Laguiole

Laguiole knives have come to be known throughout the world for their quality and craftsmanship.  Today, Laguiole knives are still entirely handmade, from start to finish.   None of the processes are mechanized and none are subcontracted, which makes the companies that produce these items unique. 

Laguiole is the name of a small area in the South of France, near Thiers.  Mostly the production of Laguiole items is done in the region.  Several families and companies are involved in producing Laguiole products.  Many different producers have products at many different prices, so be careful to make sure you know what you are buying.

On average, for a Laguiole knife with a simple blade, takes 109 operations to produce.  A Laguiole knife with blade, corkscrew and punch takes 216!  The same cutler works on the knife the whole way through.  After this, the quality is strictly checked by a foreman before the knives are rubbed and labelled. 

Laguiole has been awarded numerous prixes, for example in 2002 they won the First National 'Mercure d'Or' prize, given out by the Ministry of Arts and Crafts.    This award celebrates creativity and artisan development.  In 1999 the company won the Dunhill Prestige Regional Prize awarded to 2 of the knife makers, Jean-Michel Cayron and Yves Conquet.

Brief historical overview

• 1829 - invention of the folding Laguiole knife with notch.  Similar to the ones found today.  The company is in Aubrac, a plateau in SW France.  The knife was inspired by a Spanish knife brought back by locals after working in mills in Spain.  The Navaja knife is inspired from that Spanish original knife.

• 1829-1880. Knives are produced by Blacksmiths and evolves to become a popular utensil in the region.    The punch and corkscrew appear at that time.

• 1880-1920s is the height of the popularity for Laguiole Knife makers.  Man awards at national contests.  The company resists modernization trends.

• 1930-1987.  The popularity of the knife means more demand.  A more industrialized version is produced in Thiers but Laguiole continues to produce theirs by hand

• to the present.  Currently the company makes about 400,000 knives per year and is growing. 

The bee symbol

This is the symbol of the Laguiole knife.  It's a technical term used to refer to the springhead of the knife.  In this case a bee.  Beware, the bee has been copied and the presence of the symbol does not guarantee authenticity.