There are many reasons a Laguiole knife can retail for much more than another model of similar size and material. The finish of the metal, the construction of the spring and bee and above all the chiseling and filing of the spring & bee all contribute to the added cost. Most mass-market Laguiole knives have a soldered bee and never a hand-chiseled spring top and bee. This collector's knife also features the iconic Shepherd's cross as well as a blade stop to prevent the blade from making contact with the bottom of the spring.
The art of chiseling a spring & bee is very time consuming, sometimes over 1 hrs to complete the spring. Additionally, only the most skilled cutlers/artist are able to achieve this very complicated task. You can view the chiseling and filing stage on this YouTube video.
Handmade in the village of Laguiole, France Forge de Laguiole knives are truly and by far of the highest quality offered in the market today. Additionally, each one of this masterpiece is entirely handmade by the same craftsman to ensure pride in the completed piece.
