Laguiole-Droit

The LAGUIOLE-DROIT [la.ɡjɔl.dʁwa] or LAGUIOLE-1850 is the first real LAGUIOLE that was made in the village of Laguiole in Aubrac. Pocketknives were made there before, but they were of the "STEPHANOIS"-type and differed fundamentally from the new pocket knife, which was created around 1850 and was to develop into perhaps the most famous knife in France. There are numerous legends about the LAGUIOLE and its details such as the shepherd's cross, the bee and the question of who “invented” it ... stories that have been embellished over generations. The historian Christian Lemasson researched his history meticulously and published it in a first book, L'HISTOIRE DU COUTEAU DE LAGUIOLE. In 2019 his extensive, richly illustrated second book "LAGUIOLE. HISTOIRE D'UN COUTEAU D'EXCEPTION" was published in France. The German translation was done by Wolfgang Lantelme, owner of PassionFrance. This book edited by Wieland-Verlag has become THE standard work on the topic. In it, Lemasson tells the entire development of the LAGUIOLE from his fathers STEPHANOIS, YSSINGEAUX and ISSOIRE, which lead to the LAGUIOLE-DROIT, the birth of the first "curved" LAGUIOLE with Yatagan blade, the importance of the Thiers cutlery as a supplier of the forge in Laguiole, the successes and flights of fancy at the turn of the century, the decline of knife production in Laguiole after 1900, the role of the Thiernois cutlery as "lifesaver" of the LAGUIOLE and its rebirth in the 1980s up to the current knife-making scene and the "Meilleur ouvrier de France". For this reason, here is just a brief summary of the LAGUIOLE-DROIT:

The LAGUIOLE as we know it today had to go through several stages of development before it found its form we know today. The YSSINGEAUX is the forefather of all LAGUIOLE and at the same time a large knife family in the Aubrac and Massif-Central. Like the entire knife family, which includes SAINT-MARTIN, ROQUEFORT, MARCHAND-DE-VIN and ISSOIRE, it has a forged section with a so-called "mouche" from which the bee -or fly- will later develop, plus a slim, sage-leaf-shaped blade, called "Bourbonnaise blade", as well as a full, slender handle without bolsters that ends in a "raven's beak" (Bec-de-Corbin) that protects the tip of the blade. It is a versatile and at the same time amazingly elegant pocket knife that has fascinated us since we discovered it in the 1990's. During its reconstruction, we deliberately opted for many details that are based on preserved originals and that are documented in the above book: The spring has a forged "bee"and an ornament that consists of just a few lines of file and sometimes a St. Andrew's cross, so as preserved originals show.

The knifesmith ARTO produced a first edition with a handle length of 11cm for PassionFrance®. As a sign of their authenticity, they bear the PassionFrance® logo, the Coq and the ARTO blacksmith's logo, the seahorse, on the blade.

Since 2019 we have been manufacturing the LAGUIOLE-DROIT in the sizes 9.5cm and 11cm handle length in our atelier in Thiers. At the same time, we have further improved and refined a number of details. The blades made of SANDVIK 12C27 don't touch the spring by a pncetage and have a finely designed back bevel "à l'entablure". We use horn, bone and stabilized wood for the handles. Noble specimens with Damascus blades or mammoth handles are created according to our inspiration or on customer request. As a sign of their authenticity, they bear the PassionFrance® emblem, the Coq, on the blade. 

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