Although French knives are available in the US, and certainly on the internet, the availability is bare ly representative of the wonderful variety that you can find in France.
Over a 3 year period, I taught in an EU course in France. I posted a request (on this site) for knife shop addresses in the area, and a number of French forumites responded. I managed to make it to one shop in the little town I was in. What a variety!!!! Everything from custom to production, Lagiuoles. opinels, douk-douks, and a huge number of thigs that I had never heard of or seen. Pocketknives designed for the kitchen, others for the garden. Some very strange blade shapes--until the owner (who spoke no English, and I speak no French) pantomimed their uses.
Now things are not cheap in Europe, especially to someone on a US (or Israeli) budget. However, there were so many cool things there that every time I visit France, I budget for a long visit to one of those little stores.