All About Pocket Knives

Another little knife this time from France, the blade is 55mm and very sharp with nice file work on the spine and a stiff back spring. Blade is marked with the words "LAGUIOLE L,ECLARE 440", with what looks like a Bee on the other side. Really nice wood scales, which i have been told are rose wood. Pretty but not very practical. Cheers. Stan.

I've seen that pattern and it never suited my fancy much. I have a couple of LAGUIOLE's from my "one of everything" days that I'm a bit more fond of. The "bee" (called by some "the fly") seems to be different depending on the maker.

Very nice knife, i like the blade shape.

I've seen a couple of these at shows they are cool knives. Is there a purpose behind the large handle or is it just for appearance? The handle does seem to mimic the shape of the locktab.

Otis the 3rd wrote:I've seen a couple of these at shows they are cool knives. Is there a purpose behind the large handle or is it just for appearance? The handle does seem to mimic the shape of the locktab.

I believe the handle width is done that way to try and spread the pressure over a larger area of the palm. I don't have any of the French knives but have a Japanese made knife of similar porportions called a Big Paw.It is actually pretty comfortable to use once you get used to it.

Thanks for the replies. I would not consider this a user, its much to nice to ruin, having said that i do use it for opening letters.

The bee was chosen for the Laguiole style of French knife because it was the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's personal heraldic emblem. It was used on lots of his personal his stuff. It was on all his tableware and probably his underwear for all I know.

Many of these knives are made in other countries such as China and Pakistan, but some of the producers in Thiers, France are still making the finest. I believe the L'Eclair brand stamped 440 are made in China. The French makers tend to use 12C27 and their knives are stamped FRANCE in some format or other.

David

dkonopinski wrote:The bee was chosen for the Laguiole style of French knife because it was the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's personal heraldic emblem. It was used on lots of his personal his stuff. It was on all his tableware and probably his underwear for all I know.

Many of these knives are made in other countries such as China and Pakistan, but some of the producers in Thiers, France are still making the finest. I believe the L'Eclair brand stamped 440 are made in China. The French makers tend to use 12C27 and their knives are stamped FRANCE in some format or other.

David

it's a legend :
1) the Aveyron (country where the laguiole knive is born) was opposed to Napoleon (in fact to the military conscription of Napoleon)
2) in french we say "mouche" for this knive part (fly in english) not "abeille" (bee).
3) at the begining this part was only a triangle.
the "mouche" is born in the 1880's years.

for the chinese/pakistan you're right