The Laguiole knife first appeared in the tiny village of Laguiole, France, during the early 1820s. Several decades after the manufacturing expended 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 from start to finish ensuring pride of ownership of the final piece.100% Made in France.

Technical aspects: This 11 cm handle knife features a forged bee, a full-length hand chiseled spring, and of course, the famous shepherd cross. This knife also features a solid hardened blade stop to prevent the blade's edge from touching the spring's inner area.

Handle Material: Horn Tip from domestic cattle. The tip of the horn is the hardest and most durable, Inferior horn handles are made from the bottom of the horn which will warp with time.
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.)

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 metal piece. 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. The process of adding the bee to the spring by soldering it saves time and money; this is why the cost of soldered bee knives can be substantially less. The original Laguiole knives had forged bees.

What's Included: Pocket knife - Leather Sheath - Numbered Certificate - Warranty & Repair Support