Nontron, a village in the Dordogne department of France, is believed to be the birthplace of knife-making dating back to the beginning of the 13th century. Today, the cutlery known as Coutellerie Nontronnaise has been producing handmade knives since 1928, using a combination of traditional methods and modern tools.

The Legend: The patterns burned into the wood, whose origins and meanings remain largely unknown, include shapes resembling "flies" – an inverted V surrounded by three points – as well as lines of small dots. Are these religious symbols? Could they reference the Freemasons' compass or the Compagnons du Devoir? Ultimately, no one can say for certain.