Hi 'Nando,
thinking outside the "box" I tried to make a german word from the various interpretations of the letters
I tried
Wahn leaving the last "b" out of the equation .
I discovered there is a town called Wahn which is around 38 kms from Solingen

Wahn is a few miles from the Rhone River ....a good source of water for an industrial factory ....or even, perhaps, a sword maker
You said that many of these blades were from Germany, with Solingen one of the main sword making areas ....just coincidence that wahn is so close by

. The "b" is the only 'fly in the ointment' .....yes I said 'b' not BEE

. Could that possibly be a factory stamp or a makers mark that is similar to a the letter B
All the best
David