French knives

G

Gaboon

Joined
Nov 25, 2007
Messages
24
I've been looking at a few European knife sites, particular just to see what they offer. What's obvious is that many of the knifes sold there are very different in style from what's found on most American sites. One thing that puzzles me is how many of these knives, maybe most of them, open. Many are liner locks but very few are flippers, front flippers, or automatics and almost none have thumb studs, holes, or even pins in the blades. So what are you supposed to do, grip the exposed part of the blade with your fingers and pull it open? There are one or two I might consider buying but first I really need to know how they work. Anyone got any idea???

Thanks
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Gaboon said:
I've been looking at a few European knife sites, in particular just to see what they offer. What's obvious is that many of the knifes sold there are very different in style from what's found on most American sites. One thing that puzzles me is how many of these knives, maybe most of them, open. Many are liner locks but very few are flippers, front flippers, or automatics and almost none have thumb studs, holes, or even pins in the blades. So what are you supposed to do, grip the exposed part of the blade with your fingers and pull it open? There are one or two I might consider buying but first I really need to know how they work. Anyone got any idea???

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes, thats exactly how you open the knife. Its old fashioned, but effective and millions of people around the world do it that way with no repercussions. It may be a bit shocking, but long before the tactical knife craze that was done to artificially stimulate a market, people pulled open their knives. There was no flippers, thumb studs, or other gimmicks to open the knife.

Most of the French knives you are looking at, were around a century or two before any of the modern flippers and thumb stud openers were a glean in their inventors eye. The worl just fine as a knife and cut very well. In fact, a lot of the French knives will cut better than the tactical stuff because f the thin blade grinds and designs. They're made to slice and dice by people who don't care about how fast they can get the blade out. Just how well they cut, with an eye to beauty as well.

Wait until you get to friction folders.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
jackknife said:
Yes, thats exactly how you open the knife. Its old fashioned, but effective and millions of people around the world do it that way within repercussions. It may be a bit shocking, but long before the tactical knife craze that was done to artificially stimulate a market, people pulled open their knives. There was no flippers, thumb studs, or other gimmicks to open the knife.

Most of the French knives you are looking at, were around a century or two before any of the modern flippers and thumb stud openers were a glean in their inventors eye. The worl just fine as a knife and cut very well. In fact, a lot of the French knives will cut better than the tactical stuff because f the thin blade grinds and designs. They're made to slice and dice by people who don't care about how fast they can get the blade out. Just how well they cut, with an eye to beauty as well.

Wait until you get to friction folders.
Click to expand...
Thanks. That's pretty much what I thought. Doesn't make a lot of sense, though. When I was a kid every folding knife on the planet required two hands to open. If I had something in one hand that needed cutting I had to put it down, open my knife, and then cut. Inefficient and these days completely unnecessary. Also, if you have an expensive art knife with an etched or colored blade the last thing you'd want to do is grab it with your oily fingers. Just my opinion. I much prefer anything I can open with one hand or one finger.
 
I promise it is not that big of a deal. I've been opening my French knives with two hands for as long as I have had 'em. If you want, you can modify the Opinel to work with wrist action. Or do a Coup de Savoyard. But yeah, you don't need an Emerson wave on your Laguiole my dude 😁 People love modding Opinels though, so... maybe be the first to make a thumbstud Opi?
 
Gaboon said:
Thanks. That's pretty much what I thought. Doesn't make a lot of sense, though. When I was a kid every folding knife on the planet required two hands to open. If I had something in one hand that needed cutting I had to put it down, open my knife, and then cut. Inefficient and these days completely unnecessary. Also, if you have an expensive art knife with an etched or colored blade the last thing you'd want to do is grab it with your oily fingers. Just my opinion. I much prefer anything I can open with one hand or one finger.
Click to expand...

