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At Fontenille Pataud, we work hard to provide you with products, services that answer your needs.  Please review our website and if we have made an error, don't hesitate to contact us.  Pictures rarely do justice to the beauty of any product.  We use natural materials and each product is unique.  As a result, there always will be a difference between the pictures and the finished product.  Please feel free to address us all your questions, technical or otherwise. 
Thank you for visiting Fontenille Pataud !

The Laguiole Name

About knives & cutlery items Laguiole is NOT a brand name or label. Rather, it is a small village in the Auvergne region in France. The VILLAGE shares its name with a traditional style of knife and a variety of cheese. Because Laguiole is not a registered trademark, the name frequently appears on a number of different products, including pens, glasses, and clothing.

The Traditional Laguiole Knife

This traditional design has become popular throughout the world. Most "Laguiole" knives are imported from France but because the design and name are not trademark protected, they can be manufactured anywhere.

The Handcrafted Knife

Because the Laguiole name is not in and out of itself a guarantee of quality, it is difficult for the average consumer to recognize a good quality knife. As a rule, a handcrafted knife will bear the name of the cutlery maker who will put both his name as well as the company's logo on the finished product. In addition, a handcrafted knife will be sold together with a proper certificate. This is not the "guarantee certificate" that often accompanies mass produced knives. A proper certificate MUST provide the address, phone number and name of the cutlery maker.

Hand Crafted (Artisan) or Mass Produced?

Like most fine works of art, a hand crafted Laguiole knife is special. The quality and price reflects the artist. Most mass-produced Laguiole knives are relatively inexpensive, are readily available and offered in popular retail outlets.

The Gilles® Difference

We are well known for being the finest handmade knives makers in France. All of our knives are made in our workshop in Thiers. Our knives are sold throughout Europe and the United States. Our knives are not sold through mass merchandisers, discounters or large outlets but by specialty shops and through our web site.
Our approach to cutlery crafting is unique. Where most produce many different lines, our commitment is to make only the best.
We have a team of 9 skilled workers and apprentices. Gilles Steinberg, owner and master craftsman, manages the group. We welcome your questions and are always available to answer your queries regarding technical specifications or anything else.

The Details of the Hand Crafted Knife

Most mass-produced knives tout the "bee" as a tribute bestowed by Napoleon. Legend has it that the bee was affixed to the knife as a tribute to Napoleon and the Battle at Waterloo in 1815. That is of course …a legend!
The traditional Laguiole knife is most likely a mix of two knives. One was a local knife called the "Capuchadou" which sported a fixed blade. The other was the "Navaja", a Spanish folding blade knife that was introduced in the region by local workers around 1830. This hybrid creation had its own technical needs, namely a springhead for the folding mechanism.

The most likely explanation for the bee or the fly (as it is also known) is the evolution of the knife's springhead. This came into fashion at the end of World War II. The "fly" (la mouche) is a technical term used by knife manufacturers in Thiers. The "fly" designates the part of the spring that is compressed during the forging of the spring.
The original 1830-1940 Laguiole knives were usually made without any bee or fly.  However, the end of the springhead appeared in the form of a triangle, often with "wings" at each side. There are a variety of handcrafted knives that use the technical fly/bee spring. This denotes a cutler's technical term versus a decoration.

Perhaps the easiest answer is a typical sales/marketing answer
Which would you rather have,a beautiful bee or an annoying fly?

The Shepherd's Cross

The Shepherd's Cross bespeaks of another legend. Many years ago, the Shepherd was reported to pray at the end of each day. He would face his knife into the earth, exposing the cross and would pray. They may have done this but the more likely story is the fact that the cross is the traditional way for the knife maker to sign his work. The artisan would embellish the handle with 6-8 inlays of brass or stainless wire. The most classic technique is done in the shape of the cross. Antique Laguiole knives from the turn of the century were often "naked" and having no inlay.

