Well I have owned other laguiole folders before. None of them were of any quality to speak of. The sandvik 12c27 blades were of poor quality and poor edge keeping abiltiy. Even the fit and finish on them was awful. Well because of this I thought that the "laguiole" style knife was just a bad idea.
As a knifemaker I was disgusted with the laguioles I had seen
This was a few years ago.
Then recently, I decided that there must be a quality laguiole folder out there? I knew that many people had made them in laguiole over the years and that they were also copied in thiers and then there were the "knockoffs" (fakes). Some knockoffs are partially made in China, or Pakistan, then finished in France, others come completely from those countries.
I decided to search for a quality Laguiole folder and I started here on The forums. I asked many of you, who had experience, and I received some great responses, suggestions for laguiole folders,etc.
After many suggestions, looking on many laguiole sites I decided to try www.layole.com where the Laguiole De L Artisans reside. After speaking to Christophe and Honor'e Durand, the ones who own the company, and make the knives by hand, I decided to give them a try. I ordered a few Laguiole's, three of the 12cm prestige with horn tip handles, polished brass bolsters and 12c27 sandvik blades and one of the same except with stag handles and a carbon steel blade.
I also ordered a leather pocket sheath with the "laguiole bee" embroidered and a slot with pocket steel to match the knives.
Well the knives arrived a week ago and to my surprise the quality was "awesome" (only way to do it justice) to say the least
I was completely surprised, very pleasantly!!
I looked over the first knife. The grind lines were good, the sandvik blade was sharp!! Someone had told me the heat treat was getting better (than it use to be) on 12c27 sandvik from overseas and they were not kidding!!! The quality of the edge was "superb". The handles were beatiful and fit the bolsters like a glove!!! This is something I am very picky and serious about myself!!! As a knife maker I take very seriously the fit and finish and the quality of the blade and handles, bolsters, construction, etc. This 12cm prestige horn exceeded my expectations!! The inside of the backspring was even polished!!! The handles (scales) were screwed on from the inside of the liners!!! Wow!!! Who do you know that does that? Me personally, I either pin them on, or screw them on from the outside.
These guys are "artists" in their own right!!! The liners were even polished on the inside!!! The blade even had a stop worked into the inside of the backspring as a stop for the blade to protect the edge on closing! Many of you who own Laguioles know that this is a problem with many of them. They lack a "heel" on the blade tang to keep it from being damaged while being closed. Part of this is because the average spring on a laguiole is very strong (when compared to most other SJ's). This helps it to keep it safe to try to avoid those "accidental closings". These guys take care of that problem!! The stop they put inside was more than adequate to protect the blade
The handle also had the "traditonal" shepherds cross inlayed into the handle (the shepherds would stick the knive blade facing down with the cross on the handle facing them and pray, from what I have read).
The pocket sheaths were nice!!! The detail of the embroidered laguiole bee was really good and "eye catching". The quality of the leather was great also!!! Usually, leather that comes from Europe is "not all its cracked up to be", but the leather on these are real quality !!!
The pocket sheath when carried, with the knife inside, is "un-obtrusive", very light in the pocket, even with the wide "grippy" horn handles. That's something I noticed right away on this knife. The horn handles were nice and thick, "grippy", if you will. They provide a nice solid grip, much different then the "cheap", joke of laguioles I already had in my posession.
The quality of the sandvik 12c27 blade is unbelievable!!! For the first time I held a blade made of 12c27 sandvik that I had confidence in. These guys know what they are doing when it comes to making quality knives that could very well last a lifetime!!!
From growing up in a German family I was always taught that if you want quality cutlery, or other products, that if its not from Germany its.....well you get the idea, no need to go into detail! I always believed most other European cutlery to be somewhat inferior, but these guys have definitely changed my mind!!!
I was ashamed to carry the other laguioles I had bought, which probably did not even come from Laguiole (they did come from France though), but these are a much different
story!!!
I have never been so pleased with a Laguiole folder before! Oh and did I mention they ARE actually from Laguiole? they can definitely "lay claim" to their name sake, these guys know what they are doing!!! And they are very nice and helpful also!!! I Would not hesistate to buy another from them...hmmmm I think I just might!!!
From what I have read in The 100 legendary blades" from Kraus publishing, it says that Jean Calmels was the inventor of the Laguiole style folder in 1829. if this is true, then Laguiole De L Artisan has truly honored his design.
Rarely do I ever seen any knives worth noting this much, but these knives are!!!