Well then, your path is very clear; stick with your American whiz bang tacticools and leave the French cutlery to folks who appreciate the beauty and history traditional cutlery. You most likely won't like single action revolvers and leaver action rifles, so save yourself the time and don't investigate cowboy action shooting. Having to manually cock the gun is right up there with having to open a knife with two hands. :rolleyes:
 
I have enjoyed learning about French knives lately, especially after watching a lot of videos from Stefan Schmalhaus, a German who really covers a lot of French and other knives. we also have a French Friday and a French Regional knIves in the Traditional knIves section. I have a few Au Sabot knives, good working knives, strong back springs, so you need to use two hands to open and close, fit and finish is decent. Most of the French knives use Sandvik steel, sort of a cutlery standard in French cutlery, or CX 75 carbon steel. There are also a lot of different regional styles than just the regular Laguiole style knives, usually named after a village in the area, and there are also higher end makers too that are just plain nice. For me, the different styles and a little bit of cultural influences have opened my eyes to cutlery from other nations.
 
Hello, i am french.
Not really knife collector and specialist.
I am interrested since few years only, then i will give my begginer and personnal point of view.

You are right, French knives are not very modern regarding opening systems.
Some knives makers makes great knives with flip opening for example, but mainly knives are "piémontais", friction, slipjoint or linerlock with two hands opening.

Is it cultural ? Maybe.
I feel like my grandfather with a knife in my pocket, then i open my knife like a grand-father.
If i want a very fast and very strong knife, i use a fixed. what else !

In France, knives are not authorised outside. In the street, in your car, even in hike/trekking/camping, it is not allowed to wear a knife.
Policemen can also juge by himself if you are just trekking or hunting and need a knife to prepare a small campfire or if you are a menace.
In all the case, the law said "unauthorized".

Then, for collectors or knives lovers wearing a knife may looks strange for a large part of the population.
They can call you "The xxx guy with the xxx knives".

xxx = Crazy or nice.

Then, having a knive outside your home (outdoor, friends, restaurants) for eating or for small work could be done with a discret knife.
A traditionnal friction, slipjoint or a light line lock is ok (or appears ok).
And of course cheap : in case it is confiscated (Opinel, swiss knife or old traditinnal are the best choice).
Having a fast and noisy automatic/1-hand knife and you replace the xxx by "dangereous" or "freak", no more "nice".

This was my personnal point of view.

Know, many french people appreciate spiderco, benchmade or modern asian knives (with hawful stainless bleeeaade).
In France, there are certainly few "rapid" opening knives makers for i.e :

Nicolas Kowal

Nicolas KOWAL Knives – La Forge K – Coutelier d'art à temps plein depuis 2018

laforgek.fr laforgek.fr

Eric Parmentier

Guy Poggetti

GKT knives (custom and mid-tech)
www.grind-tactical-knives.com

GT Knives Custom

Tous mes couteaux customs sont le fruit de mes designs et de mon travail appliqué. Je fabrique principalement des couteaux pliants linerlock et framelock. Ils sont tous sur roulements à billes céramiques. Difficile d'en dire plus car chaque pièce est unique. Je travail en fonction de mes...
www.grind-tactical-knives.com www.grind-tactical-knives.com

There are few industrial knives trying some opening systèmes :

TB outdoor-unboxer

Catégorie Unboxer - TARRERIAS BONJEAN : Unboxer , Unboxer Black Vintage - Edition limitée

Nous vous proposons dans la catégorie "Unboxer" les produits suivants : Unboxer , Unboxer Black Vintage - Edition limitée
tb-outdoor.com tb-outdoor.com

TB outdoor-CAC (French army knife)

Catégorie Le C.A.C. - TARRERIAS BONJEAN : C.A.C S100 Civil Kaki , C.A.C S100 Civil Noir , C.A.C S100 Civil Rouge , CAC ® S10...

