Donjon

The DONJON [dɔ̃.ʒɔ̃] is a pocketknife from the former royal province of the Bourbons, the Bourbonnais. Like the SEURRE, which is very close at home (but is already in Burgundy), it has the characteristic blade with a sloping point and straight edge, which is called "pied de mouton" (sheep's foot blade) in France. These pocket knives were sold in the markets along the Allier, the Sâone and the Loire all the way to Burgundy. The name DONJON refers to a market town on the Allier in which there was a remarkably active cutlery scene in the first half of the 19th century.

Both knives, the DONJON and the SEURRE have always fascinated us because their blades in the middle of France have a surprising, maritime character that we otherwise only knew from the knives of the coastal regions. Today we know that they were not only helpers and daily companions of the winegrowers and farmers, but also at home on the barges and sailing ships that once even transported the majority of goods (one speaks of 80%) on the numerous canals and rivers. Of course, the same activities on ropes, sails and wood had to be done on them as on large sailing ships. So they are knives that are at home in two worlds, on land and on water ...

In addition to the characteristic blade of the DONJON, the handle has another special feature. Its end, which protects the tip of the blade, was designed by the more skilled knife makers so that it could be interpreted by the Catholic rural population as a crosier.

Since 2019 we have been manufacturing the DONJON in our studio in Thiers on the basis of a fourniture that we have further developed, the blade of which is now made of SANDVIK 12C27 and has a distinctive back bevel "à l'entablure". The long bolster and the liners are now corrosion-free. We manufacture the handle from French walnut in the shape of a bishop's staff. As a sign of its authenticity, the blade bears the PassionFrance® logo, the Coq.

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