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Laguiole
Knives
Unusually the Laguiole knife is not a company or trademark or
brand name, it is a small village in Central France, part of the
Auvergne a wild beautiful area of mountains and rural scenery.
The knives are made in an area surrounding the town of Thiers, a
town specializing in the manufacture of flatware and cutlery,
and the small village of Laguiole.
The origin of Laguiole knives is shrouded in history and is
thought to have originated in Northern Spain from the Capuchadou
a fixed knife with a wooden handle and brought into France by
migrant workers. This knife was then improved upon to become the
folding Laguiole knife of today by Jaques Calmels the son of an
innkeeper in Laguiole who had served an apprenticeship in the
cutlery industry. The folding knife became the knife of choice
for the farmers and shepherds of the area.
The traditional Laguiole knives consist of 1 to 3 parts – blade,
corkscrew and piercer (used for making small holes) and when in
use is held in place by a hooked spring. The corkscrew element
was added when the local village people, in common with the
majority of rural France left their villages to move to the big
cities in the late nineteenth century. Some opened or worked in
restaurants and the Laguiole corkscrew became the corkscrew of
choice both in France and eventually across the world. The
Laguiole steak knives are purely a knife.
Laguiole steak knife by Alain Saint-Joanis
All modern day Laguiole knives have the bee on the bolster. The
bee signifies that Napoleon has approved and recommended the use
of the product, something like the Royal Warrant of Approval in
the UK. Legend has it that Napoleon was camped near the village
of Laguiole and the local people stole into the camp and
presented him with a Laguiole knife. In the morning he gave the
village the right to use the Napoleon bee.
Today the local industry has expanded to offer other items such
as steak knives which have become very popular worldwide. The
design both in its beauty and the functionality and quality of
the blades make an excellent product. Added to a variety of
attractive handles in horn, silver and a variety of natural and
exotic woods the Laguiole steak knife has become a firm
favourite. A number of Laguiole and Thiers companies specialize
in the product – R. Chazeau, Forge de Laguiole, Fontenille
Pataud, Goyon Chazeau, Claude Dozorme, Laguiole en Aubrac,
Thiers Issard, Rossignol, and G David.
Classic Laguiole steak knives by Jean Philip and Chazeau
Beware of copies, a Laguiole steak knife is a complex item to
make and can be identified by the bee, the name of origin on the
blade, its weight and quality, and the authenticity of the
manufacturer. They are not cheap and you should look to pay $300
plus for 6 knives in the traditional wooden box. I have been
offered as a retailer Laguiole knives made in India, so beware.
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