Lost In The Folding Knife Capital In Europe

Thiers town (France) is considered the capital of folding knives in Europe. Knife making has appeared here since the 15th century, even earlier.
Lost in the folding knife capital in Europe
Entering one of the knife shops in the town of Thiers (France), Bill Harby (BBC correspondent) seems to be lost in a Swiss watch shop.
There are many different types to choose from, from rare folding knives with mammoth-tooth holders to handmade Damacus steel blades that cost thousands of euros. Hunting knives cost 50-500 euros

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Thiers is considered the capital of folding knives in Europe. Photo: Getty.
Thiers is considered the capital of folding knives in Europe That's why Harby came here.




“I like a hand-crafted knife with a corkscrew. This request helps to limit my hand swing over my forehead, "he said.
Harby says he never leaves home without picking a knife from his collection and putting it in his pocket. He also never misses the chance to use a knife even for simple things like cutting a banana.
Harby didn't miss a chance to use a knife. Photo: Bill Harby.
The symbolic knife of the town
Harby said the small town of Auvergne he has a long history of craftsmanship Based on ancient stone traces found in the Durolle River, knife making may have been around since the 15th century, or even earlier (13th century).




The man himself showing Harby in the shop made a lot of knives himself. His fingers were cracked and blacked.
Domninique Chambriard was a contributor to preserving the town's signature knife design. Photo: Bill Harby.
Wearing a traditional worker's blue tunic, Dominique Chambriard proudly led the BBC to see the iconic knife of the region, Le Thiers. This knife was designed in 1993 by the Thiers Knife Fraternity.
With the aim of creating a unique knife for the town, for a while, 15 local knife makers (including the Chambriad) created a simple and sophisticated design based on the ideas of their seniors. 16th century.




"We set out two priorities: good design but simplicity, and good functionality," says Chambriad.
Nowadays, those priorities are evident on the various variants based on the approved design. These modern folding knives are usually assembled by an artist, mostly by hand, using hammers, steel shears, grinders and electric polishing machines.
Knife making in Thiers appeared in the town around the 15th century or even earlier. Photo: Bill Harby.
Currently, more than 200 agents, family knife factories in the Dao Thiers Fraternity include Coutellerie Robert-David (a long-standing family shop operating under many different names since 1919). This shop sells a variety of knives, including the Le Thiers version, the iconic knife.
Stephane Brossard (grandson of the workshop founder) said customers can order a Le Thiers version and choose the desired material for the hilt, blade and folding blade spring.




“Brossard showed me knife after knife with different shanks and blades. Do I want wooden handles or handles made of animal horn or bone? What about the blade? Will it be polished stainless steel or polished and intricately patterned Damascus steel?
Finally, I chose a hilt made from camel bone in orange-green color and Damascus steel blade. It costs 407 euros in total, ”Harby informed.
The knife artists in Thiers town always make each product by hand. Photo: Bill Harby.
The town's knife craftsmen
Stephane Renard is a knife maker in Thiers with 25 years of age. In 90 minutes, he happily assembled, sharpened, knocked, polished and fine-tuned Harby's cap-opener knife.
It's a classic Le Thiers knife.



However, in this town, not all artisans respectfully lean in front of the standard knife model "monument".
Roland Lannier, from an unrelated knife-making family near Paris, has been a cutlery seller in Thiers since he was 18 years old.
Later, he worked for Perceval, a prestigious workshop in Thiers. Currently, he produces knives under his own brand.
His knives are completely non-traditional Thiers. The beveled knife handle is cut from old vinyl records. The knife is adorned with anything from checkered designs to music album labels.
One of Lannier's most famous knives was named "Why So Serious?" (roughly translated: Why is it serious?), named to commemorate the late movie actor Heath Ledger - who played the role of Joker in the movie Batman: Dark Knight.




Indeed, why should I be serious? In Thiers stores, Harby often sees customers frowning, trying to see which of the hundreds of unique knives will please them the most.
Of course, he was also one of those guests. During his three days here, Harby had paced back and forth so many times, craving for knife after knife. There are so many beautiful knives and people.

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