All About Pocket Knives

When one mentions the words,"French knife" the usually thought is Opinel or Laguiole and those two are likely the most popular and well-known knives made in France. There are and were however many great knife companies and knifemakers that plied their trade in France for literally hundreds of years.One of the pictured knives here(Barneria)dates to the 16th century and the large navaja by DuBost St.Joanis is right behind that.
One of the more well known makers among knife aficianados is the name Eloi Pernet. Probably best known for their taking large French silver coins and slicing them in two and inserting multiple knife blades between the two halves before re-joining them,they are make some very beautiful multi-blade knives,desk sets,and poultry shears;all of which are shown here.
To be sure there are also makers of knives that are of somewhat lesser quality as there are in virtually every country that manufactures knives.They are no better or worse than others.
One of the knives pictured here is a silver fruit knife that I believe to be of French origin based on the crescent shaped nail nick.It has hall marks but they are pretty much illegible. There are also a couple of "vendetta Corse" models that may or may not be French although the pattern is very much attributed to French origin.
So without further babbling I present you with a compendium of French cutlery for your viewing pleasure.It will probably take a few posts so please be patient.
#1 Marked,"Barneria" with the image of a severed pig's head this knife is an early lock back with marlin spike.Pique work on the handle was popular only from about 1840 -1850 which is where I believe this knife is from.
#2 A figural knife made of pressed horn in the shape of the Eiffel Tower marked only,"Depose".
#3 An old sailor's knife marked only,"E.G.".Handle is a single piece of horn cut out to accept the blades.Blades and liners are stamped with numbers.
#4 Another horn handled sailor's knife marked,"E.Renaud Armes Paris" Spring is a replacement I made.
#5 An Eloi Pernet multi-blade knife with what appears to be blonde horn handles.
#6 an Eloi Pernet desk set with fancy file work applied to the scissors.
#7 a closeup of the spine of the Eloi folder showing how the corkscrew and awl are fitted together on a single pivot.
#8 a set of stag handled poultry shears by Eloi Pernet with a lever spring mechanism instead of the usual tapered coil.
#9 A small 2 blade knife with gold handles engraved simply,"France". No tang stamp.
#10 a 19th century large navaja marked DuBost St.Joanis with bone and tortoise shell handles

Page two.
#1 A French double edged deer foot dagger.
#2 a multi-blade stamped,"Blaw-Knox" Not sure whether this is the maker or a company it was produced for.Most of this style of knife are usually either stamped on the tang or on the bail.
#3 Marked,"G.Peter" who also makes Laguiole style knives,this one has an unusual filed back spring.
#4 & #5 Two knives from the House of Cutlery.One has celluloid handles and the other horn.Quality is on the low side
#6 Marked,"MD Inox" this one seems to be of much higher quality for this style of knife.
#7 Marked "NOXI"(Inox backwards?)this one came in a chamois purse.
#8 Marked "W.B.& Co." this could possibly be Wester & Butz of Germany but it has all the styling of this typically French pattern.
#9 An old fishtail with no tang stamp,the shield is crudely etched with the name,"Collignon" whatever that means.This was a high quality knife.
#10 Marked "Gerson France" I have these with the same stamp from Germany and the USA.Not sure who actually made the knife.

Page three
#1-#2-#3 are knives by J.Mongin;a high end manufacturer.The first two are made from a single piece of horn.The yachtsman's knife looks to be horn as well and has a shackle key inset into one handle and a hollow marlin spike.All are highly polished.
#4 A traditional Laguiole that may possibly be of Chinese manufacture.
#5 & #6 are two variations of the early multi-tool. One has what I believe was a screwdriver blade that broke off at where the glass breaking notches are. Think pre-Leatherman.
#7 A jigged bone handled hunting knife with soldered on guard and pommel of what looks like aluminum.Sheath is marked "Lourdes" and the blade has an etch that looks like,"LeSixue Inox"
#8 The two extremes of Opinel:a #2 and a #13.
#9 a small folder marked,"S.A.P.Peintures" which is French for paint I believe.The folding square piece and the square hole I think are for operating a door with the knob removed.The extension of the liner that is normally a screwdriver looks to be for opening paint cans.
#10 A Laguiole steak knife marked Sabatier.

Page last:

Thanks for showing your highly interesting collection and your informative exposition on French knives which receive too little attention.

Beside an Opinel #10, this 3 11/16" Veritable Sauzede camper style knife is the only French knife I own. Seems to be a well made knife.

OLDE CUTLER wrote: ↑Fri Feb 12, 2021 10:24 pm Beside an Opinel #10, this 3 11/16" Veritable Sauzede camper style knife is the only French knife I own. Seems to be a well made knife.

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That is DEFINITELY a nice one! Love the engine turned handles! Thanks for posting it.

Thanks for posting this thread highlighting French knives, K7K. The only French knives that I own are a couple of not very expensive Laguioles. You have some very cool knives from France.

Interesting collection! Thought I'd post some of my French knives too, other than the Opinel, Douk Douk, Laguiole and Nontron folks have probably seen before.
There are a lot of antique French knives with brass scales stamped with different figures and scenes, often athletes. A variety of companies made them, but Coursolle is a contemporary manufacturer. I also have one of the Durol button locking knives, but the mechanism is broken. The lock is made of a really flimsy little piece of plastic, so they are more often found either loose or busted.

Bought these two Laguioles 15-20 years ago. I would have more but the really good ones are very pricey.
Just this month I was going to pick up a Douk-Douk just because I don't have one, but backed out.

