A certificate for your knife, wherever you bought it

We check the authenticity and enter your Laguiole into the A.I.P.C.L.

Until now only those who bought their knife at original-laguiole.de could obtain an A.I.P.C.L. certificate. We are leaving that behind. A genuine Laguiole, made by hand in France, remains a genuine Laguiole, whichever counter it crossed.

You send us photographs of your knife and your proof of purchase. We look at both, match the knife to a forge and enter it into the A.I.P.C.L. under its own number. Your knife then has the same page and the same document as every other knife in the register.

What you get from it

You know what you own. More than 80 per cent of the Laguiole knives sold in Europe do not come from France. After our examination you know which side yours is on.
Your knife is in the register. More than 25,000 Laguiole knives are entered in the A.I.P.C.L., each with its own number and its own page.
It counts when reselling. A seller can link to the certificate page. The buyer sees for himself that the knife is genuine instead of having to take it on trust.
Your whole collection in one place. You can have your knives entered one after another, including those from different forges.
The knife stays yours, even later. If it changes hands the certificate travels with it, and both names remain part of its history.

How it works

You register your knife. Right here on aipcl.com, with no sign-up beforehand: name the forge and upload the photographs - open and closed, the bee, the spine, the blade with the forge mark, and if available the receipt or packaging. Then you pay the examination fee; we create your customer account along the way.

We examine it. We compare your knife with what we know from 30 years of trading with French forges, and when in doubt we ask the forge itself.

You get the result. If your knife is genuine it receives its own number, its page on aipcl.com and the certificate as a PDF. If it is not, we tell you that too.

What it costs

10.00 euros

or 15 CARMOS points from original-laguiole.de - what those are is explained there.

Examining and registering one knife costs 10.00 euros.

If the examination shows that your knife does not come from a French forge, we refund the amount, of course. You pay only for a certificate you actually receive.

You order and pay here on aipcl.com, by PayPal or by bank transfer in advance. With the payment you buy the examination, not the certificate; whether we issue it depends on the result of examining your photographs.

Order the examination (10.00 euros)

Frequently asked questions

What does A.I.P.C.L. certification cost?

Examining and registering one knife costs 10.00 euros. That covers the examination of your documents, matching the knife to a forge, the entry under its own number and the certificate as a PDF.

What do you need from me?

Sharp photographs of your knife from both sides, plus one each of the bee, the spring and the blade with any stamping. And your proof of purchase: invoice, order confirmation or bill of sale.

I inherited the knife and have no receipt. Is that still possible?

Yes. A receipt makes identification easier but is not a condition. For an inherited piece, whatever you know about its origin is enough, and above all good photographs. The work on the bee, the spring and the handle says more about a knife than any invoice.

Will I receive a certificate in every case?

No. A certificate is issued only if the knife really does come from a French forge. That is precisely where its value lies: proof that everyone receives is not proof. We tell you our conclusion either way, with reasons.

How long does it take?

Usually a few working days. If a knife turns out to be difficult, an old or rare version for instance, we ask the forge. It can then take longer, and we let you know.

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