laguiole
laguiole laguiole laguiole laguiole laguiole
Shop
le laguiole
laguiole
The FORGE DE LAGUIOLE was founded in 1987. The founding of the associatin "LE COUTEAU
DE LAGUIOLE" was its predecessor, called into being by a group of knife manufacturers. This
group was aiming at the rehabilitation the level of quality the knife once had.
In order to put a clear sign the French architect and
stardesigner Philippe Strack was appointed to design
the new company building. He created an unusual
building having a huge blade on its roof looming 18 m
into the sky. Since then the LAGUIOLES are being fa-
bricated here according to the rules of old and trad-
itional handicraft.
laguiole
When being produced industrially a knife is passed on from one workman to the next. In the
FORGE DE LAGUIOLE each knife manufacturer is responsible for the fabrication of his knife 
from the first step to the final step. Each singular step from forging the steel, working the blades
until giving it the finishing touch is done in the workshops. Each LAGUIOLE is a handmade in-
dividual knife which cannot be confounded.
Throughout the last years the building which is completely covered in aluminium has been en-
largened three times to 2500 qm. Annually the 100 worksmen produce more than 250.000 
knives by manual labour. Most of them are being exported.
Virgilio Munoz Caballero works in his atelier in the FORGE DE
LAGUIOLE. The Spaniard has been honoured as "Meilleur ouvrier de
France" (best craftsman in France). He manufactures a LAGUIOLE to
highest demand. Each of his individual knives is signed with his initials
"VM". Collectors around the world are willing to wait for almost twelve
months in order to receive one of the unmistakable masterpieces in the
art of forging made by his hands.
laguiole
laguiole
The FORGE DE LAGUIOLE was awarded the "PRIZE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION" in Sevilla
1992 for their entire production. This prize has only been awarded to three European companies
for their outstanding and modern achievements.

Every Thursday visitors of the workshop can experience how blade slugs are forged at a temp-
erature of more than 1000 C with a pressure of 300 to and with such a loud bang that the found-
ation of the basalt pedestal is shaking.