The Technical Tips of Quality

Today, it is more difficult to truly discern the quality of a knife but the following tips provide a good guide:
1. The knife has a pleasing aesthetic appearance, "weighs" or "balances" in the hand and is comfortable to grip.
2. The blade opens easily and is perpendicular to the spring. (Hold it in front of you and squint upwards along the length --- you should see a straight line.)
3. When the blade closes, it should not knock or catch against the base of the spring. It should also slide easily back into place.
4. The plates covering the sleeve of the knife should be well fitted. Check that there aren't any little spaces between the plates and the bolster corners (the metal edges at the top and tail of the knife).
5. The decorated part of the spring should be well embedded in the crux of the blade so that your finger doesn't catch on it when the blade is open. A decoration should be different on each knife - even if the same design is used - since these small irregularities are a statement to the handcrafting of the knife.
6. The blade should open and close with a smart "click". This demonstrates that the calibration of the mechanism is fine-tuned.
7. There shouldn't be any sideways "shift" in the plane of the blade. A plain-handled knife (without bolsters) will probably show signs of this after it had been used for a period of time.
8. The "fly" or "bee" should form an integral part of a spring which has been "fly forged" and hand chased (technical terms). No welding operation at all.

The Blade

We offer carbon steel, stainless steel or Damascus. Your choice depends on your intent and budget.
For general use, we recommend a stainless 12c27 blade. This is the best stainless steel available. It is superior to the common 440 "surgical" steel. Its main advantage is a stable, clean aspect. It is more difficult to sharpen but will not rust.
For connoisseurs and the true knife user, we recommend the carbon steel blade. This keeps a razor sharp edge and is easy to sharpen. Like all carbon steel, it will rust if not cared for properly. (You should not wash carbon steel. Rather, wipe it with a soft cloth.)
Damascus forged steel is subject to the same observations. Carbon Damascus is hand forged by Francois Morier, master bladesmith who resides in Daillens, Switzerland. These blades are signed by Francois and on the other side, the Gilles® logo.
Stainless Damascus is made with modern techniques (powder steel technology) in Sweden .
Both types of Damascus are truly stunning and for the serious knife collector. The collector who wants the tradition will choose the carbon while the collector who wants it for display or easy care will choose the stainless.

Sharpening the Blade

A quality knife should ALWAYS be regularly sharpened. Watch a professional using cutting or slicing instruments. They routinely sharpen their blades as a matter of course. This can be achieved by using a whetstone or a sharpening steel.
The length of time an edge lasts depends on two processes: the tempering/hardening and the grinding (the application of the fine edge). The tempering is the thermal treatment of the steel. This gives it the qualities of elasticity and durability. The grinding involves folding together a rectangular section of the steel with a perfectly triangular section. The more precise the measurements, the easier the blade is to sharpen. At this stage, a delicate balance is sought between a cutting edge that is strong but too thick to cut properly. If an edge cuts well, it is too fine and is fragile. A fragile edge will snap or corrugate with cutting hard material like bone. A good example is a shaving razor - it is great for the delicate operation of shaving but you would never use it to carve a roast! Nor, would you attempt to shave with a carving knife.
A new knife of good quality is often sharp enough to shave but it will not keep this almost-perfect cutting edge unless sharpened VERY often!

The Handle

We offer a wide variety of handles. Because we do offer tortoise and ivory, we want to assure our customers that our materials are not been illegally procured.
Many believe ivory has been completely banned from trade use. This is NOT true. The trade in ivory is strictly monitored and we work with equally strict guidelines. It is forbidden to import "new" ivory but it is legal to use (under strict conditions) "authorized" stock of ivory imported into France before 1973. This stock of ivory must have been accumulated before the coming into force of the Washington Convention that banned all trade in ivory (CITES)
Our ivory is either taken from our old unused stock dating back to the 1920's, when our company first began making fine cutlery, or from tusks bought at auctions that are compliant with the law.
We hold valid licenses and certificates from the Minister of the Environment allowing us to use this stock. Our customers may want to check our website and have a look at all the authorizations secured from the French authorities ("materials legislation"). Tortoiseshell is also regulated in the same fashion and the same conditions do apply. Moreover, it must be added that French customs authorities review regulations and practices on a regular basis.
We have great respect for the animals that provide us with the material for our handles. We feel that, in a way, we pay them a tribute by crafting handles of beauty. We are the ONLY company that offer on its website proof of compliance to regulations. We also adhere to the rules of the Comurnat (the Confederation of Workers with Natural Resources).

We are proud of our policies and hope to gain the trust of our customers .