What Is So Special About Laguiole Knives

We all know that the person who is involved in the kitchen to make food for the family will certainly use a knife. Knives are used in order to make our food palatable by nicely cutting them into smaller pieces in eatable sizes and shapes.

Therefore, for this purpose, we will prefer to use only those knives, which are of better quality. These types of quality knives are not only used at home kitchens but also in various restaurants for preparing different foods easily and smoothly.

Laguiole-french-knives.com are very well-known all over the world due to their bright craftsmanship as well as high unimpeachable quality, which is used by many people.

In order to increase your general knowledge, we would like to inform all readers that initially, these knives were used by shepherds in a village whose name was Laguiole in France during the 19th century.

Initially, these knives were known only as a knife that is manufactured in France in its southern part. For almost a couple of centuries, these knives were known because of their very sharp cutting edge, having high-quality construction, and also for grip handles.

Few other types of knives are also available of the same brand that are also quite famous, and they are usually used for cutting tight ropes while people climb mountains or also use them for their self-defense whenever they are in danger.

This well-known brand of a knife has a slip joint and no ring for keeping the blade open. This spring lies on the spine constantly of the blade, and therefore it stops in its spine’s notch when you open the knife.

No lock is there on the slip joint, and it will simply close by putting little pressure on the blade’s spine. Among the knives of this brand, which is folding type, was much easier in using and also carrying than traditional knives, and hence it became shepherd’s indispensable tool.

During the year 1840, a punch was used by breeders, which were added with this knife. Due to this, they could pierce the cattle’s rumen for allowing fermentation gases to escape.

This kind of bloating generally occurs initially during transhumance when animals will change their diet, for instance, by changing from hay to any fresh grass for which they must have lost their digesting habit.

A corkscrew was further added in the year of 1880 to include the requests of café owners, particularly from the region of Aveyron, who also had gone to open their bars in Paris.

In this way, the birth of the famous 3-piece knife having blade, corkscrew, and also a punch took place, which is the ancestor of the present Laguiole knives that we can see today.

During the 20th century, the production of these knives suffered a decline because of two wars that had seriously depopulated France.

This business was again revived with lots of success in the year 1980, and approximately 400,000 numbers of knives are annually produced now in the approved area of Laguiole.

So, what is so special in these knives?

Firstly, the name by which these knives are known is not any brand name as such, but it is one small village in France, which was already mentioned in the beginning. The name of the village where the birth of these knives took place carries with them.

After the First World War, the production of these knives was moved to some other place called Theirs, but still, the old name is used.

Thiers is another nearby town, which is considered as the capital of knives all over the world, where over 70 percent of knife production of France is done. Both these two places of France have worked together and created these authentic Laguiole knives.

Laguiole knives production

The special thing about these knives is that each of these knives is a piece of art. Each of these knives is made, right from its start to final finish, by a single individual craftsman, who will use only the best quality material.

Since each piece of these knives is individually made by a single craftsman, the designs may vary from one to another.

You will find a few of them have got bees or flies present on the handle, while a few others may have some different ornamental pieces. Also, the spine which runs down its handle may also vary, and few of them can have a certain elaborate kind of designing.

The first knives

There are few authentic Laguiole knives that you may find that have individual pins, which are inlaid on its handle, which are in a cross shape.

The original knives were actually made for shepherds, those who were migrating along with their flocks. They were quite far away from their own home, and therefore as a church, these shepherds considered their knife as their cross for prayer.

So, they will just open it up, and stick it somewhere into the ground, so that it allowed them to see the cross. Therefore, few refer to all these knives as their “little chapel.”

As a matter of fact, the name Laguiole also comes from the word “la gleisòla,” which really means “little church.”

Few tips for identifying a counterfeit

There are few imitation products found in the market that are sold under this name, and hence here are few quick tips to identify fake knives.

Price

If someone is demanding just $50 for the entire knife set, then surely, they are not the authentic one. All true Laguiole knives would be handmade by using only the best quality materials, and one knife will cost a minimum of $100.

The blade

All authentic Laguiole knives will have straight edge blades. In case you notice the serrated edge, then it is not original.

Stamped blade

On any original knife, you will find that the blade is stamped with the following –

• It will read “Veritable Laguiolle” and also “made in France” will be written on it.
• Material from which it is made from
• Craftsman’s name
• Name of the company produced.

The handle

Handles will always be made of any high-quality raw material like wood or horn, etc. If you find plastic or other material, then it is not genuine.

The ornamental piece

A piece over the knife’s spring is commonly a fly or bee, but it can be anything. However, the important thing for an authentic knife is that the ornamental piece will be continuous with the spine.

If the fly or bee is welded or glued on, then it is not genuine.