Nous vous proposons dans la catégorie "Le C.A.C. " les produits suivants : C.A.C S100 Civil Kaki , C.A.C S100 Civil Noir , C.A.C S100 Civil Rouge , CAC ® S100 Civil Lame Lisse Manche G10 Toxifié Kaki , CAC ® S100 Civil Lame Lisse Manche G10 Toxifié N...
tb-outdoor.com tb-outdoor.com
https://youtu.be/Zep6HYyW7RM


Florinox, cheap knives :
www.florinox.eu

L'AKMA - Coutellerie Florinox

www.florinox.eu www.florinox.eu
https://youtu.be/QIfWm79zTrY

The very cheap Kiana (23€)
https://youtu.be/3-GNuljtDqM
 
Last edited:
Remember they have tough weapon laws in most of Europe. So everything shifts away from having a "readily available weapon". That is why you see so many slipjoints and manual opening folders that require two hands, traditional-non tactical designs.
 
Then again, you also have some makers coming up with cool stuff like Opus Knives:

Dague-Darkness-Infiltrate-Stonewash-Etui.webp
 
Legendary_Jarl said:
Remember they have tough weapon laws in most of Europe. So everything shifts away from having a "readily available weapon". That is why you see so many slipjoints and manual opening folders that require two hands, traditional-non tactical designs.
Click to expand...
Exactly, I have always felt bad for them, especially the French and British. While I find the French knives to be interesting and beautiful, they are not for me. I like fast one hand openers. I'm not a tactical operator nor do I operate tactically, but for me, they are a combination tool and fidget toy, as I've mentioned in other threads.

At one point I owned a Le Thiers, received in a trade. I ended up selling it, but its one I actually regret just because it was beautiful and unique. I value variety and uniqueness, and one day I'll probably get on of those just for looks and not use, which is something I normally don't do.

I grew up on SAK's and two hand opening Case knives, but everything changed when I got my first one hand opener, and I've never really looked back.
 
K.O.D. said:
Exactly, I have always felt bad for them, especially the French and British. While I find the French knives to be interesting and beautiful, they are not for me. I like fast one hand openers. I'm not a tactical operator nor do I operate tactically, but for me, they are a combination tool and fidget toy, as I've mentioned in other threads.

At one point I owned a Le Thiers, received in a trade. I ended up selling it, but its one I actually regret just because it was beautiful and unique. I value variety and uniqueness, and one day I'll probably get on of those just for looks and not use, which is something I normally don't do.

I grew up on SAK's and two hand opening Case knives, but everything changed when I got my first one hand opener, and I've never really looked back.
Click to expand...

Well at least in Britain you can carry a sub 3'' slipjoint for whatever reason. In Spain you can't even carry a SAk without fear of getting a 400+ euro ticket. The police has the discretion to determine if you have a legitimate reason for carrying a knife.
 
I bought this knife when I went to France for 26 hours:

WZf4ZtC.jpg


OED0ZXl.jpg


VD7zTG7.jpg


Non-locking knives of this blade length (or very slightly more) can be carried around, even on trains in France. :) Made sure to look up the current laws before I went.

Took no pictures of it in France, as I didn't want to talk to police if people got weird...I don't speak ANY French (which made trying to find a bathroom to use in Dieppe quite interesting :confused:).

Rather heavy spring, and will bash into the backspacer if it gets away from you while opening or closing, which seems to be a feature of every French folder I have encountered so far. One Laguiole I got had such a strong spring it was dangerous; was able to weaken the tension by wedging the spring over-extended, which was tricky to accomplish. Now it is a useful knife.
 
Gaboon said:
I've been looking at a few European knife sites, Berthier Nouveautés couteaux in particular just to see what they offer. What's obvious is that many of the knifes sold there are very different in style from what's found on most American sites. One thing that puzzles me is how many of these knives, maybe most of them, open. Many are liner locks but very few are flippers, front flippers, or automatics and almost none have thumb studs, holes, or even pins in the blades. So what are you supposed to do, grip the exposed part of the blade with your fingers and pull it open? There are one or two I might consider buying but first I really need to know how they work. Anyone got any idea???

Thanks
Click to expand...
🤣🤣🤣
This is satire, right?

If you are truly interested, though, you might want to check these out:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/traditional-french-friday.1681854/

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/french-regional-knives.1651680/

Anyway, don’t feel bad - it must be a generational thing. It was only just a couple of years ago that a friend showed be his Spyderco and I asked him what the clip was for…
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top