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NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 10:13:20 AM

Chip Merlot

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I ate at a very nice French restaurant in Manhattan last week (Rotisserie Georgette -- I highly recommend -- food was great and they had a decent wine list, including a delicious Clerc Milon second-label 2009 Pauillac on the half-bottle list) and they presented us with Laguiole steak knives to use. Not sure I'd ever used them before (was certainly aware of the name) and I was very impressed at their balance, especially because the steak knives that came with our everyday stainless utensils are horribly handle-heavy and constantly fall off plates when you're not very careful when you put them down.

So, I'm just internet searching to maybe buy a set of the Laguioles and I'm perplexed by the spectrum of them out there. You can spend $26 on a set of 8 or well >$100 on a set of 4. Complicating things is this line from the less-expensive product's description: "The word Laguiole is a generic term, not legally restricted to any single company or place of manufacture."

Well then, is Laguiole just the style, like seersucker?

Anyway, more important, any recommendations for where I should get my set, and what I should look for to make sure they're good quality?

Thanks in advance!

Post #: 1

RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 10:16:24 AM

brettlaurvick

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Only familiar with their corkscrews (which are excellent) but have a huge variance in price as well. I know for the corkscrews the handles can me made of horns and different woods which trigger the premium.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 10:30:42 AM

JohnNezlek

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Chip,

I am afraid that you get what you pay for, as is the case with many things.

Moreover, if I understand things properly, Laguiole knives came from a specific place in France. Traditionally, the (or some) French would bring their own knives to dinner, and knives would be handed down for generations, usually from father to son, although mothers and daughters may have been or are now included. I claim to be no expert regarding this topic. I have simply looked into purchasing the knives previously, e.g., when I lived in Belgium (expensive there also).

If you really want the real deal, I would do some more background research. I would avoid someone who is offering Laguiole knives that were not made in Laguiole or nearby. French wine is made in France, not in Mississippi.

Let us know if you find anything.

John

PS Brett: I am with you. I never use the new interface.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 1:17:39 PM

Tanatastic

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How geeky do you want to get about this?

As I recall, the real Laguiole (pronounced lay-ol, if you're interested) are all made by hand, and so no 2 are exactly the same. I say real, because no-one owned the trade mark for many years, I'm not sure they do even now, so caveat emptor, as many knives (and expensive ones at that) on the internet are 'made under license' or some other acronym. I have been stung myself - though in mitigation they are actually quite good, though not made in France.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 1:59:44 PM

Chip Merlot

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Thanks folks, I've been doing a bit more Googling and it appears that "Laguiole is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. It is known for its Laguiole cheese, which has an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, and as the birthplace of the Laguiole knife."

Further, pretty much any knife company you can think of makes a Laguiole knife and several of them make them with different features, e.g., different types of wood handles, ivory handles, that determine the price, along with whether they are made in Laguiole or China or somewhere else.

So I guess I understand the lay of the land better, wondering if anyone has any strong recommendations. I'm not looking to spend over $100 for 6 or 8, probably.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 2:09:45 PM

JohnNezlek

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Chip,

I don't think you can get the real for 6/8 for $100. You might be able to buy a reasonable knife (maybe), but not a Laguiole.

https://www.knivesandtools.com/en/ct/laguiole-knives-the-honest-truth.htm

John

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 2:19:50 PM

wineismylife

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More than you want to spend but I trust this guy implicitly. I've bought a lot from him over the years.

Gourmet Delights - Jean Dubost Laguiole Knife Set

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 3:33:31 PM

Chip Merlot

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quote:

I don't think you can get the real for 6/8 for $100. You might be able to buy a reasonable knife (maybe), but not a Laguiole.

https://www.knivesandtools.com/en/ct/laguiole-knives-the-honest-truth.htm

John

Very interesting article, thanks!

(in reply to wineismylife)

Post #: 8

RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 3:35:00 PM

Chip Merlot

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quote:

More than you want to spend but I trust this guy implicitly. I've bought a lot from him over the years.

Gourmet Delights - Jean Dubost Laguiole Knife Set

Thanks -- I've seen the Dubost brand on a couple of sites, including Williams-Sonoma. They're based in France, at least....

(in reply to Chip Merlot)

Post #: 9

RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 4:29:27 PM

KPB

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No idea about the rules for the name, but when buying them, I would go for the olive wood handles. Really nice looking, great balance... and they hold an edge forever. Avoid the plastic handles. Laguiole does a cheap version with a black plastic handle for selling in supermarkets and they just don’t look or feel right.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 5:04:39 PM

Poppacork

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I don’t know about the knives, but I have a Laguiole en Aubrac corkscrew that I really enjoy for the shape, feel, finish, and craftsmanship.

