How to choose your Laguiole knife ?
It is not always easy to make the right choice among the many Laguiole folding knives. There are some features that can help you choose a Forge de Laguiole knife. With this guide we try to help you as best as possible to find your personal Forge de Laguiole knife.
Size of the knife
There are 3 different knife sizes: 9cm, 11cm and 12cm. This corresponds to the length of the handle.
The 12cm folding knife is the most common size for using a Laguiole knife. It is the largest size of traditional knife in our range.
An intermediate size, the 11 cm Laguiole knife is versatile. It offers a comfortable grip and is easy to carry in the pocket.
The 9 cm Laguiole knife is ideal as a first knife. Easy to carry and lightweight, it’s the perfect companion to take with you wherever you go.
Of course, these buying tips depend on your use, tastes and preferences.
The number of pieces
- What does the number of parts on a knife mean ? When we talk about the number of parts on a knife, we mean the number of functions. For example, a one-piece knife consists only of the blade, a two-piece knife consists of the blade and the corkscrew, and a three-piece knife consists of the blade, the corkscrew, and the thorn, also called the “trocar”.
- What was the purpose of the thorn ? Originally, farmers used the thorn for colic of sheep and cattle. In many cases, the intestine inflated so much due to the gases produced that man must intervene. In this case, the intestine is punctured through the abdominal wall with the thorn of the folding knife. Today, it is often used in leather repairs, or to pierce leather straps.
- Where does the corkscrew come from ? The corkscrew was added to the Laguiole knife at the request of the Aveyron people who conquered the Parisian cafes and wanted to add to their Laguiole knives a tool to open the bottles.
We offer knives with a blade alone, or with a corkscrew, and the 3-piece Laguiole knife with blade, corkscrew and punch. Depending on your use, choose the number of pieces that suits you best.
The type of blade
There are several blades with different aesthetics.
- Our “traditional” blade for folding knives is forged from French steel T12 or T14. This steel is the result of a careful mixture of carbon and chromium and ensures exceptional sharpness, excellent edge retention and easy sharpening that guarantees the invariability of the blade.
- Upon request and at no extra charge, we offer carbon steel blades that are also hot forged. This carbon steel oxidizes over time and gives the blade a black hue, similar to the first Laguiole knives. This steel is easier to sharpen but requires regular resharpening due to its “softer” texture.
- The raw blade or so-called “Brut de Forge” blade is made of the T12 or T14 steel, leaving the black scale of forging
- Damascus carbon steel blade is made by a forging technique that “layers” the different layers of steel, alternating hard and softer steel.
- The blade of Damascus stainless steel: it is made by a method called powder metallurgy. A fine powder of a certain alloy is compacted under high pressure to produce this blade.
Brut de Forge, Damascus stainless steel and Damascus carbon blades are available exclusively in the folding knife range “Collection”.
The bolsters and the platines
The solid stainless steel mitres are also forged in our own manufacture (as well available in brass). In a next step they are drilled and fixed to the Platines. The stainless steel mitres are available in two finishes: satin or shiny (brass mitres are only available with shiny finish). So the choice is primarily a matter of personal preference.
We also offer knives with full handle without mitres. This shape gives the knife a special elegance that emphazise the handle material. (also available only in the folding knife range “Collection”)
The bee and the spring
The bee and the spring of our folding knives are forged in one piece.
At Forge de Laguiole we offer 3 series of folding knives:
“Tradition” range : The bee and spring are forged, and the guilloche is done mechanically with a press.
“Edition” range : The bee and the spring are forged, and the guilloche is mechanically pre-machined and then finished by the knifemaker by hand carving.
“Collection” range: The bee and the spring are forged, all the guilloching and the chiseling of the bee are done by hand by the knifemaker. Each knife has a unique pattern/motif that depends on the inspiration and skills of the knifemaker.
The handle material
Now you just have to choose the material for the handle of your knife: Wood, Horn, Aubrac Horn… the variety of options guarantees you an exceptional knife.
We are proud of the choice of materials, some special materials such as warthog tusk, mammoth ivory or carbon fiber are reserved exclusively for the serie “Collection”.
Would you like to personalize your Laguiole knife?
On our website we offer diamond engraving on the blade. This allows you to write a name, a date or a short phrase (maximum 20 characters) to give your knife a personal touch.
With the feather engraving you even have the option to write a nameor another word on the top of your knife.
To personalize your knife by creating a fully customized knife, please contact us using the contact form. We look forward to helping you create the knife of your dreams.