I would recommend their prestige knives to anyone looking for an "authentic" high quality laguiole folder, that's from Laguiole !!!
As a knifemaker I was disgusted with the laguioles I had seen
This was a few years ago.
Then recently, I decided that there must be a quality laguiole folder out there? I knew that many people had made them in laguiole over the years and that they were also copied in thiers and then there were the "knockoffs" (fakes). Some knockoffs are partially made in China, or Pakistan, then finished in France, others come completely from those countries.
I decided to search for a quality Laguiole folder and I started here on The forums. I asked many of you, who had experience, and I received some great responses, suggestions for laguiole folders,etc.
After many suggestions, looking on many laguiole sites I decided to try www.layole.com where the Laguiole De L Artisans reside. After speaking to Christophe and Honor'e Durand, the ones who own the company, and make the knives by hand, I decided to give them a try. I ordered a few Laguiole's, three of the 12cm prestige with horn tip handles, polished brass bolsters and 12c27 sandvik blades and one of the same except with stag handles and a carbon steel blade.
I also ordered a leather pocket sheath with the "laguiole bee" embroidered and a slot with pocket steel to match the knives.
Well the knives arrived a week ago and to my surprise the quality was "awesome" (only way to do it justice) to say the least
I was completely surprised, very pleasantly!!I looked over the first knife. The grind lines were good, the sandvik blade was sharp!! Someone had told me the heat treat was getting better (than it use to be) on 12c27 sandvik from overseas and they were not kidding!!! The quality of the edge was "superb". The handles were beatiful and fit the bolsters like a glove!!! This is something I am very picky and serious about myself!!! As a knife maker I take very seriously the fit and finish and the quality of the blade and handles, bolsters, construction, etc. This 12cm prestige horn exceeded my expectations!! The inside of the backspring was even polished!!! The handles (scales) were screwed on from the inside of the liners!!! Wow!!! Who do you know that does that? Me personally, I either pin them on, or screw them on from the outside.
These guys are "artists" in their own right!!! The liners were even polished on the inside!!! The blade even had a stop worked into the inside of the backspring as a stop for the blade to protect the edge on closing! Many of you who own Laguioles know that this is a problem with many of them. They lack a "heel" on the blade tang to keep it from being damaged while being closed. Part of this is because the average spring on a laguiole is very strong (when compared to most other SJ's). This helps it to keep it safe to try to avoid those "accidental closings". These guys take care of that problem!! The stop they put inside was more than adequate to protect the blade
The handle also had the "traditonal" shepherds cross inlayed into the handle (the shepherds would stick the knive blade facing down with the cross on the handle facing them and pray, from what I have read).
The pocket sheaths were nice!!! The detail of the embroidered laguiole bee was really good and "eye catching". The quality of the leather was great also!!! Usually, leather that comes from Europe is "not all its cracked up to be", but the leather on these are real quality
!!!The pocket sheath when carried, with the knife inside, is "un-obtrusive", very light in the pocket, even with the wide "grippy" horn handles. That's something I noticed right away on this knife. The horn handles were nice and thick, "grippy", if you will. They provide a nice solid grip, much different then the "cheap", joke of laguioles I already had in my posession.
The quality of the sandvik 12c27 blade is unbelievable!!! For the first time I held a blade made of 12c27 sandvik that I had confidence in. These guys know what they are doing when it comes to making quality knives that could very well last a lifetime!!!
From growing up in a German family I was always taught that if you want quality cutlery, or other products, that if its not from Germany its.....well you get the idea, no need to go into detail! I always believed most other European cutlery to be somewhat inferior, but these guys have definitely changed my mind!!!
I was ashamed to carry the other laguioles I had bought, which probably did not even come from Laguiole (they did come from France though), but these are a much different
story!!!I have never been so pleased with a Laguiole folder before! Oh and did I mention they ARE actually from Laguiole? they can definitely "lay claim" to their name sake, these guys know what they are doing!!! And they are very nice and helpful also!!! I Would not hesistate to buy another from them...hmmmm I think I just might!!!
From what I have read in The 100 legendary blades" from Kraus publishing, it says that Jean Calmels was the inventor of the Laguiole style folder in 1829. if this is true, then Laguiole De L Artisan has truly honored his design.
Rarely do I ever seen any knives worth noting this much, but these knives are!!!
I would recommend their prestige knives to anyone looking for an "authentic" high quality laguiole folder, that's from Laguiole
!!!
