Saint-Amans

The SAINT-AMANS, sometimes SAINT-AMAND or SAINT-AMANT [sɛ̃t.a.mɑ̃], has its origin in Aquitaine. It resembles the AGENAIS except for a small, decisive detail. The shape of blade makes the difference. Both SAINT-AMANS and AGENAIS are members of a very old pocketknife family whose roots go back to the Middle Ages, some claim to the Romans. The shape of the handle and construction are signs of this old type.

The SAINT-AMANS has the older sage-leaf shape of blade. From the knives from the Bergerac area, famous for its cigars and tobacco production, we know the profiled handles, which are said to be better in the hand when harvesting the tobacco, because when cutting the leaves, a gelatinous juice escapes that makes the handle so slippery that the knife can slip out of your hand. So the rosettes are both, first an early protection measure than a decorative element and .

The most commun handle materials for SAINT-AMANS and AGENAIS are horn and hard woods. The red-brown plum wood occupies a special position. Plum trees were first brought to Europe by the Crusaders from the Orient. They are the first fruit trees in western culture and found their home in the South-West of France, particularly at Agen. Today the "Prunes d'Agen" are among the most famous specialties in the land of gourmets. Another special position is the ram's horn, which shows the influence of the neighboring Pyrenees. 

The blades are made of Sandvik 12C27. The handle length of the knife is a good 11cm.

We have been manufacturing the SAINT-AMANS in our atelier in Thiers since 2019. Actually  prepared a new edition of the SAINT-AMANS with a couple of prominent solid brass rosettes. In order to emphasize the profile of the handles, the rivet heads are artfully shaped into mushroom heads too. As a sign of their traditional roots and authenticity, they bear the PassionFrance® brand mark on the blade, the Coq.

Copyright 2020 © PassionFrance®

show less text