The term Laguiole is and its famous bee insignia are often copied and abused....

Just like “champagne” can only be from Champagne in France, a true Laguiole is handcrafted in or very close to the village of Laguiole in the Aveyronnas region in the South of France. This area is one of France's most rural, and well known for its cattle. Craftsmen have made famous knives there for centuries. The farmhands were known to use cow horns for knife handles, and a true carving art ensued. Within the village, there are a few true craftsman companies, among which Aubrac, Sabot and David are among the best known names. When you get to know the knives, you will recognize the hand forged springs, where the bee or fly is forged in one piece into the spring, you will recognize the fine “guilloche” or scroll work on the metal between the left and right handle, made of the most beautiful materials. You will no longer be fooled by knock-offs. The next-door village of Thiers, France’s capital of cutlery, is also known for its Laguiole knives, although its cutlery is more industrially made and less authentic as the ones from the original village of Laguiole. For more on Laguiole visit the History page in this site History of Laguiole