Love those French...

D

Dr van Nostrom

Joined
May 8, 2001
Messages
536
knives! :D
Seems I have been in a French state of mind lately. A couple of weeks back I picked up an Opinel #7and this week took delivery of a small Laguiole I got on ebay. Both knives rock.
For $11 the Opinel is a knockout. I love the simple rustic styling and the thin carbon blade was a breeze for even monkey-fisted Neil to get shaving sharp. It's a little bulkier than most of my other carry knives but it is so light you hardly know it is there. I usually carry a stockman as my EDC, the Opinel serves as a food knife: I eat a lot of fruit plus the occasional bagel and such. The apple juice is already giving it a nice patina.
The Laguiole is my second, the firts one I bought before knowing to much about them - thinking Laguiole was like a brand. Frankly I was disappointed, the fit and finish was not up to much and the spring was so tight I thought I was going to lose a finger every time I closed it. This one is a different story, it is a Forge de Laguiole knife with wood scales. The fit and finish are great and the spring is nice and strong and once worn in, will be perfect. The blade was dull on purchase but with slipjoints I don't really expect anything else. Over all I am happy with my two little French buddies! Anyone else carry a Laguiole as an EDC?
 
Doc,
I also had purchased a laguiole and was disappointed. The recent threads about laguiole got me all fired up again and I ordered one from Gilles at Fontenille Pataud and got it last week. Like you said, this one is a different story. Most excellent! So to answer your question, yes, it was my EDC all last week, but this morning I grabbed my little Joel Chamblin English style lock-back. The laguiole will come around again in the EDC rotation I feel sure.
 
Speaking of French knives, the Chambriard pocket knives (see, e.g., Worldknives.com) look really nice. Anyone got one of those?
 
Hi,

Knives by Chambriard ("Le Couteau de Thiers") are very well made and strong, knives by Vialis ( "Le Sauveterre" and "L'Alpin" ) are top notch too.

"L'Alpin" has a square joint just like the 18 th century french folders. This is quite a rare construction nowaydays, even by french standarts.

ELDE
 
Thanks ELDE. Nothing like getting information from the source. Do you have any URLs that you could post. The L'Alpin sounds neat and I have been looking at some Thiers knives, very elegant.
 
Hi,

Please find some links that could be useful. There are others
'L'Alpin' is shown on the Vialis site (and 'le Sauveterre' too).

I believe Vialis makes the best 'production' Alpin on the market.

Just let me know if I can be of any help,

ELDE



http://www.vialis.fr/
http://www.coutellerie-thiers.com/uk/entreprises/chambriard.html
http://www.cutlerytogo.com/frenchknives.html
http://www.forge-de-laguiole.com/
http://www.layole.com/sommaire.htm
http://www.coutellerie-sainteloi.com/html_fr/couteaux.htm
http://www.layole.com/produits/nouveautes/equitation.php3
(the last one just for the model "équitation"; a beauty)
 
Thanks ELDE. Great stuff. In your opinion who makes a good Thiers knife? I love Laguioles but the elegant, clean lines of the Thiers really appeals to me. It looks like it will fit the hand really well.
 
Hi,

Chambriard has good 'THIERS' models, please go to the following link and clic on the 'ebène clouté'it is the one I like most from Chambriard.

http://www.couteaux-courty.com/cgi-...ction=view_category&database=base&category=27


Others are nice too like the one by 'Florinox 'or 'La Maison des
Couteliers'

http://www.couteaux-courty.com/cgi-...action=view_category&database=base&category=7

http://www.couteaux-courty.com/cgi-...ction=view_category&database=base&category=13
(Thiers os et ébène)

ELDE
 
hi,

I often carry a Laguiole with punch and corkscrew (I have a dozen of Laguiole...) or a Sauveterre, sometimes I carry a french brand of multiblades with stag handles ( a little heavy,just the limit for a pocket).

But I like American pocket knives too, I have a 4 blades Robeson (dated 1920) , and some Case/Bose trappers limited edition (really well made), I have a Case Yukon in my coat.

I like lockbacks or folders with strange or funny mecanism.

I buy a knife to carry and use it , be the knife an Opinel or a Centofante folder.

ELDE
 
Sorry, almost forgot to mention one favorite of mine : 'le Catalan' I like to carry during holidays.

Made in size of 10 cm or 15 cm closed (4 and 6 inches) in Pyrénées Orientales, méditérranéan area.

Please take a look here :

http://www.paisos-catalans.com/artesania/el-ganivet-fr.html

It is made inFrance, at the spanich border, it shows its influence and melted origins !

ELDE
 
ELDE: Thanks so much for those links. Beautiful knives.

By the way, folks, for the bilingually challenged like me, is there a way to search the web for non-english language (knife) sites? If not, has anyone ever undertaken to assemble an html list of non-english sites so the provincial (again, like me) can broaden their horizons. I'd love to at least see what's "out there" beyond the horizon of our domestic suppliers and importers.
 
Very nice ELDE
somwhere between a Laguiole and Navaja! Well I am all fired up about getting a Thiers knife now!
loodieboy I know you want foreign language sites but have you checked
www.cutlerytogo.com
They are based in Texas but have one of the best selections of European cutlery I have seen outside Europe
 
Here is my french knife, by Eloi. Knife, nail file, scissors in a split coin. Not my picture, but I have several I carry on occasion, including one fashioned out of a US Silver Dollar (Morgan, I think).
 
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