It doesn’t work any better than the $20 Le Cruset branded waiters corkscrew though.

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Post #: 11

RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 5:32:06 PM

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From: Wandering between Coastal SC and South FL
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quote:

ORIGINAL: JohnNezlek

Chip,

I am afraid that you get what you pay for, as is the case with many things.

Moreover, if I understand things properly, Laguiole knives came from a specific place in France. Traditionally, the (or some) French would bring their own knives to dinner, and knives would be handed down for generations, usually from father to son, although mothers and daughters may have been or are now included. I claim to be no expert regarding this topic. I have simply looked into purchasing the knives previously, e.g., when I lived in Belgium (expensive there also).

If you really want the real deal, I would do some more background research. I would avoid someone who is offering Laguiole knives that were not made in Laguiole or nearby. French wine is made in France, not in Mississippi.

THIS
There is a reason why "Laguiole" knives come in a variety of price levels.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 6:32:33 PM

Ibetian

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Poppacork

I don’t know about the knives, but I have a Laguiole en Aubrac corkscrew that I really enjoy for the shape, feel, finish, and craftsmanship.

It doesn’t work any better than the $20 Le Cruset branded waiters corkscrew though.

+1

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/30/2019 8:53:39 PM

fingers

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I nominate this for Thread of the Day due to Chip’s use of the word seersucker.

Plus, we get some good advice.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/31/2019 5:50:37 AM

AngryPrez

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Drop.com (formerly Massdrop.com) has laguiole knives on a fairly regular basis, with good pricing - none are active right now, but sign up and you'll see one eventually.

https://drop.com/search/laguiole/drops

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/31/2019 12:14:59 PM

ericindc

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Looked at the American importer of Forge de Laguiole and they spendy. About $800 for 6 knives

https://www.forge-de-laguiole-usa.com/products/laguiole-steak-knives-black-horn-stainless-steel-bolster

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/31/2019 1:24:34 PM

Chip Merlot

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Hmm, $133 per knife might be a bit tough to chew.

Had to to run to a store this afternoon and next to it was a Home Goods, so I decided to try my luck there. I found a 6-knife set in stainless, along with a wooden block to store them in for ... wait for it ... $16.99! Nice deal! Stamped Thiers, France, so you know they have to be legit.

Is there anything sold at Home Goods that isn't counterfeit or crap? Or in this case, both crap and counterfeit. The knife blades felt like they would snap the first time they encountered a little cartilage. the wooden block was either balsa wood or some kind of extremely light and flimsy pine.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/31/2019 1:32:59 PM

AngryPrez

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I picked up two of the corkscrews on MassDrop, with Juniper handles - $117 delivered - versus $239 on that website.

Also bought a set of Wusthoff steak knives on sale somewhere else, and the week after they arrived MassDrop has a set of the Laguioles on sale, which I would have preferred.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 7/31/2019 2:17:42 PM

wadcorp

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Chip Merlot

The knife blades felt like they would snap the first time they encountered a little cartilage. the wooden block was either balsa wood or some kind of extremely light and flimsy pine.

Sounds like a photo-prop set.

.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 8/3/2019 8:22:19 AM

avalonandl

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I always buy the made in France ones from Amazon......

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 8/3/2019 11:10:40 AM

KPB

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From: Ithaca, New York
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Chip Merlot

Hmm, $133 per knife might be a bit tough to chew.

Had to to run to a store this afternoon and next to it was a Home Goods, so I decided to try my luck there. I found a 6-knife set in stainless, along with a wooden block to store them in for ... wait for it ... $16.99! Nice deal! Stamped Thiers, France, so you know they have to be legit. Is there anything sold at Home Goods that isn't counterfeit or crap? Or in this case, both crap and counterfeit. The knife blades felt like they would snap the first time they encountered a little cartilage. the wooden block was either balsa wood or some kind of extremely light and flimsy pine.

They actually have a legitimate set of less expensive options with a kind of black plastic handle -- strong but it looks a bit cheap and it feels light -- and that still have the classic stainless steel blade. My wife bought a set of those at a local remainders sale for our place at the lake, where they fit right in. But in town I would want the olive wood handles, if I was going for Laguiole.

In a city like Chamonix you see stores more or less dedicated to Laguiole that are happy to ship. My suggestion would be to look at the online sites for Laguiole itself and then for those stores, and just buy direct from France. Or look for used/remainder sets like what my wife found. I think she paid $6 for the set ($1 each...)

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 8/3/2019 11:12:21 AM

KPB

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To simplify this for you: https://www.laguiolevillage.com/en/ is one such store, and this is their English-language web page.

And here is a search on eBay Laguiole Steak Knife Set. The sets from the manufacturer are much fancier, mostly, but cost about $500 for a set of six. The ones on eBay are the cheaper models, but seem authentic, and a set of six runs more like $12-$25...

