French regional knives...

waynorth said:
Nice old knife, Corto_Malt Corto_Malt !! Can you please give us a picture of the stamping on the blade??o_O
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Thanks. In fact, it is not old. It is a two-piece Thiers from Gene David, the Crossbow with a blond horn handle.
(Sorry for my bad english)

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Hello. I'm new here and I posted this earlier today in the General Knife Discussion sub forum, but maybe it belongs here instead.
I purchased an Aurillac knife direct from France earlier this year and I love it. Now, it's become an obsession. I currently have four, with two more in transit, one on backorder, and another four to be ordered if I can sort out this bank transfer thing.
I'd really like to have one with American chestnut scales, and I have the wood (4/4 x random length pieces) from an old flooring sample. I'm wondering if it would be more practical (and cost effective) to rework a knife here (Chicago west suburbs) or send some blanks to France and have one (or more) knives made there. I've dealt with two ship from stock outfits and two made to order, so I think it's possible they could be made in France if one of them is willing - just not sure about international shipping regulations pertaining to wood.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

I also have three Laguioles, one Le Thiers, and a Robert David Le Massu as well as the obligatory Opinels, but the Aurillacs are my absolute favorites.

I may have to figure out how to post pictures on this forum - it's a lot different here from the other forum I've been on.
 
Hello Fred Z Fred Z , I think if you could get your pieces cut down to say 1/4" thick x 1-1/2" x 5" you could send those along to a willing knife maker. Ship them as knife handle parts. I sent a small box of teak to Spain for a custom knife a few years ago. Went through without a hitch.
 
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Thank you, Ray. Here are my four current Aurillacs. Top to bottom - Le Sabot in Olive, Le Sabot in "Wood of Genoa" (which I can't figure out what that is exactly), Fontenille Pataud in Curly Birch, and Robert David in Juniper.
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Thank you, Vince. Just some quick cellphone shots. The Le Sabots are rather plain but nicely finished, and I'm just crazy about the R. David, plus I love the smell of that juniper. The FP in birch is really nice, but I can't say it's worth nearly twice the price of the R. David.
I have a Le Sabot in Cocobolo and one in Horn due on Friday, and one in Broom on backorder. Once I get the bank transfer info, I'll have Pistachio, Snakewood, Briar, and Horn Point on order with Gérard Destannes. It's a sickness, I tell ya.
I'm still thinking about a Cedar and an Amboine from R. David. Help me...
 
Hi Fred ,
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You're right , you have a problem:D

I think there would not be a problem to send the wood to a craftman like Pierre Yves Joyeux for exemple. But you will have to pay about 20$ just to ship the wood and receive the knife . So the total price would be around 160$.
You can also by a knife and make it modify .
For such a project I would buy an old knife on ebay and ask for a modification on the forum. I'm pretty sure that there are some talented amateurs who could make the job very well .

Let's know what you will do ;)

Â
 
Fred Z said:
Hello. I'm new here and I posted this earlier today in the General Knife Discussion sub forum, but maybe it belongs here instead.
I purchased an Aurillac knife direct from France earlier this year and I love it. Now, it's become an obsession. I currently have four, with two more in transit, one on backorder, and another four to be ordered if I can sort out this bank transfer thing.
I'd really like to have one with American chestnut scales, and I have the wood (4/4 x random length pieces) from an old flooring sample. I'm wondering if it would be more practical (and cost effective) to rework a knife here (Chicago west suburbs) or send some blanks to France and have one (or more) knives made there. I've dealt with two ship from stock outfits and two made to order, so I think it's possible they could be made in France if one of them is willing - just not sure about international shipping regulations pertaining to wood.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

I also have three Laguioles, one Le Thiers, and a Robert David Le Massu as well as the obligatory Opinels, but the Aurillacs are my absolute favorites.

I may have to figure out how to post pictures on this forum - it's a lot different here from the other forum I've been on.
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Like USA France forbids import of plants, woods, aso. If found by customs your chestnut will be burnt.

ps "Genes" and "Genoa" are typos. The wood is Broom, Genêt.
 
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Stich2442 said:
Question for our French members?

