Laguiole knives are handmade and therefore, they are quite expensive. So if someone is offering a cheap rate, the knife might not be authentic. But this is not the only parameter to analyze the authenticity of a Laguiole. There are several other methods to check that. We’ll tell them later in this article.
But first, if you need to buy something authentic, you need to find the right dealer. That’s why we have found the one for you i.e. laguiole-french-knives.com. So if you want to buy original knives be sure to visit them. They deal with knives and therefore, apart from Laguiole, you can find many different types of knives at their store.
Making of a Laguiole
It is not a trademark but a public domain. Therefore, anyone can make it. However, he/ she must know how to do it. The original manufacturing process involves 170 manual operations. Thus, it requires amazing craftsmanship. A person should be an expert in the business otherwise, the knife will not offer the same characteristics.
Only the authentic manufacturers, who are aware of the uniqueness of this knife, can make the best knife. Furthermore, the quality of the blade and handle also depends upon the manufacturers.
Abundance of fakers
But there are plenty of fake manufacturers who only use a mold to make similar knives. This is not a problem in the Chinese market, but some French manufacturers also use this trick. Thus, you can find an abundance of such fake Laguiole in the market.
As anyone can use the brand name, they even offer a “certificate of authenticity” with the packaging. And who can ignore it? The packing will also come with the word “authentic” and “traditional” written on it. But that doesn’t make it one. These words are mere words with no value.
Because of these reasons, it becomes often difficult to find the real product. Therefore, you need to know the details of the product that you want. Furthermore, you should also know some details about the craftsmanship. If you are an amateur, there is a high possibility of getting a fake knife.
So if you want to get something real and authentic, you need to pay attention to certain factors. This includes;
1. Serration and blade quality
Laguiole knives are not serrated at all. It means that there should be no tooth, cartels, or saws on the blade and it should be sleek and sharp. Although serrated blades have their benefits but they won’t be the Laguiole anymore. So it is quite clear that if you have a serrated blade, you definitely have a fake product in hand.
The traditional and original blade is a plain edge one and offers razor sharpness. Thus, you will get some clean and smooth cuts every single time. On the other hand, a serrated blade will tear things with rough edges. For example, the cuts will be similar to the ones made with a saw.
So when you use the knife next time, make sure to check the neatness in the cuts. You can slice the meat, if the slices remain smooth and clean, the blade is perfect. However, if the blade tears apart the fibers and slices have a rough appearance, you have a fake knife.
2. Price tag
Everything from beginning to end involves manual work. Therefore, Laguiole is called handmade knives. Furthermore, they are the traditional knives of France so the best craftsmen and manufacturers are also in France. In addition to this, the steel type of blade is also specific and so does the handle.
Therefore, all the factors combine to make the final price of the knife. So if you expect the price to be around 10 Euros, you are wrong. And even if someone is selling it at such a low price, you can analyze the fakeness of the knife.
We have often observed people selling 6 of these knives for 10 Euros. So after knowing the detailed processing of manufacturing the knife and the quality of each and everything. You know it better than this price is not worth it.
Furthermore, the manufacturers use traditional methods and that require rare talent because everyone is not good at that. So the cost of traditional experts is high. Moreover, the finishing methods are also quite expensive and the production level is low.
So when something is produced at a small scale and requires more effort, its price automatically increases many times. 10 Euros cannot even accommodate the raw materials, let alone the expense of craftsmen and finishing.
3. Handle material
Laguiole knives are one of their kind. They have a nice sharp blade and an equally pretty and comfortable handle. Therefore, the handle should also be made from a nice and hefty material just like the other parts. Only then it can meet the requirements of the perfectly traditional Laguiole knife.
Therefore, the manufacturers use one of the best and somewhat expensive materials for making the handle. These materials include pistachio wood, olive wood or juniper wood. Moreover, some craftsmen also use buffalo horns to make the handle look indifferent and pretty.
The most inexpensive wood material that is used to make handles of Laguiole knives is stamina wood. Though it is a real wood built-up, it also has some composite material mix with epoxy resin. Thus, the final epoxy-wood handle is made.
So you now know that the handle of a Laguiole knife cannot be plastic. So if you come across a Laguiole knife with a plastic handle, it is absolutely a fake product. a genuine one won’t be of such a rough and bad quality.
Final words
Everything related to the preparation of Laguiole is done manually i.e. preparing the materials and assembling them together. Therefore, you will see perfection in it. The selection of blade and handle material is done carefully. That is why they look premium. And because of the manual assembling, you won’t find glue in the genuine knife. So with the help of these tips, you can find the authentic knife. Just pay a little more attention to the minute details.
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