended up paying $500 for a nice size clock. It is also one you wind for a week. The one day clocks were alot cheaper. I was overwhelmed with the selection, but my husband asked all the right questions and we decided to purchase a good quality clock which we can enjoy for years. I can't wait until it arrives! It also has handcarved musical figures along with the cuckoo the bird, that increases the price as well.