I have three Opinel's. The orange one is a No.7, thanks to 313 Mike. Laguole Rossignol And it's "Bee"
Laguole Veritable Brossard And it's "Bee"

I have 3 French knives I can show fellas! Two are from the Thiers Cutlery Company and were built in France, and one is marked simply "Laguiole La Tour" and I just can't remember where I got it, but France is doubtful. The 1st knife is a Le Roquefort/Le Sabot 7 3/4" oal slip-joint/12C27 Sandvik spear-point blade, SS satin-finished bolsters, SS liners and pins, and ebony wood covers. Has a very firm walk, and snaps shut loudly when it talks. Fit n' finish is superb. The 2nd is also a Le Sabot 8" oal Italian style Vendetta slip-joint/12C27 Sandvik spear-point blade, SS satin-finished elongated bolsters, SS liners and pins, ebony wood covers, and file-worked spine. Also has a firm walk and loud talk. Same superb fit n' finish. And the 3rd knife is a 7 3/4" oal slip-joint replica of the Laguiole style knife/SS clip-point blade, SS satin-finished bolsters, SS liners and pins, Rosewood covers, file-worked spine, and "Bee" style lock-tab. Similar W+T and F+F as the other two. Hope ya like em'!

Thanks to all who took the time to post their knives. Thought I would add a few more to the mix. I probably have a few more but haven't come across them as yet.
#1 A small folder marked,"Made in France" advertising "Beuve-Cliquot Ponsardin" whatever that may be.Likely an alcoholic beverage of some type.
#2 A group of Durol steak knives made in Thiers.
#3 A melon tester by Gerson France for S.Strock & Co.
#4 A cheese(?) knife by G.M.T. Co. of France.
#5 Marked,"Hachinette Brevete S.D.G.D. this originally came with a curved wooden bowl for chopping vegetables.
#6 Marked,"Le Soleil Eventement" it is a letter opener knife that was actually made in Sheffield.
#7 A set of knives made by Rowoco France.
#8 A Sabatier knife with an unusual shape I use in the kitchen all the time.I have a 19th century Russell knife with exactly the same profile.I like it for chopping vegetables.Oh yes it cost me 69 cents at a yard sale;part of a bunch of knives.

Those are some great pictures guys. As the title says good and "not so good" is really irrelevant to me. My collection is primarily about preserving knife history. It makes no difference to me whether they are or were good quality knives, nor what country they came from, they are a part of the overall history of knives. Love seeing those knives.

dlr110 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 08, 2021 4:41 pm Those are some great pictures guys. As the title says good and "not so good" is really irrelevant to me. My collection is primarily about preserving knife history. It makes no difference to me whether they are or were good quality knives, nor what country they came from, they are a part of the overall history of knives. Love seeing those knives.

Good points David. My reason for using that particular was to show that like many other countries there are good quality knives as well as not so good quality knives being produced. I like ALL knives as do you.

Opinel No.8s.
John

Nice ones! Thanks for posting them. Here is a Sabatier I dug out of one of my old sign kits. Used to use it for cutting patterns in cardboard. Cleaned it up and brought it into the kitchen to use. My wife loves it for trimming Brussels sprouts.

knife7knut wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 6:58 am Nice ones! Thanks for posting them. Here is a Sabatier I dug out of one of my old sign kits. Used to use it for cutting patterns in cardboard. Cleaned it up and brought it into the kitchen to use. My wife loves it for trimming Brussels sprouts.

Ray.. I enjoy each and every knife that you take time to post.. No mater where/what ya post is appreciated!!!
John

This is one pocket knife out of a group of five pocket knives that I bought. This was NOT the knife that I bought the lot for. This is a MADE IN FRANCE, 3 1/2" closed, 2 blade pocket knife. It has a corkscrew and main blade etch. The blade etch reads Bijoulux - INOX. The tang stamp reads MADE IN - FRANCE. It's in GREAT condition. I gave it a quick, general cleaning. I took some pictures and here it is.
Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

This pocket knife arrived very recently. It is one pocket knife out of a group of five pocket knives that I bought. This was NOT the knife that I bought the lot for. This is a 3 1/8" closed, 2 blade pocket knife. It doesn't say where it is made. The tang stamp is the number 92 in a semi circle(?). The business that is advertised on the knife is, "GUSTAVE DEGERMANN - BARR (BAS-RHIN)." The other side says, "MANUFACTURE DE CUIR." Google says (my edit), Tannery Gustave DEGERMANN S.A. - Leather wholesaler in Barr, Bas-Rhin, France. So, at least something about this pocket knife is French related. It's in GREAT condition. I gave it a quick, general cleaning. I took some pictures and here it is.
Click on a picture to ENLARGE.

Hi All - Thought I’d share an Eloi Pernet coin knife that my (step-)grandfather gave me back in the 1960s or ‘70s. It was my “EDC” a long time ago; possibly before people ever started using the phrase!

If anyone can offer guidance regarding how I might go about getting the broken scissor spring replaced, I’d love to hear it. I’m not even sure what would be the correct kind of craftperson — a jeweler? a knife-maker? other?

Cheers,
Rob

Welcome to the forums!That is a very nice specimen of an Eloi Pernet coin knife. Someone on here in one of the forums(it may have been another site)mentioned that he had problems with scissors springs in small Swiss Army Knives breaking as well and that they were available from Victorinox.You might try getting a small SAK and seeing how the spring in the scissors matches up size wise for the one that was in yours.He mentioned that changing them was a simple matter of taking a small punch and driving out the broken section of spring and pressing in a new one.You might have to modify it slightly to fit.

Great show of French knives, Ray.

I have three.

First is a multi-tool similar to your #6 in 3rd post.

Second French knife:

An oldie with springs from hell.

Third:

A not often seen French toenail/sunfish/rope knife.