Agenais

AGENAIS [a.ʒə.nɛ] and SAINT-AMANS [sɛ̃t.a.mɑ̃] are well known and widespread throughout the south of France and the Basque Country, where they have enjoyed popularity for centuries. Together, they represent a large family of knives that share numerous similarities in their shape and technical construction. For example, the handle shape – known as ‘jambette’ – is common to all these knives, as is the technical mechanism that allows the blades to be opened and closed in a single motion.

As they were produced by many village cutlers, including smaller ones, numerous local variants emerged over time, which are not always easy to identify, even for experts and historians such as Christian Lemasson. Some became popular beyond regional boundaries, whilst others were confined to specific regions, such as the GERSOIS, which we have also recently begun to produce. Some knives designed for the poor rural population were very simple in design, whilst others, intended for the more affluent, were sometimes richly decorated. You can discover more about the fascinating history of this family of knives in the richly illustrated book *Couteaux de France* by Christian Lemasson.

The AGENAIS [a.ʒə.nɛ] takes its name from Agen, the ancient capital of Aquitaine situated on the Garonne. It was widespread in southern France, the Basque Country and as far into northern Spain. It differs from the other knives of the family by its large yatagan blade. The Crusaders became familiar with this type of blade in the Orient and brought it back to southern France, where they landed on their return. From there, it then spread throughout France.

The SAINT-AMANS [sɛ̃t.a.mɑ̃] is older than the AGENAIS. It has the same handle shape, but a blade known as a ‘feuille de sauge’, shaped like a sage leaf. Experts say that even the Romans forged knives with these blades. The Saint-Amans as we know it today was produced by cutlers in the town of Bergerac and its surrounding area. – just one to two days’ journey on horseback from Agen.

The GERSOIS [ʒɛʁswa] is a beauty lost in the mists of time but is an excellent example of one of the many variants that cutlers produced exclusively for customers in their local area, never selling them far beyond the boundaries of their local markets. The Gers region, with its rolling hills, lies in the south-west within the territory of the historic province of GASCOGNE, renowned for its Armagnac, numerous duck dishes and as the home of d’Artagnan in the famous Musketeer films.

Another feature that distinguishes these knives from the South from other regional knives in France is the presence of numerous rivets on the handles in some cases. Sometimes flat, sometimes raised, they serve no functional purpose but form a stylistic ornament.

In a technically elaborate design, these are solid rosettes inserted into the handle and slightly raised. In a more simple, rustic version, these rosettes were riveted onto the surface using punch-cut discs. It is said that these knives were made for the tobacco farmers, as tobacco has been cultivated in the region ‘entre les deux mers’ (the area between Bordeaux on the Atlantic and the Mediterranean) for centuries. When harvested, the leaves of the plants exuded a slippery sap, which made the knives slip in the hands. The knife makers responded by producing knives for their customers with handles that were more slip-resistant.

Another traditional speciality of the region are the plum trees, also first brought back from the Orient by the Crusaders. At the time, this was a revolution, as honey was the only sweet food known to people. Thanks to the plums, which thrived here magnificently, a wider population in Europe was able to enjoy the taste of something sweet for the first time. The dried ‘Prunes d’Agen’ (plums from Agen) therefore became a much sought-after speciality throughout Europe, as we have known at least since Asterix and Obelix in their comic ‘Le Tour de France’. As a homage to the region’s tradition and culture, we produce from time to time knives with handles made from the beautiful, dense, reddish-brown wood of plum trees.

All these knives – AGENAIS, SAINT-AMANS and GERSOIS – are 100% handcrafted with great care in our atelier in Thiers. As a sign of their authenticity, they bear the PassionFrance® coat of arms on their blades: the Coq.

Copyright 2026 © PassionFrance®

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