The Laguiole knife first appeared in the tiny village of Laguiole, France, during the early 1820s. Several decades after, the manufacturing expanded to the more industrialized city of Thiers, France, where this knife was made.
This knife was entirely handmade in Europe's capital of cutlery, "Thiers." The "Gilles®" Fontenille Pataud collection of knives are considered by many to be some of the best pocket knives money can buy. All Knives offered by Gilles are entirely made by a single craftsman, ensuring pride of ownership of the final piece.
Technical aspects: This 11 cm handle Laguiole folding knife features a forged bee, a full-length hand chiseled spring, and of course, the famous shepherd cross on most models (check photo). This knife also features a solid hardened blade stop to help prevent the blade's edge from making contact with the inner area of the spring.
What is a Forged Bee? You can recognize a forged bee when you look just below it, where it meets the decorated spring. If you do not see any gaps, it's a good sign that the bee and spring were forged from the same piece of metal. You can also recognize a soldered bee by noticing a straight gap/ridge where the bee meets the spring.
Most inexpensive Laguiole pocket knives found on the market have a soldered bee. Adding the bee to the spring by soldering saves time and money; this is why the cost of soldered bee knives can be substantially less. The original Laguiole knives had forged bees.
Shopping for a unique pocket knife not only holds the promise of ownership but the excitement of finally beholding an item admired through a screen. However, all too often, what was envisioned and what is unboxed bear a startling, sometimes painful discrepancy.
You will receive the actual folding knife shown in the photos.
No one wants to view photos of a beautiful and unique knife and receive something not even close to the representative image; this is why we take pictures of each piece. Select your One-Of-A-Kind knife!
Things to Look For
The file work on the springs (top of handle) are individually hand filled by a French artisan, therefore all are different. Additionally, two handles made from the same material can have very different patterns.
You need to know
Stabilized burled beech "End-Grain" or "Bois Debout" in French harvested in France. End grain is the grain of wood seen when it is cut across the growth rings. Rather than cutting a plank of wood the trunk's length, end grain wood is actually cut at a 90-degree angle to the grain. This type of cut exposes the character of the wood rings and graining.
Desert Ironwood (Olneya tesota) - One of the world hardest wood and most difficult to work with due to its density.
This increasingly rare wood comes from dead trees that have been left to dry in the desert heat for decades. As it starts to fossilize, the wood turns reddish brown with a golden hue and beautiful veining. The wood from this very slow growing tree can be well over 100 years old. Harvested in Arizona or Northwestern Mexico.
Good to know: Ironwood can sometimes show tiny knots or small depressions within the wood. This is not considered a defect but rather a characteristic of this wood.
Pocket knives are shipped same business day from Florida when ordered by 4 PM Eastern time. UPS delivery can be expected in 1 to 3 business days depending on destination. International shipping options are available at checkout.
Blade: Stainless Swedish 12C27 steel, 3 mm thick. Hardness: 56-57 Hrc.
Plates: 1.5 mm stainless.
Decorated Spring: 3 mm stainless - Hand file work
Blade Size: 9.20 cm (3.60")
Handle Size: 11 cm (4.33")
Open Size: 20.20 cm (8")
Weight: ~ 70 grams (2.46 oz.)
For best care, refrain from submerging in water and dry immediately. We recommend using Tuf-Glide Oil-Free Lubricant 1/4 oz Pen. Periodically apply a few drops of lubricant to the axle of all moving parts to maintain optimal performance.
The Laguiole knife first appeared in the tiny village of Laguiole, France, during the early 1820s. Several decades after, the manufacturing expanded to the more industrialized city of Thiers, France, where this knife was made.
This knife was entirely handmade in Europe's capital of cutlery, "Thiers." The "Gilles®" Fontenille Pataud collection of knives are considered by many to be some of the best pocket knives money can buy. All Knives offered by Gilles are entirely made by a single craftsman, ensuring pride of ownership of the final piece.
Technical aspects: This 11 cm handle Laguiole folding knife features a forged bee, a full-length hand chiseled spring, and of course, the famous shepherd cross on most models (check photo). This knife also features a solid hardened blade stop to help prevent the blade's edge from making contact with the inner area of the spring.
What is a Forged Bee? You can recognize a forged bee when you look just below it, where it meets the decorated spring. If you do not see any gaps, it's a good sign that the bee and spring were forged from the same piece of metal. You can also recognize a soldered bee by noticing a straight gap/ridge where the bee meets the spring.
Most inexpensive Laguiole pocket knives found on the market have a soldered bee. Adding the bee to the spring by soldering saves time and money; this is why the cost of soldered bee knives can be substantially less. The original Laguiole knives had forged bees.
Shopping for a unique pocket knife not only holds the promise of ownership but the excitement of finally beholding an item admired through a screen. However, all too often, what was envisioned and what is unboxed bear a startling, sometimes painful discrepancy.
You will receive the actual folding knife shown in the photos.
No one wants to view photos of a beautiful and unique knife and receive something not even close to the representative image; this is why we take pictures of each piece. Select your One-Of-A-Kind knife!
Things to Look For
The file work on the springs (top of handle) are individually hand filled by a French artisan, therefore all are different. Additionally, two handles made from the same material can have very different patterns.
You need to know
Stabilized burled beech "End-Grain" or "Bois Debout" in French harvested in France. End grain is the grain of wood seen when it is cut across the growth rings. Rather than cutting a plank of wood the trunk's length, end grain wood is actually cut at a 90-degree angle to the grain. This type of cut exposes the character of the wood rings and graining.
Desert Ironwood (Olneya tesota) - One of the world hardest wood and most difficult to work with due to its density.
This increasingly rare wood comes from dead trees that have been left to dry in the desert heat for decades. As it starts to fossilize, the wood turns reddish brown with a golden hue and beautiful veining. The wood from this very slow growing tree can be well over 100 years old. Harvested in Arizona or Northwestern Mexico.
Good to know: Ironwood can sometimes show tiny knots or small depressions within the wood. This is not considered a defect but rather a characteristic of this wood.
Pocket knives are shipped same business day from Florida when ordered by 4 PM Eastern time. UPS delivery can be expected in 1 to 3 business days depending on destination. International shipping options are available at checkout.
Blade: Stainless Swedish 12C27 steel, 3 mm thick. Hardness: 56-57 Hrc.
Plates: 1.5 mm stainless.
Decorated Spring: 3 mm stainless - Hand file work
Blade Size: 9.20 cm (3.60")
Handle Size: 11 cm (4.33")
Open Size: 20.20 cm (8")
Weight: ~ 70 grams (2.46 oz.)
For best care, refrain from submerging in water and dry immediately. We recommend using Tuf-Glide Oil-Free Lubricant 1/4 oz Pen. Periodically apply a few drops of lubricant to the axle of all moving parts to maintain optimal performance.
