Laguiole Le Fidèle: a certificate for your knife
We examine your knife and enter it into the A.I.P.C.L., even if you bought it elsewhere
Videos about this forge
We visit the workshops ourselves and show how the work is done. One click opens the video on YouTube.
You own a knife by Laguiole Le Fidèle but did not buy it at original-laguiole.de? You can still have it entered into the A.I.P.C.L. A genuine knife from this forge stays a genuine knife, whichever counter it crossed.
Who is Laguiole Le Fidèle?
Le Fidèle is a small jewel of the Laguiole craft, where every blade is made with respect for tradition and for nature. Using natural handle materials such as horn, various woods and rare small timbers, together with careful guillochage, the house brings balance, elegance and function together. The spring work is done by hand, the fitting with care, and every knife reflects the commitment of generations. Here the heart of France beats in steel and handle.
What we look at on a knife by Laguiole Le Fidèle
Every forge has its signature. With Laguiole Le Fidèle it is the hand worked spring and the guillochage, together with the natural handle materials this house is known for. That is exactly what allows a knife to be identified, and it is what we examine in your photographs. If a question remains, we go to the forge itself.
A portrait of the forge
In 1991 Isabelle and Yvan Boitel founded their firm in Thiers with a clear idea: respect the tradition, be bold in design and do not negotiate on quality. The name Le Fidèle, the faithful one, is no accident. It stands for reliability in material and workmanship as much as for loyalty to their own design conviction. In 2008 their son Thomas Boitel took over and expanded the international presence without leaving the craft foundation behind.
With about four employees Le Fidèle is one of the smaller houses. That is no drawback, as it allows every single knife to be checked personally. Two things make the signature. The firm's own 20/20 design, in which the shape of the bee, the handle and the proportions follow a distinct concept. And marquetry, an inlay technique in which wood, horn or other materials are fitted so precisely that the joins disappear to the naked eye. The bee here is not a copy of a historic model but a creation in its own right.
The range runs from the classic Laguiole through damascus versions to special editions in rare handle materials, together with hunting knives, steak knives and the Vendetta line. The Le Race series stands for restrained design, the DoDu line for a more playful reading of the classic shape. Because each knife is built individually, delivery times of six to twelve weeks are normal.
More about this forge
How it works
You order the examination. In the original-laguiole.de shop, for 10.00 euros, like a product. Then you upload photographs of your knife in your customer account: open and closed, the bee, the spine, the blade with the forge mark, and if available the receipt or packaging.
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 eurosExamining 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.
The examination is ordered in the original-laguiole.de shop. With the purchase 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)