Forge de Laguiole. Laguiole history & Characteristics of heirloom Forge de Laguiole corkscrew wine openers and cutlery

The little French town of Laguiole, Gérard Boissins, and the History of Forge de Laguiole heirloom corkscrews and cutlery.

HISTORY OF LAGUIOLE
Laguiole (La-YOLE) is a small (pop. 1300) town in the Aubrac mountains of south central France, that gets it's name (and pronunciation!) from the Occitan word for "little church". Young men of the region used to travel to Spain for farm work, bringing back with them the Navaja sheath knives.
In 1829, Pierre-Jean Calmels redesigned the Navaja as a folding knife with sprung closure, producing a graceful, sturdy knife meant for farmwork. By the mid-1800s, there were 7 or 8 manufacturers in this small mountain town producing quality hand-made cutlery. In 1880, the corkscrew was added. By the middle of the 20th century, cheaper, machine-made knives produced in other parts of France had driven the Laguiole manufacturers to decline.
In the 1980's, however, a revival took place - and Laguioles are once again on the world stage for high end cutlery!

FORGE de LAGUIOLE
In the mid-1980's, Gérard Boissins was inspired to revive the art of knifemaking in Laguiole and provide much needed employment for its citizens. He wanted to recreate authentic Laguiole cutlery, true to the quality and traditions of the past, but with the fit and finish possible using contemporary tools.
World-renowned architect/designer Philippe forge de laguiole corkscrew

Starck designed the new factory (1987), with its steel knife blade soaring 60 feet into the Laguiole sky.
The breathtaking Forge de Laguiole "Le Sommelier" Corkscrews and knife/wine openers offered at Corkscrew.Com are consistently superior, from sheer elegance of design to exacting attention to detail throughout every step of execution. Hand-crafted to perfection, these Forge de Laguioles are at the top of the list in France, when the occasion calls for an heirloom-calibre gift.

CHARACTERISTICS
On the spine of modern Laguiole cutlery is a Bee or Fly. Which? Some say, a Bee, bestowed by Napoleon for courage and gallantry in battle. Others say a Fly, for the flies that bother Aubrac cows and cowherds alike.
Forge de Laguiole Le Sommelier Corkscrew "Bees" are stylized - a truncated triangle shape that echoes the sleek styling and updated vision of the new Laguioles. The Picnic Knife/Corkscrew follows tradition in this regard, with traditional Bees (actual insect design).
Other elements that may or may not appear: a "foot" shape bolster on one end; or, a "Shepherd's Cross" pattern of small rivets, which allows cowherds unable to attend Sunday services to create their own place of worship by opening the blade and planting the knife in the ground.
Forge de Laguiole “Le Sommelier” Corkscrew.
Winner, Ambiente « Prix Design Plus » (“Design Plus Award”) Design Award. For Creativity.
Awarded at Ambiente, International Design and Trade Show, Frankfurt, Germany. 1996.

Laguiole Origine Garantie, affixed to every knife made by FORGE DE LAGUIOLE. This mark assures the origin, quality and traditional manufacture of each knife. Registered in 1991 by the Association "Le Couteau de Laguiole", this mark can only be used on knives made by traditional methods in the canton of Laguiole.

NOTE: The Text on this Forge de Laguiole page is Copyrighted by Corkscrew.Com. It is NOT standard text from the Forge de Laguiole company. This text may not be copied or used anywhere, in whole or in part, without the express permission of Corkscrew.Com.

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