Sommelier knife maintenance guide
Before using it for the first time, take pleasure in discovering your new knife and admiring the work of our knife makers. You have just acquired or received a Forge de Laguiole sommelier knife, we invite you to read our maintenance guide before using it. Your knife needs a minimum of care to stay in good condition and guarantee its longevity.
Download our guide here
Sommelier knives do not like water or the dishwater
A Laguiole knife should not be washed, it must be wiped.
The natural materials of the handle, such as precious woods or horn, are sensitive to humidity; it is therefore preferable to keep your knife in a dry place.
Metal parts
We recommend that you wipe the various metal parts of your sommelier knife with a soft, slightly damp cloth, and then wipe after immediately with a dry cloth.
The mecanism
To maintain the mechanism of your wine waiter’s knife, it is necessary to add a drop of oil from time to time (3-in-1 multifunction oil or a vegetable oil). With the mechanism in the closed position, put the oil at the joint of the blade and the corkscrew, open it again so that the oil applies to the whole mechanism, and finally wipe off the excess.
When using the wine waiter’s knife, the screw must be placed vertically in the center of the cork. Avoid pushing the screw completely in order not to pierce the cork.
The corkscrew must be kept straight, in the continuity of the neck of the bottle. Otherwise, you risk twisting or weakening the piece. To do this, use the lever.
The handle
- Wooden handle: A wooden knife can get a slight patina over time, to protect it and keep its beautiful appearance, you can apply a little linseed oil to nourish the wood.
- Horn handle: horns are very sensitive to temperature variations and humidity, so be sure to keep your horn knife in a dry place at room temperature.
- Acrylic handles, compressed fabric, synthetic materials: The maintenance of these knives is facilitated, these materials are less sensitive as natural materials could be. For cleaning, simply wiping with a damp cloth and then with a dry cloth will do the trick.
- Bone handle : Concerning the storage of your knife, be sure to keep it outside its leather sheath. In case of prolonged contact, the tanning of the leather can stain the handle of the knife.
Les mitres
Our sommelier knife have solid stainless steel bolsters and they are easy to clean, a quick wipe with a damp cloth will do.
Be careful, however, metal parts can be scratched when in contact with other metal objects (keys, coins…)
Our after-sales service
We provide repair and after-sales service on all the knives produced in our Forge de Laguiole workshops (subject to the availability of certain raw materials and spare parts).
All our Forge de Laguiole knives are guaranteed against manufacturing defects, under normal use.
Each Forge de Laguiole knife can be maintained (polished, sharpened, repaired) and repaired with care by our knife smiths.
If you would like to call on our after-sales service, you can contact us at contact@forge-de-laguiole.com. Please include a photo of your knife with your request so that we can identify it. Once this initial contact has been made, our team will then tell you the steps to follow for the proper handling of your knife. Be sure to keep all the parts of the knife for as complete an assessment as possible.
For any repair, our after-sales service team will take care to carry out a complete appraisal to send you a detailed estimate, no paying repair will be undertaken without your prior agreement. Please note that no estimate of the cost of repair can be confirmed on the basis of a simple photo.
By following these maintenance tips you will be able to keep your Forge de Laguiole folding knife for many years, and pass it on to future generations!