Laguiole Knife Brands

E

ErikMB

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Jul 27, 2017
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I collect French pocket knives but don't make it to Europe very often so I am purchasing some on the internet. ;)

There are a lot of counterfeit and low quality knives out there. I would like to avoid these

It seems to me that Laguiole en Aubrac and Fontenille-Pataud are very high quality and that Forge de Laguiole is quite nice as well and a bit thinner than and about one and a half times the price of En Aubrac.

I have several Sanajust/Maki knives and they are consistently sturdy but with somewhat sloppy guilloche. I still love this brand and use one of them as my EDC.

Au Sabot seems solid but not very fancy.

I have a Balade and an Actiforge, both have misaligned blades and should not have made it past quality control.

I am wondering what the following brands are like. Are they typically well made? Bulky? Thin?
* Benoit l'Artisan
* G David
* R David
* Aveyron
* Honore Durand
* Rossignol
* Calmels

Does anyone have experience with these brands? Which brands are worth buying yet are not too expensive?
 
I can't speak to any except the Forge de, and the en Aubrac. Those are the only ones I have, and as you mentioned, they are very good quality. I've heard others talk about the Honore Durand, and I think they were pretty nice, from what I remember....
 
E ErikMB ... Tried to send you a message but can't because you don't have a forum membership yet.
Anyway, I was going to recommend a Laguiole Importer here in the U.S. that I've had nothing but good experience with and whose prices are on par with or slightly less than ordering directly from France, which I have also done but shipping is usually a killer from Europe. I can't provide a link to the Laguiole Importer in this thread as it's against forum rules to link to a retailer who does not have a membership here. Otherwise I would. Membership has privileges I guess.
My favorite Laguiole? ... Fontenille Pataud
 
Souvenir of Paris...Genes David with ramshorn
20210714-140727.jpg
 
Thanks, Brother Jim. I thought I had a membership. Is that something different from just registering?

So sad about Renaud Aubry. Very nice website and he looked like a nice person in his photos.

Âchillepattada, those are great links! Can you tell me about the Barry Laguioles? Are they slim like Forge de Laguiole? Or more robust like En Aubrac?

I was asking about Laguioles but I also like the regionals, especially Roquefort/Yssingaux/Sauveterre (sorry about the spelling). Someday, I would like to get a 5 Coqs.

Also, can anyone tell me about the typical quality of G and R David? I wish I could know from the photos and reviews what I would be able to discern if I were there in person to hold the knives.

I am trying to understand why the two Davids cost a lot less than En Aubrac or Forge De.
 
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ErikMB said:
Thanks, Brother Jim. I thought I had a membership. Is that something different from just registering?

So sad about Renaud Aubry. Very nice website and he looked like a nice person in his photos.

Âchillepattada, those are great links! Can you tell me about the Barry Laguioles? Are they slim like Forge de Laguiole? Or more robust like En Aubrac?

I was asking about Laguioles but I also like the regionals, especially Roquefort/Yssingaux/Sauveterre (sorry about the spelling). Someday, I would like to get a 5 Coqs.

Also, can anyone tell me about the typical quality of G and R David? I wish I could know from the photos and reviews what I would be able to discern if I were there in person to hold the knives.

I am trying to understand why the two Davids cost a lot less than En Aubrac or Forge De.
Click to expand...
Yes, memberships are paid. Here's a link to the explanation of memberships and benefits of each....
it's really a pretty good bargain, IMHO.....

 
BrotherJim said:
E ErikMB ... Tried to send you a message but can't because you don't have a forum membership yet.
Anyway, I was going to recommend a Laguiole Importer here in the U.S. that I've had nothing but good experience with and whose prices are on par with or slightly less than ordering directly from France, which I have also done but shipping is usually a killer from Europe. I can't provide a link to the Laguiole Importer in this thread as it's against forum rules to link to a retailer who does not have a membership here. Otherwise I would. Membership has privileges I guess.
My favorite Laguiole? ... Fontenille Pataud
Click to expand...

I believe Brother Jim is referring to the BF rule that you can't post a link to a vendor or knifemaker who is not a registered service provider on BF. That kind of info has to be shared other than in a thread. If you had a BF membership E ErikMB you could receive PMs from the rest of us and so expand your BF experience. :thumbsup:
 
ErikMB said:
Âchillepattada, those are great links! Can you tell me about the Barry Laguioles? Are they slim like Forge de Laguiole? Or more robust like En Aubrac?
Click to expand...
No idea, but you have to know that almost ( or all?) the productions of Laguiole's knives are based on parts coming from 2 producers .
So the difference is more on the finishing . And it's why I only buy knives from little workshops or craftsmen because to some extend I can ask what I want , as the thickness of the scales for example.

It's why if I would have to buy another Laguiole I would ask it to Mike&Steph or Fabien Rozelier I had forgotten to mention . Of course if I want to discover another knifemaker because I love those from Pierre Yves Joyeux and Jérôme Latreille already known here .

Â

PS : of course my messages here are about sem-industrial or industrial productions. You can also order a full handmade Laguiole to Jérôme Latreille or some other specialists but it's not the same price .
 
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I have had nothing but joy from Forge de Laguiole over the past 15 years. From custom handled steak knives to corkscrews, they have all been perfect. In re to en Aubrac, I have been scammed 2x via “authorized” resellers on Amazon with high $ corkscrew purchases.”Clearly fakes. Find a reputable seller of any of these brands and go for it. Incredible quality and function. FdL has a US entity btw
 
Heres a wider shot of the Genes David
20210714-140443.jpg

Fit and finish are exceptional.
The horn scales are chunky to say the least...but give it good heft in the hand...
The file work is magnificent ...there is no fly...its not a lockback....I bought this one in Paris in a shop on Iles St Louis....the one I really wanted was warthog ivory....
 
I've had a number of Laguiole models but it seems the only one left is a L'Aspic, 4-5/8" closed, with blade, corkscrew and awl. It's hefty with mid-level to good workmanship. I would welcome any comments on this brand. Thank you!
 
image-67129857.jpg


Got this one recently from that new website specialized in French folders, knives-of-france.com. That's an Alpin with walnut sides
They have a few brands, but various styles (and price!), you might want to check it
 
Cool! Au Sabot makes solid (if not super-fancy) knives. How does the spine look? Is it flat? Or does it have guilloche?
 
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