Laguiole

soccerguy83 · Jan 15, 2014

Well, as I stated in Toothpick's thread "My Dad Gave me his Knife Collection" I found a LNIB Laguiole in my local pawn shop. In doing a few minutes of reading, there are a lot of knockoffs around as Laguiole is not a trademarked name but a town in which the knife originated. Anyone know which Laguiole knife makers are the real deal?

Legion · Jan 15, 2014

Forge de Laguiole and Laguiole de l'artisan, are the two main ones, but there are others.

AllenG · Jan 15, 2014

Laguiole knives are far and away my favorite style of pocket knife. I have a dozen or so.
Robert David is the most common maker in my collection. Most of the Robert David knives I have I bought in hardware stores around France; fantastic daily knives.

The price for most Laguiole knives depends on how much scrolling work has been done and what material is used in the scales. The blades themselves are pretty much identical maker to maker, being they are made to a specific standard and in a specific area to be allowed to carry the laguiole name and bee on the spring.

the two Robert David knives that I most often carry.

Legion · Jan 16, 2014

Aim for ones that advertise wide bolsters (scales). They are much nicer to use and hold. I have one in snakewood.

Heespharm · Jan 16, 2014

Legion said:
Forge de Laguiole and Laguiole de l'artisan, are the two main ones, but there are others.

Also many legit laguiole have that cross in the handle... Also purely FYI I mispronounced it for years... It's supposed to be pronounced layole I was saying lagohlay for years... Hahah

soccerguy83 · Jan 16, 2014

Well I stopped by the pawn shop yesterday afternoon to have a closer look at it. The salesperson informed me that they had a box full of them and I asked if I could see them all. The one on display was a G. David, a maker I never heard of, but a nice looking knife. Most in the collection had the bee as part of the spring, as opposed to welded on. Per my research yesterday, that is one of the signs of a decent one made in France as opposed to one made in China. They had one Laguiole en Aubrac, which was nice, but it had a very wide end on it away from the blade in 90 degree rotation away from the blade, think dolphin tail. Not sure how I liked that, would be huge in the pocket. One that I really liked was a G. David that had scroll work on the top of the spring, on the top and bottom of the metal sides (not sure of the name, scales maybe?), and on the bottom of the spring! That's the one I'm thinking about going back for today depending on what I find out about G. David today. I will say some of the knives had amazing "lock-ups" approaching high end lock blade knives! There was ZERO play in them, up-down or side-to-side!

soccerguy83 · Jan 16, 2014

The "dolphin tail" Granted it had different styling on the scroll work.

Toothpick · Jan 16, 2014

Now I'm wondering if mine is legit. No cross and minimal scroll work on the blade itself. Just a basic "laguiole" etched on the blade. :confused1

I know it's really old though.
here it is nonetheless

soccerguy83 · Jan 16, 2014

Jason, given the age on your's I would think it could come from France. The scroll work on the spring appears to be hand done.

AllenG · Jan 16, 2014

Toothpick said:
Now I'm wondering if mine is legit. No cross and minimal scroll work on the blade itself. Just a basic "laguiole" etched on the blade.
I know it's really old though.
here it is nonetheless

I am pretty sure that is a David, R. (Robert David) knife. That looks like one of his bees and his scroll work.

Toothpick · Jan 16, 2014

soccerguy83 said:
Jason, given the age on your's I would think it could come from France. The scroll work on the spring appears to be hand done.

AllenG said:
I am pretty sure that is a David, R. (Robert David) knife. That looks like one of his bees and his scroll work.

okie doke, I'm no longer worried.

Looking forward to seeing pictures if you get that knife Brian!

Legion · Jan 16, 2014

soccerguy83 said:
Well I stopped by the pawn shop yesterday afternoon to have a closer look at it. The salesperson informed me that they had a box full of them and I asked if I could see them all. The one on display was a G. David, a maker I never heard of, but a nice looking knife. Most in the collection had the bee as part of the spring, as opposed to welded on. Per my research yesterday, that is one of the signs of a decent one made in France as opposed to one made in China. They had one Laguiole en Aubrac, which was nice, but it had a very wide end on it away from the blade in 90 degree rotation away from the blade, think dolphin tail. Not sure how I liked that, would be huge in the pocket. One that I really liked was a G. David that had scroll work on the top of the spring, on the top and bottom of the metal sides (not sure of the name, scales maybe?), and on the bottom of the spring! That's the one I'm thinking about going back for today depending on what I find out about G. David today. I will say some of the knives had amazing "lock-ups" approaching high end lock blade knives! There was ZERO play in them, up-down or side-to-side!

G. David is one of the good ones.

Wullie · Jan 19, 2014

Here's another G David.

It's very well built.

It is also my understanding that the bee is a trademark of the region of Laguiole.

YetiDave · Jan 19, 2014

I really want one of these, but unfortunately there don't seem to be any made that fall in line with UK knife laws - sub 3" and non-locking. I could buy a one for work, but.. meh, it'd get broken, and they're too good for slicing through gaffer tape and cable ties

Heespharm · Jan 19, 2014

Best made sells a keychain sized one and it's a slip joint... So uk approved? I own one and I like it but it sees little heavy use

AllenG · Jan 19, 2014

YetiDave said:
I really want one of these, but unfortunately there don't seem to be any made that fall in line with UK knife laws - sub 3" and non-locking. I could buy a one for work, but.. meh, it'd get broken, and they're too good for slicing through gaffer tape and cable ties

There are sub 3 inch Lagouile knives out there, and one has to hunt for a locking blade, most are just held by the spring. Next time you go through the tunnel stick your nose in a hardware store, you'll find one for about twenty quid.

Search

Laguiole

soccerguy83

Legion

AllenG

Legion

Heespharm

soccerguy83

soccerguy83

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!

soccerguy83

AllenG

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!

Legion

Wullie

YetiDave

Heespharm

AllenG

Similar threads