Laguiole - Hunting knives duck olive

Perfect complement to the steak knife.

• blade length: 10 cm
• Overall length: 22 cm
• Important! This is a natural product. Appearance of the handle may vary! Clean only by hand!
• Material: Blade 12C27 Sandvik-Steel

Please note: Due to the costly customization of each Laguiole en Aubrac products may lead to an extended delivery time, should we not have these in stock. Please inquire about product availability by e-mail to lager@culinaris.eu or phone!

Once upon a time was the Laguiole

This humble farmer’s knife was first created in 1829, in Laguiole, a small mountain village of the Aveyron, in southwestern France. The bee decorating the spring plate would eventually become the prestigious symbol of France’s most celebrated knife.

The first Laguiole knives were inspired by the Arabo-Hispanic knife, the Navaja. Local men who migrated to Spain in winter as pit-sawyers brought this knife back as souvenirs. Local cutlers and tinkers blended the Navaja with a local knife of the time, the Capouchadou, thus creating what came to be known as the Laguiole.

The knives of today have a spring-stop that protects the blade upon closing. But when folding his knife, the connaisseur will do so softly,thus respecting both the Aveyronnais proverb, “ressort silencieux vivra vieux” “silent springs make better lives” and the tradition according to which only the head of the household was allowed to snap his blade shut, thus asking the family to clear the table..

A forge to return to local manufacturing.

The renaissance of the manufacture of the Laguiole knife in its historic area, goes back to the 1980s. This traditional activity had gone through a decline from the 1920s, faced with the industrialisation of cutlery in the basin of the city of Thiers.
At that time, anxious to be able to manufacture respecting local artisan tradition, LAGUIOLE EN AUBRAC created a forge in the small village of Montézic, located a few kilometres from Laguiole. Three other cutlery artisans came along from the beginning of this initiative.

The work done at the forge of LAGUIOLE AUBRAC produces all the metal elements that make up the knife before arriving in the hands of the cutlers who will undertake polishing and the finishing stage, such as the engraving and decoration of blades and springs, etc.

Authenticity of a Laguiole knife

Several cutleries produce Laguiole knives in the two main locations: the Laguiole area, the cradle of the first Laguiole knives, and also in the area surrounding the city of Thiers, the capital of knife making in France. In each of these areas, different knife-making techniques are employed :

• Industrial production, with assembly line techniques and mechanized shaping, decorating and assembly
• Handcrafting, where a single person carries out each individual production step, manually, shaping, assembling and decorating the knife. Thus, each knife that passes through his hands its own unique qualities.

To be sure of the authenticity of a Laguiole knife, you should verify :

- Its exact origins
- The duration of the guarantee on its certificate
- The quality of the materials (all natural), their assembly and finish.
 

Recommended use and care instructions

Laguiole knives are not tools (no screwdriver, bottle opener, oyster crusher, ...) and should only be used for cutting. The knives are not dishwasher safe - too much moisture damages the handle, blade and the mechanics of your knife. The connoisseur will use caution when closing the knife to avoid opening the blade so as not to damage the ground or the spring, thus respecting the "Quiet spring becomes very old". (The fence prevents the blade from tearing the spring.) The landlord was the only one who was allowed to "pop" the blade to ask the family to clear the table.

Handle care

Care instructions for the handles made of local or tropical wood

• Polished shiny woods e.g. Occasionally, wipe snake wood damp with a cloth
• Matte woods e.g. Olive wood now and then with e.g. Rub in with jojoba and orange seed oil or beeswax to close the pores

Care instructions for the handles made of horn

• Occasionally wipe with a damp cloth. Carefully! By too much moisture, the wood can burst.

Care instructions for the handles made of aluminum, stainless steel and acrylic

• These are more resistant and insensitive to water. Nevertheless, it is recommended that these always be completely dry.

Blade care

Care instructions for the knife blades made of stainless steel (12C27 Sandvik steel, 14c28 or T12 steel)

• Use of stainless Swedish steel in almost all Laguiole knives
• Always wipe off with a damp cloth after use and allow to dry

Care instructions for the knife blades made of carbon steel

• Are usually harder than stainless steels
• By e.g. acidic foods can build up a patina over time
• Please do not clean coarse dirt with scrape sponges - this is best done with a damp wine cork or cold ashes

Care instructions for knife blades made of damascus steel

• Always wipe with a damp cloth after use, dry and wipe with e.g. apricot oil.

Sharpening your knives

Before sharpening your new Laguiole en Aubrac knife, we recommend trying it on an old knife first, as the whole procedure requires a little practice.

• Wet grinding stone average grain size approx. 800 and fine grain approx. 4000
• Grinding angle 15 - 18 degrees
• The peeling over the sharpening steel is also possible if the sharpness is still present