Forge de Laguiole

Forge de Laguiole

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The manufacture Forge de Laguiole was founded in 1987. It has brought the production of the famous Laguiole knife back to its birthplace. The design of the building was entrusted to Philippe Starck, who perfectly implemented the philosophy of the company: creativity with the great tradition of the Laguiole knife. The Forge de Laguiole manufactory is characterised by its authenticity, which is reflected in the high quality of its products. MAKING LAGUIOLE KNIVES IN LAGUIOLE On 19 December 2007, Forge de Laguiole was awarded the " Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant " (Living Heritage) prize by the French Minister for Industry and International Trade. This label aims to promote " an economic heritage that has exceptional know-how [and] belongs to a special place ". There are Laguiole knives made in France, Laguiole knives made in Aveyron, Laguiole knives made in Laguiole but only Forge de Laguiole knives are forged and made in Laguiole. AUTHENTICITY At Forge de Laguiole, the individual parts used to make the knives are handmade. The blades are forged and hardened. The forged stainless steel fittings are cut and the blanks are cold pressed from a steel strip. The bees and quillons are hot guilloche or hand chiselled. The handle scales are sawn from pieces of wood, horn or other modern material and polished. The production of a single knife requires several hours or even days. KNOW-HOW AND QUALITY A knife is made by craftsmen with traditional know-how. Some presses were even built 100 years ago and the core working techniques have remained unchanged. Our knifemakers, whose skills are comparable to those of watchmakers or goldsmiths, preserve a century-old tradition and raise production to the highest quality standards. Each knife is made from start to finish by the same knifemaker. A rigorous quality control is applied as the final step, ensuring a perfect finish.

LAGUIOLE FRENCH FOLDING KNIVES - HANDMADE IN FRANCE - TRADITION AND MODERN COPY OR ORIGINAL?

It all began in 1829 in the small town of Laguiole in the Aveyron, in the south of the Auvergne. People lived from farming and animal husbandry, raising small wild cattle with huge horns and sheep, widely appreciated for their excellent meat. Dairy farming produced excellent cheeses such as "Roquefort" from Millau and "Laguiole" from Laguiole. And people lived from trade. The Auvergnats were excellent carters who travelled the length and breadth of France trading in wine and coal. These journeys brought them into contact with Spanish blades, which they brought home and showed to their smiths. And so, in 1829, Jean-Pierre Calmels succeeded for the first time in transforming the small dagger typical of this region, the CAPOUCHADOU, into a conveniently foldable knife. Beautiful, simple and useful... it quickly became an indispensable companion for everyone. Cattle and sheep breeders needed a spike (to pierce the intestines in case of colic), carters too, to repair the leather of their draft animals. So they added it to the blade

Also from very old times is another loving detail on the handle of many LAGUIOLES, which is typical of the religiousness of the people in the remote areas of France: a cross made of small metal pins inlaid in the handle scales. It is said that it served the shepherds who once had to stay with their animals at night and who rammed the knife into the ground to pray in front of their cross. The wreath of small nails around the central "clou" is also such a Christian symbol: a substitute for the rosary.

But at the end of the 19th century, a great rural exodus began. The Aveyron began to become impoverished and in search of work, people moved to the big cities and some all over the world. For many, there was often no more left of home than the LAGUIOLE in their pockets. But wherever you met someone who had a similar knife, you knew each other among friends, helped each other, shared bread and cheese and so the concept of the "passport auvergnat" was born. Others who had moved to Paris quickly managed to conquer the capital with the famous hospitality and good cuisine of Auvergne. And where you drink wine, you need a corkscrew. The blacksmiths added it to the knife