I was wondering if Laguiole En Aubrac and other cutlers have changed practices towards the American and other knife markets as I see a very distinct difference with the Laguiole En Aubrac I purchased 20+ years ago in France vs the one I purchased 2 or 3 years ago here in America. My older is more rustic in build and has a very heavy pull and lockup which I like, my 20+ year old Rossignal is also like the older En Aubrac. Where as my newer one is very smooth light action seems more refined with a not so robust lockup.

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Laguiole and other patterns were used as work knives until the end of the 70s, then declined softly but surely and would have faded away.
In the mid-80s, thanks to several factors, including the Laguiole municipality' s aim to prevent the slow death of the village, the Laguiole fabrication in Laguiole was revived, aiming top end, rivalry between Laguiole and Thiers led in the 90s to more sophistication, it became trendy and kinda men's jewelry, tons sold as the gift-when-you-have-no-other-idea and still do. The shop in the St Louis island, in one of the most touristic place is representative of that tendency.
Some years ago, I went at Kindal's to buy a pair of Parapluie poissons, there was a deep pocket family who came to gift a top end Lag to the elder son for his 16?th birthday. This would not have happened in the 60s.
Today's peasants have microwave ovens in their tractors and don't need real knives anymore for lunch. ;)
Nevertheless, there are still lower end, utilitarian and less expensive made by le Sabot, G david, Chevalerias, etc. Counting the number of cutlers/assemblers of Lags would be a never ending job.
Unfortunately, many other patterns did not have that luck.

Charlie, don't know if this helps, here my Parapluie stamps :
Parapluies.jpg
 
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Jolipapa said:
Like USA France forbids import of plants, woods, aso. If found by customs your chestnut will be burnt.

ps "Genes" and "Genoa" are typos. The wood is Broom, Genêt.
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Important info that! :( That applies to kiln dried or stabilized little pieces, not just planks or logs? Considering that - all these knives and furniture pieces being shipped across the Atlantic are in violation.
 
Jolipapa said:
Today's peasants have microwave ovens in their tractors and don't need real knives anymore for lunch. ;)
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Today’s peasants don’t even drive their tractors, they just get programmed via gps and you can watch tv in the meanwhile.
 
A.L. said:
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I’m in love with the Douk-Douk! I thought it was a shame that I’ve overlooked it all this time.. but I also thought maybe now was the right time!
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The Laguioles, LaThiers, Aurillacs are all very nice knives. They are like the well dressed gentleman that can do it. But I've always had a huge soft spot for the Douk-Douk. Its like the guy in the raggy jacket, three day stubble on his face and a cigarette hanging in the corner of his mouth that you meet in a dockside bar in Marsailles at night. Rough around the edges, not polished, but can get it done in very good fashion.
 
jackknife said:
The Laguioles, LaThiers, Aurillacs are all very nice knives. They are like the well dressed gentleman that can do it. But I've always had a huge soft spot for the Douk-Douk. Its like the guy in the raggy jacket, three day stubble on his face and a cigarette hanging in the corner of his mouth that you meet in a dockside bar in Marsailles at night. Rough around the edges, not polished, but can get it done in very good fashion.
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Haha, very well put! :D
 
jackknife said:
The Laguioles, LaThiers, Aurillacs are all very nice knives. They are like the well dressed gentleman that can do it. But I've always had a huge soft spot for the Douk-Douk. Its like the guy in the raggy jacket, three day stubble on his face and a cigarette hanging in the corner of his mouth that you meet in a dockside bar in Marsailles at night. Rough around the edges, not polished, but can get it done in very good fashion.
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A notable difference : he does what he says! :p:D:D:D
 
Âchillepattada said:
Hi Fred ,

I think there would not be a problem to send the wood to a craftman like Pierre Yves Joyeux for exemple. But you will have to pay about 20$ just to ship the wood and receive the knife . So the total price would be around 160$.
Â
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My price in January was almost $ 180.00 for the knife complete and shipped to Maine. So I'm guessing that sending him the wood would easily push your knife into the $ 220.00 +/- range. Still a very fair price for such a well made custom - IMHO.
 
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