Design Moment
The cutting edge in 1829, Laguiole cutlery is now a mainstay of kitchens worldwide.
Growing up at his parents’ inn in Laguiole, southern France, young Pierre-Jean Calmels admired the sharp-looking knives belonging to the inn’s patrons. Especially the Spanish navaja, a folding knife with a slim, sinuous blade and handle, brought back from Catalonia by seasonal workers.
Calmels was keen to produce these stunners locally. In 1829, aged just 16, he approached his uncle, a blacksmith, with a plan to make knives inspired by the navaja and the local capuchadou farmer’s knife. His designs featured steel blades tempered in the natural springs of Laguiole (pronounced lah-yole), with a spring to close the blade and a handle fashioned from locally sourced ox horn. Thus was born an enduring tradition that took its name from the village.
An awl was added to some models for the convenience of farmers and, from 1880, due to demand from cafe owners and waiters, some also sported corkscrews. Domestic cutlery joined the line-up in the 1930s, placing Laguiole firmly on the culinary map. Surprisingly, Laguiole is not a trademark, just the name of a town and the style of knives and cutlery associated with it, so anyone can stamp the name on their products. Adding to the confusion, most contemporary examples hail from the town of Thiers, some 190km to the north, and from two respected makers there: Jean Dubost, established in 1920, and André Verdier, founded in 1859.
Early last century, the iconic bee landed on the shanks of Laguiole knives. This may have been be a reference to the dynastic symbol of Napoleon Bonaparte; according to legend, he allowed Laguiole to add a bee to its coat of arms in tribute to the bravery of the town. Another theory says the insect was originally a fly, and a play on words. The ‘bee’ forms the mouche, a piece of metal over the rotating part of a pocket knife. Mouche also happens to be French for ‘fly’. “They now call the insect a bee, as it is charming, but in the beginning it was technically a fly,” claims Laurence Arthaud of Jean Dubost.
Be that as it may, the range bearing the critter – from spoons to cigar cutters – is now vast. The list of materials used for the handles has expanded to include exotic timbers, leather and coloured resin.
And with people seeking more colour and decoration in their lives, Laguiole cutlery is enjoying a resurgence, explains Peter Hall of RM Hall, local distributor for Jean Dubost. “It offers a point of difference to the stainlesssteel or silver sets of previous generations. It can be dressed up or down. Handles in light horn, black or mixed colours add another dimension to dining.” As well as the table cutlery and cheese and pâté knives, bread knives and salad servers are top sellers.
Other makers have lent the knives design kudos while honing them for the present. The knife Philippe Starck created for the Forge de Laguiole brand in 1988 sported an elegant profile with steel blade and aluminium handle. Hermès’ 1995 take featured a leather handle, while Andrée Putman’s 2010 knife neatly harked back to Calmels’ 1820s original.
WHAT IT MEANS TO US
The bee or not the bee? That’s still the question. Jean Dubost sells to 40 countries, says Arthaud, with key markets including Australia, the US, Japan, Europe and Chile. So popular has it become that bogus makers have sprung up, wanting a slice of the action. The real thing should have ‘Made in France’ on the blade (not just ‘France’). Price is another telltale factor; if it’s cheap, it’s probably too good to be true. Look closely at the bee, too; on lookalikes they may be laser-etched, while the real deal will boast a moulded mouche. And finally, true Laguiole possesses a certain je ne sais quoi that cuts through any doubt – it rests, perfectly poised, in the hand.