All About Pocket Knives

I stumbled upon this Laguiole knife site at another area and was really impressed with the quality & craftsmanship. First of all a Laguiole knife is a high-quality traditional French pocket-knife, originally produced in the town of Laguiole in the Aveyron region of southern France. The design dates from the early 19th century.

Does anyone have any experience with these knives ?? Here is one I was considering with a snakewood handle..

The fly or bee:

The spring has on top a small triangular relief with the carving of a bee. There is no definitive explanation for the presence of the bee, it is just a decorative feature. Some legend has it that it’s origin comes from Napoleon I, who would have associated the people from AUBRAC with the imperial emblem of the bee because of there courage in battle. Others will firmly state that the insect is not a bee but a fly, explaining that the knife is a farmer’s knife, and the farmers who made the knives replicated the flies that came with their cattle. Fly or bee, the controversy only romanticizes the image of Laguiole further.

Here are a couple of links to the site...

http://www.fontenille-pataud.com/indexuk.php

http://www.fontenille-pataud.com/fabricationuk.php

Howdy Sunburst.

Well, I've got no experience with any as nice as that good looking folder, sorry.
However, I do have a set of Sabatier steaknives in the style, that always evoke interest whenever we trot them out.

Bill

I like my steak medium rare please, and I sure hope you pull out those steak knives so that all my senses can enjoy not only eating but seeing as well...

It's hard to tell from the picture but it looks like your knives have the bee/fly on top as well...?

Thanks,

Sunburst

Medium rare it is!!

Yes, the knives have the Bee...or Fly...on them. I can't decide which it is...part of the fun, I guess.

Bill

Being the farmer that I am, I'm standing with the French farmers in that it's a cattle fly, deer fly, horse fly all kind of other names as well #%)(?~@.. Nasty things...Even though the bee is a little more attractive on the marketing end...

Sunburst

levine's 3rd calls it a bee. pg 276.

johnnie

Now Johnnie you know I am hanging with the French in this one so I have to be obstinate and say that the American called Levine knows nothing...The French are never wrong..

Sunburst

blasphemy! actually not to fond of the french, except the girls, and the knives, and the wine so it probably is a fly.

i had a book on french knives and it told about the design but i sold it and, well i just can't remember the details.

the file work is very handsome. and i understand they're all carbon steel and well made.

looks like it could harvest a grape or two.

johnnie