My wife found ones similar to these, but with black handles (these look nicer to me): six steak knives, wood handles]
Set of six of those is $25...

I doubt that anyone would bother to fake a set of knives to sell them for $25. But plenty of people are selling off mom's kitchen stuff because mom is downsizing...

< Message edited by KPB -- 8/3/2019 11:21:35 AM >

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 8/3/2019 2:37:20 PM

grizzlymarmot

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We picked up a Laguiole cheese knife by Arbalete G. David. This is certainly an authentic coutelier.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 8/3/2019 7:03:58 PM

jmcmchi

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Difficult to generalize

Their corkscrews and chhese knives appear to come at the heavy end of the spectrum, the steal knives (from those we have, at least) at the lighter end. I wouldn't try using them with a queen/king size prime rib

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 8/4/2019 5:03:01 AM

Tanatastic

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quote:

ORIGINAL: avalonandl

I always buy the made in France ones from Amazon......

Whilst on first inspection, this may seem a quite straightforward and foolproof strategy, interestingly, the country of actual produce isn't always stated on Amazon. It's a few years ago now, but after much trawling of the internet, I bought some, not inexpensive, genuine French traditional, olive handled, brass furnished, heavy weight, sharp-as-a-razor Laguiole knives from Amazon, as a Christmas present for my mum and dad. As I recall, they were about £100 for 6 (In those days probably something like $180, rather than the $5 you'd get in exchange these days!).

At the time, I was working away, so I had them posted to my sisters. Upon receipt I asked her to open and check them them. The conversation went something like this:-" Lovely presentation box -gosh, they're heavy. They look lovely. What a nice present.... What does PRC mean?". Sorry, says I, what are you talking about? "Well, they've each got a little acetate sticker on saying PRC."

As I say, caveat emptor. If you really, really, really want genuine Laguiole knives they are 1) incredibly expensive, and 2) best bought from France. Otherwise, ordinary steak knives will do exactly the same job.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 8/4/2019 6:24:54 AM

KPB

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I remain convinced that an online site like eBay where there is active resale of Mom's old Laguiole knives is the way to go here. Today's high prices in France are a kind of new thing, so Mom bought the knives on a trip to Paris decades ago for a sensible $75 at that time, they have held up well because she rarely used them in any case, and now her son is asking $25. And they were made in France. Stainless steel is stainless steel, so it won't be rusted or anything. You can see from the eBay photos if the handles are in good shape.

But if not that, or if you can afford $500 and don't want to risk them looking very used, I think the authentic ones in the classy end of the range are CERTAIN to be of high quality. I own quite a few of those... as mentioned, my favorites all are in olive wood.

< Message edited by KPB -- 8/4/2019 6:25:22 AM >

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 8/4/2019 9:30:38 AM

SteveG

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NOT an expert, but an owner...

My understanding is that Laguiole and its "bee" are protected names and symbols of origin...but there is not much else. Somewhere way back when this happened, they missed the opportunity to set standrads of manufacture, quality, performance, whatever, and meanwhile anybody who is actually making their product in the location can use this name and symbol, hence a wide range of quality within any given product.

My introduction was through a very cheap, yellow-plastic-thin-bladed set of knives my wife brought home, total trash and priced like it, but with a noble name and history.

We shopped around (on the internet, but still many years ago), and ended up buying directly from these folks, Goyon-Chazeau (apparently a limited selection is available at Amazon, I haven't compared prices and pictures, however, and we got excellent service from the factory):

Goyon-Chazeau

I don't remember the price, but it was consistent with their current prices. Ours seem to be a model no longer available, hefty and well-balanced at about 3.75 ounces (310 grams) each, with fancy and unique acrilyc inserts in the handles.

Lightweight wood box, engraved insignia, handle:

Close-up of handle design:

Bee:

Full-tang blade, very thick with handle inserts:

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 8/4/2019 9:39:36 AM

Ibetian

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Those are beautiful knives!

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 8/4/2019 10:12:09 AM

oskiwawa

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Steve G, this reminds me of the pictures of your watches that you provided a link to quite a few years ago. Beautiful stuff.

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RE: NWR: Any Laguiole knife experts here? - 8/5/2019 5:56:02 AM

Ricardo

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Those knives are beautiful!

Unfortunately LaGuiole seems to be a French "brand" that hasn't been looked after very well (thinking Pierre Cardin, Camembert etc.), unlike others (ever found a cheap and ugly Hermes tie, anyone?).

The cheap versions seem to be available in French supermarkets and such like, frequently at a knock-down price, but the good ones are very good indeed. As usual, you get what you pay for...

(in reply to oskiwawa)

Post #: 30