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Laguiole hosted by Gerard

The most famous French knife: Laguiole.

In the year 1829 Pierre-Jean Calmels - from a small town in France called Laguiole- made the first Laguiole, a combination from the Spanish Navaja knife and a French farmers knife ( the Capuchadou). This knife had only a blade and a small widening at the front side of the spring called the ‘fly’ (la mouche in French; I will give you some translations but you may as well forget them).

It is claimed that Napoleon the third gave the people of Laguiole the privilege to use the “Napoleonic Bee” ( une abeille) on their knives as a reward for choosing his side at a regional uprising. And so that front part of the spring was still called the ‘fly’, but it had the shape of a bee………
Nowadays it can have several shapes but the bee is still the most common one.
At about 1840 the ‘punch’ (le poinçon) was added to the knife and in 1880 the corckscrew (le tire-bouchon).

The knife was often used by shepherds, to cut their bread and open a bottle of wine. The punch was used to release gas from a cows stomach when she had a bad digestion.
On one side of the handle an ornament was made (le cloutage) in the shape of a cross so that the shepherd always had a cross to pray.

The materials used for the handles were just local materials like wood, horn and bone.
These days there is a much larger variety of materials used and the back of the spring often has very nice decorations (guillochage) made with a burin or file , some knifes actually look like a piece of art.

Laguiole is a type of knife, not a protected brand!
This means that everybody can make such a knife and call it a Laguiole. And so, unfortunately, there is a lot of poor quality coming from China, Pakistan and even France itself.
On the other hand it also means that there are master Laguiole makers who are not French at all.

To be continued………

Tags: French, Laguiole., The, famous, knife:, most

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on June 29, 2014 at 15:21

Laguiole pictures Mustafa Teymen

by Gerard on December 17, 2013

A small family enterprise from Thiers in France, a long time ago daddy Teymen (from Turkish origine) started a cutlery named: l'Emouleur. Later on his 3 sons joined him.
Nowadays the sons are working under the name: MMKA Teymen.
One of them (Mustafa) made these laguioles:

Burled walnut scales and a damascus blade.

Really fine filework on the back and bottomside.

The second one has a 12C27 blade and scales with ironwood, ivory, mammoth tooth, camel bone and again ivory and camelbone.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on June 29, 2014 at 15:22

Laguiole pictures.

by Gerard on December 6, 2013

I really like to see your Laguioles, so please share them with us.
I wil show some of mine too.......

David Dauvillaire is certainly one of my favourite 'couteliers', so I would like to start with some of his knives.

This one is a 21 cm long knife with whorled birch handlescales an a 12C27 steel blade.
The fly is forged and shaped as a bee, this entire knive is handmade.

It is what we call a 'plein manche'; it has no bolsters.

The next one is made with blond horn scales and also a 12C27 blade.
This knife has the leaf of an Acanthus engraved in both bolsters and in the blade.
Almost all his knives have that leave in the blade.
David does not make knives with a welded fly, only forged ones.
(If I make some spelling mistakes, please feel free to correct me!)

This one has scales made of colored and stabilized birch wood with a 12C27 blade:

With the sign of the Free Masons.

One with Cocobolo scales and very nice decoration of the spring and liners on both sides:

there is no shepherds cross but a so called 'rosary' on the side.

Here is another 'plein manche' with a rosette as fly:

and a very nice piece of ash wood for scales.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on June 29, 2014 at 15:22

Reply by Brad T. on December 16, 2013 at 16:18

Gerard,

Those are beautiful. I will get to collecting those after I finish off a couple of other collections.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on June 29, 2014 at 15:23

Comment by Brad T. on December 3, 2013 at 16:50

I am searching for nice vintage versions of these knives constantly. I really like them.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on June 29, 2014 at 15:23

Comment by Steve Hanner on December 3, 2013 at 21:23

Good to see some of those explanations Gerard, I have not known much about these knives. I am looking forward to learning where I can!

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on June 29, 2014 at 15:24

Comment by Doug Thrower on December 5, 2013 at 11:59

I love these and other styles of French knives. Trying now to start a small collection of ones I can afford. This is a very informative video on the history of the Laguiole knives. His other videos are justas informative and enjoyable to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AZhovo...

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on June 29, 2014 at 15:24

Comment by Gerard on December 5, 2013 at 12:48

Thanks for joining Doug! Nice video.
In the video it is told that the privilige to use the bee came from Napoleon Bonaparte.......wich is offcourse not possible. The privilige was granted by Napoleon the Third, (Charles-Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte1808-1873).

Perhaps you can show us your laguiole's or other French knives?

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on June 29, 2014 at 15:24

Comment by Doug Thrower on December 7, 2013 at 10:46

SorryI gave the impression I had some, I am trying to get one, if I can ever catch my local shop open. He sells the Robert David Laguioles, but is always closed so he can go to gunshows. When I do get it, I will be sure to post a pic ASAP.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on June 29, 2014 at 15:25

Comment by Robert Burris on December 17, 2013 at 8:49

When I get a chance I'll post my Laguiole knife. I only have one but I like it a lot. Let's see every ones Laguiole knives.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on June 29, 2014 at 15:25

Comment by David Selph on January 20, 2014 at 17:54

Chateau Laguiole Master Sommelier "Oliver" Wine knife with cork screw. The handles for this knife was made from centuries old trees destroyed at Versailles during a very powerful storm around the turn of the century.

http://s900.photobucket.com/user/Davdini/media/P1130010_zps431d86d3...

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on June 29, 2014 at 15:25

Comment by David Selph on January 21, 2014 at 12:02

here is the Laguiole information on this cork screw knife

Chateau Laguiole Corkscrew

- Olivier Poussier -

This piece was created in honor of Olivier Poussier of France, winner of the 2000 world's best sommelier contest.

Features: The Yew wood used to create this magnificent wine opener is from Marie Antoinette's beloved collection of specimen trees that resided in the Bosquet de la Reine. Nearly all of the rare and old specimen trees of the castle were up-rooted during the terrible storm of December 26 1999, most of those trees were imported from around the world to the Chateau de Versailles during the 18th century has part of the 1776 gardens renovation ordered by Louis XVI. See "Versailles collection" for more details. - Signature leather belt sheath included.

Handle: 224 years old Yew wood (Taxus Baccata)
Material characteristics: Orange brown, red brown, or purplish brown heartwood.
Handle Material's Origin: France (Chateau de Versailles / Bosquet de la Rein)
Weight: 3.3 oz - 94gm
Blade: 12C27 Sanvik Stainless steel
Size: 11.5 cm / 4: 1/2 in
Finish: Brushed 12c27 Sandvik Stainless Steel.
Chateau Laguiole Reference#: 3020V

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on June 29, 2014 at 15:26

Comment by Gerard on January 28, 2014 at 6:01

It is a beautiful wine knife, and very nice that you know so much about the history of the wood and the reason this wine opener was made. To know all that makes it an even more special wine knife