Discover the history of this world famous knife. The Laguiole was born in the village of Laguiole, it is necessary to recall it. More than a story, knife making is a real and lively activity today, as demonstrated by the many cutlery with their workshops in the streets of village. Discover its past, looking to the future, the different stages through the ages, from capuchadou to laguiole, with the additions of the awl, the corkscrew, without forgetting the bee and the forging of the blade: the Laguiole n' will have more secrets for you. A production from A to Z in Laguiole.

From Capuchadou to the famous Laguiole knife

Since prehistoric times, man has always known how to make sharp tools to make his daily life easier. From the Middle Ages, we find evidence of blade manufacturing in the seigneury of Laguiole. Under the Old Regime, thea production of the knife is made by two trades: the cutters, who take care of the size of the blade and the blacksmiths who take care of the assembly between the blade and the handle.

Laguiole droit et Capuchadou
C.Lemasson

What is a Capuchadou?

THEancestor of the Laguiole knife is a simple knife that is used in everyday life. His name is Capuchadou. It is a knife with a sharp, thick and fixed blade. Its handle is rounded. It is used as well for cutting sticks to guide the herds as for slicing bread at the table.

The Golden Age of the Laguiole knife

In the first half of the 1828th century, tool makers were replaced by cutlers. Between 1870 and XNUMX the Moulin, Glaize and Calmels cutlery shops opened and developed in rue du Valat, the most commercial street in the village at that time.

The closing or folding knife was born in 1829. Its blade is of the Bourbonnaise type and the handle ends in bec-de-corbin. The spring is smooth and without decorations. To close the knife, it is a forced notch system, you “force” the blade to close the knife… the Laguiole was born.

  • In 1840 the straight Laguioles are provided with a punch. It will be necessary to wait until 1850 so that the knives change blade for a Yatagan blade.
  • Between 1850 and 1870 the knife is refined but the fly and the spring remain smooth and without decoration.
  • From 1880, the fly decorates itself with floral designs or other inspirations in the surrounding nature. At the same time, the first Laguiole knives with corkscrew appeared.
  • In 1900, the Pages and Calmels cutlers were awarded a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. The various awards allow the Laguiole knife to acquire its letters of nobility.
  • Between 1890 and 1910 new decorations appeared. This period is the golden age of Laguiolaise cutlery. 30 people are employed in the various cutlery shops.
  • in 1908-1909, the first bees adorn the fly at the head of the spring and they become the emblem of the Laguiole knife.
  • After the First World War he only three cutlery shops remain in Laguiole, there was a lack of manpower, the rural exodus to Paris being the main cause. In 1950 Léon Glaize stopped and lowered the curtain of his establishment. During this period, Thiers develops cutlery and specializes in the manufacture of regional knives, such as Laguiole.

The rebirth of the Laguiole knife

It was only 35 years later, in 1985, that the knife reappeared like a phoenix rising from the ashes. A team of enthusiasts and elected officials from the Aubrac plateau is facilitating the return of Laguiole knife manufacturing to its birthplace. The miracle takes place, the fantastic adventure of the Laguiole knife is successfully perpetuated. The Laguiole knife, manufactured on site, generates more than a hundred manufacturing jobs and inspires contemporary designers who combine tradition and modernity.

Today…

The cutlery business is a living and dynamic reality as demonstrated by the many workshops and shops in the village. Love of a job well done, tradition, openness to the future and modernity are the watchwords of the cutler manufacturers who welcome you and show you their know-how. All the manufacturing steps are present in Laguiole to make the knife according to the rules of the art: preparation of the metal parts, forging, sawing, assembly, assembly, polishing, chiseling, sharpening. Some of them can be visited throughout the year. Go and meet the cutlers, some of whom are "Meilleurs Ouvriers de France", discover these trades with many skills. Since 2013, cutlers from Laguiole and its surroundings have come together in a union to defend the village knife and assert its recognition.

Laguiole claims authenticity and know-how around this work of art.

Couteau de Laguiole zoom abeille
Forge of Laguiole

Did you know?

  • When you are offered a Laguiole knife, tradition dictates that you give in exchange a coin not to cut the friendship.
  • The Laguiole an object of memory and transmission: during the migration of the Aveyronnais to Argentina and Paris, the Laguiole was, very often, one of the only souvenirs they carried. When a child reaches 12 or 14 years old, he is offered his first Laguiole knife, it is a rite of passage to adulthood.
  • The rivets on the handle of the knife form a cross because when the cowherds were in the mountains in the summer pastures, they planted the knife in the ground and thus had a cross to say their prayers.

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