Never give a knife, as a gift, to a French.
The tradition says, it cuts friendship, so you should sell it to him, for a penny.
The tradition says, it cuts friendship, so you should sell it to him, for a penny.
About 55 years ago while cleaning out my grandfather's house I found a rusty old pocket knife. I decided to clean some of the rust off over on my high speed belt sander when the fake stag horn handel got a little hot. Well the handel that looked like stag horn was actually an early form of plastic nitrocellulose and it caught fire, no flames as such it just hissed and sort of evaporated before my eyes.
Laguiole is 99% fackery.
Trouble is they never patented the name.
True ones are made by few shops in Thiers, that's, at least what they say.
In France, at many tourist places, I am amazed to see those shops with all sorts of knives, 100% fakes and pricy. I like to see these inventories and have fun listening to vendors BS on knives, who rarely know what they are talking about.
I got it as a present from a friend (still), so 99% your right. It serves its purpose.
The genuine however, are fantastic. Still on my list.
Laguiole.com ® : Laguiole - Couteau laguiole, Chateau Laguiole, Laguiole en Aubrac, Forge de Laguiole
The genuine however, are fantastic. Still on my list.
Laguiole.com ® : Laguiole - Couteau laguiole, Chateau Laguiole, Laguiole en Aubrac, Forge de Laguiole
I carry this in my pocket every day. The replacable blades are great, I don't have to worry about damaging the blade.
The long blade does not see much use.
I'm not collecting, to me it's just a tool.
The long blade does not see much use.
I'm not collecting, to me it's just a tool.
People are a bit uncomfortable with knives these days, but I always loved my Victorinox Swiss Army Knife. And every Frenchman carries a knife to cut his breakfast baguette.
My one had a corkscrew, which was extremely useful for opening bottles of wine. It had tweezers for pulling out stings. Scissors for clippiing your nails on holiday. I had to stop carrying it, because it was a lock-knife. Far safer than a pen-knfe but unfortunately illegal. 😀
My good friend Alan got stabbed with a knife in the Kidneys on some random night out. "How did it feel, Alan?"
"Like a punch, actually, Steve. I thought I'd been punched." How weird is THAT? 😀
My one had a corkscrew, which was extremely useful for opening bottles of wine. It had tweezers for pulling out stings. Scissors for clippiing your nails on holiday. I had to stop carrying it, because it was a lock-knife. Far safer than a pen-knfe but unfortunately illegal. 😀
My good friend Alan got stabbed with a knife in the Kidneys on some random night out. "How did it feel, Alan?"
"Like a punch, actually, Steve. I thought I'd been punched." How weird is THAT? 😀
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I’ve been stuck between the ribs a couple times. Nothing nefarious...I’ve had a chest tube put in a couple times. It hurts but not in the way you think it would.
My current EDC. I wouldn’t say I collect knives as much as search for the perfect one, resulting in a big box of them.
I've had a pocket knife since I was about 7 , and my Grandfather showed me how to sharpen it, and Plane blades, until they're good enough to shave with - when I was six. He then sent me home with the entreaty '...and don't tell your mother'. (I can still lap Plane blades as he showed me that day, blindfold, on the same giant lump of oilstone inherited - I smile every time... )
Anyway - the Victorinox 'Blumenmesser' - a pocket knife intended for garden use - is a joy for all the reasons you'd like or want or use a small knife, day-to-day: has only the one blade, a 55mm ground edge in a steel that sharpens & holds an edge well, also - outstanding value, and my go-to:
Then again, from that same Grandfather I inherited the pocket knife he was issued on enlisting in the Navy in WW2: the chunky thing in black: 3" blade, with a tin-opener, and a marlinspike.
- it carries the UK War Office Broad Arrow,; and remains - at 80yrs old - a wonderful practical knife, that still takes & holds a wicked edge. Just the nicest thing to use for the uses it was designed-for, a brilliant practical tool; and one that still makes me smile in memory when I do: it's that lovely thing, the tool that is ...just right.
Anyway - the Victorinox 'Blumenmesser' - a pocket knife intended for garden use - is a joy for all the reasons you'd like or want or use a small knife, day-to-day: has only the one blade, a 55mm ground edge in a steel that sharpens & holds an edge well, also - outstanding value, and my go-to:
Then again, from that same Grandfather I inherited the pocket knife he was issued on enlisting in the Navy in WW2: the chunky thing in black: 3" blade, with a tin-opener, and a marlinspike.
- it carries the UK War Office Broad Arrow,; and remains - at 80yrs old - a wonderful practical knife, that still takes & holds a wicked edge. Just the nicest thing to use for the uses it was designed-for, a brilliant practical tool; and one that still makes me smile in memory when I do: it's that lovely thing, the tool that is ...just right.
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Pen-knives are rotten things IMO. More likely to cut YOU than other things!
Lock-knives with the side button make more sense.
Here's the cheapest tiniest Victorinix pen-knife. No philips screwdriver, no thing for getting stones out of horses hoofs.
Extremely useful tweezers, toothpick and nail file and flat blade screwdriver along with scissors and a 1" blade. Ideal on holiday.
Unfortunately Airports take these things off you. Workplaces don't approve. So I rarely carry it. 😀
Lock-knives with the side button make more sense.
Here's the cheapest tiniest Victorinix pen-knife. No philips screwdriver, no thing for getting stones out of horses hoofs.
Extremely useful tweezers, toothpick and nail file and flat blade screwdriver along with scissors and a 1" blade. Ideal on holiday.
Unfortunately Airports take these things off you. Workplaces don't approve. So I rarely carry it. 😀
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A good slip joint "latch" is fine. A bad one is scary. My little Spyderco SpyDK locks up pretty stiff for not actually having any sort of latch. I do prefer my locking knives most of the time though.
Buddy of mine used to go everywhere with one of these guys
I thought it was a bit much myself...
Buddy of mine used to go everywhere with one of these guys
I thought it was a bit much myself...
It is what is now called Damascus, basically pattern welded steel which is a way of faking the blades that made Damascus famous.
The original damascene blades were made from Wootz steel imported from India which produces a very specific pattern when etched.
The one in the middle, we call it "army-knife" or "soldier-knife"—it was (is?) handed to every recruit when military school (recruit-school) started.
We learned to dismantle and assemble the rifle with it...
My 2 favorite knives are a fat "Puma" jackknife and a japanese one...
