Laguiole knives have been made in the French village of Laguiole since 1828. Nearly 200 years later, Forge de Laguiole is the only knife-maker operating in Laguiole (though many have tried to appropriate the name, likeness and trademarks of the brand—as far away as China). Originally used by local shepherds and other working people, these knives have been refined over the company's first several decades, resulting in the classic design we see today: a sinuous curve, beautiful finishing, marked with the trademark bee. At the time of Laguiole's founding, folding pocket knives were still a novelty.
But is it a fly or a bee? The company says it's a bee. In Laguiole's early days, each knife-making artisan would "sign" his handiwork with his trademark symbol: a scallop shell, a lily, a skull, a four-leafed clover. The craftsman who first used the bee was Jules Calmels in 1909. Some time after that, Laguiole decided to make the bee its universal branding feature (though I have been told that insiders can tell which craftsman carved which bee, based on its look).
In a folding knife, the part of the hinge mechanism which helps lock-open the knife is called a "fly." So the bee on a Laguiole knife (which is part of "the fly") is actually a working element of the knife's hinge mechanism—hand-forged by the knife-maker.
The Forge de Laguiole pocketknife, shown above, is made of polished stainless steel, clad with white cow bone. Cow horn was the original, most common cladding in the earliest days. Today, other materials are used as well.
The polished cow bone is a gentle, winter white coloration. The bone is also reminiscent of ivory (which, though handsome, I will not buy or sell). Please click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome gentleman's accessory.
More Winter White items to come—tomorrow and in the days to follow.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.