Laguiole & Texas Toothpick ???

Laguiole is a French manufacturer and the Texas Toothpick is a style of knife. Which Laguiole model are you referring to? Could you post a picture?
 
Are you sure about Laguiole? From what I understand it is knife named after some French village. Same as bowie was named after Bowie etc.

This is what I found on:
http://www.laguiole-french-knives.com/index800.php?refresh=340860&LAN=ENG

"Laguiole French knives makes a part of traditional French cutlery ability since the 19th century. This category contains traditional Laguiole knives and also modern Laguiole knives, rounded Laguiole knives and our new Laguiole knives"

Who did introdueced term "The Texas Toothpick"? It was "Jack Knife" at the beginning ("A.G.Russel, Catalog of Knives Summer Special 2003").

Thanks, Vassili.
 
I just went to Laguiole.com and did a search for toothpick and texas toothpick and got no results. How ever they do have several knives that do resemble a Texas toothpick.
 
The "Texas Toothpick" was a large folder, traditionally a slip lock, with a long, narrow blade that made it a favorite for knife fighting in the American South in the early and middle years of the 20th Century. From my reading on it, the knife was usually carried in the hip pocket of the user's strong side and could be opened quite quickly when needed. I have seen them advertised with blades of up to 4.5 and 5.5 inches. I believe that Case still makes them in those sizes with a number of different scale choices. The followqing site has some Case toothpicks in small (+/- 3" blade) and medium (+/- 4" blade) sizes and something called a "Bay Texas Toothpick" with a 4 1/2" blade for $4.99(!). The Cases are running around $50 - $65, a reasonable price from what I have seen. http://www.eknifeworks.com/ Theis is Smoky Mountain Knife Works site.
 
The Texas Toothpick and the Laguiole style knife do have a somewhat similar look about them. There is a recent thread in the Gallery Forum showing a Toothpick made by Tony Huffman. I'm a big fan of Tony's work. The man has it together! (btw - I bought that toothpick last night)
:)
 
This came up in another thread recently, but I can't remember where ... old age, I guess ... :(

Both the Laguiole and the jackknife are slipjoints with a long, flat ground "Turkish clip" blade, in a handle with a downturned butt.

The name "toothpick" was once jokingly applied to many large knife styles, since no one would really pick their teeth with a 9" dagger, for example. Eventually, even the big jackknives picked up the nickname "toothpick", although I imagine that may have been a deliberate marketing concept by some company like Case.

I like the basic shape of them, very slim and comfortable with a blade long in relation to the handle. They make a good personal knife for everyday slicing.
 
I would agree that there is a considerable similarity between the Laguiole and some of the Toothpicks, certainly in the blades and even in the handles on some. But the Toothpicks did not traditionally come with any form of a lock on the blade while a Laguiole did, the bee at the juncture of the blade and the handle, at the back, lifts up and clips over a pin on the blade in the same manner as the old Italian Stiletto switchblades did.

The Texas Toothpick has been thought, by many, to have been the knife that was the "flashing blade" in the song, "Everglades", made popular by the Kingston Trio back in the late 1950s

EVERGLADES
Harlan Howard


He was born and raised around Jacksonville.
A nice young man, not the kind to kill.
But a jealous fight and a flashing blade
sent him on the run to the Everglades.
Runnin' like a dog through the Everglades.

Now, the posse went in and they came back out.
They said he'll die and there ain't no doubt.
It's an eye for an eye so the debt is paid.
He won't last long in the Everglades.
A man can't live in the Everglades.

Chorus:
Where a man can hide and never be found
and have no fear of the bayin' hounds.
But he better keep movin' and don't stand still.
If the 'skeeters don't get then the 'gaters will.
Runnin' like a dog through the Everglades.
(Last time - Skippin' like a frog through the slimy bog. Runnin' through the trees from the Everlys.*)

Now, the years went by and his girl was wed.
His fam'ly gave him up for dead.
But now and then the natives would say
they'd seen him runnin' through the Everglades.

Now, he never heard the news on the radio.
He was deep in the 'glades so he'll never know.
His runnin' and hidin' didn't make much sense
for the jury had ruled it was self-defense.
Running like a dog through the Everglades.

(Chorus)

* I don't know but, presumably, "Everlys" refers to the Everly Brothers, a very popular singing duet at the time that the song was recorded. They were very early "Rockabilly" performers along with Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, the base that became "Rock & Roll". This note is my addition, Hugh.
 
Thanks, initialy I found this laguile knives and asked what it is. Now I found Texas Toothpick - Case has one A.G.Russel just introdused another(RUS-1307). But they look quite similar to Laguile, just without top lock - that why I asked.
Thanks, Vassili.
 
None of the laguiole's I've handled had a lock. The bee or fly or whatever is just a decoration. They were all pure slipjoints.
 
Hi Guys
There are many makers of knives branded Laguiole,some are slip joints, some are lock blades of various types and there are even automatics.Most websites only show a small proportion of what is available. There is also a large range of other cutlery items, eating knives, forks, spoons, carving sets etc
Regards
Phil
 
I would agree that there is a considerable similarity between the Laguiole and some of the Toothpicks, certainly in the blades and even in the handles on some. But the Toothpicks did not traditionally come with any form of a lock on the blade while a Laguiole did, the bee at the juncture of the blade and the handle, at the back, lifts up and clips over a pin on the blade in the same manner as the old Italian Stiletto switchblades did.

Which Laguioles have that style of slipjoint lock where the bee raises and lowers? Does that mean that keeping one's hand on the bee help's keep those laguioles from closing?
 
Dude!
Do you realize this is a 6-year old thread and FullerH has not posted on BF since Dec 2007?
 
Dude!
Do you realize this is a 6-year old thread and FullerH has not posted on BF since Dec 2007?

Yes, I know. I had a moment of complete existential doubt when I could not decide whether it would be more rude to start a new thread on this topic and
risk being told "HEY, USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION!" or revivify this old thread and be told "HEY NO ZOMBIE THREADS." I figured that there was no polite way of getting the information I wanted, so I might as well go with the one that gives the most context.

But, yeah, this is a really old thread.
 
LOL, truly a "no win" scenario.
 
Laguioles and toothpicks are really old knives.

The biggest difference between them is the thickness of the handle. Toothpicks tend to have slim handles and Laguioles often have thick slabs, like those with stag. But they are both similar solutions to similar problems.

Jack knife is a term applied to many slipjoint models.

The best way to keep a Laguiole from folding on you is to keep from pressing on the back of the blade. The original models had nothing like a lock, although they cn have strong backsprings.
 
The most important thing I learned in this thread is that the effects of aging on the memory can sometimes seemingly reverse themselves. :D
 
Laguiole is a French manufacturer and the Texas Toothpick is a style of knife.
While there is a maker name French knife manufacturer named Forge de Laguiole, the term is also a generic name for a style of knife that originated in in the area of Laguiole, France and is manufactured by a number of makers.

The typical Laguiole knife and the Toothpick do look a lot alike, and I would expect one derived from the other (not sure which is the older design, though).

One thing that differentiates the Laguiole from the Toothpick, is the presence of the "Laguiole fly"

180px-Abeille_en.jpg


In addition, decorative file work is often seen on the backspring or blade back of Laguiole style knives.
 
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