{"id":11494,"date":"2023-05-25T10:48:52","date_gmt":"2023-05-25T08:48:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laguiole.com\/?page_id=11494"},"modified":"2026-02-27T14:05:05","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T13:05:05","slug":"history-of-laguiole","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/laguiole.com\/en\/history-of-laguiole\/","title":{"rendered":"History of Laguiole"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHistory of the village of Laguiole<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t \t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Laguiole, a village of stone and wind<\/h2>

<\/p>

Perched at an altitude of more than a thousand metres, in the heart of the high plateaus of Aubrac \u2013 which the ancients called Alto Brac<\/em>, the high and humid land \u2013 the village of Laguiole<\/strong> was built in harshness and loyalty to the mountains.<\/p>

Here, nothing has ever been easy. The wind sweeps through the alleys, winter settles in for a long time, and stone dominates the horizon. Yet, from this austerity has emerged a strong, deep-rooted identity. <\/p>

The origins: the small church<\/h2>

\"\"<\/a><\/h2>

The name Laguiole comes from the Occitan “La Gleisola”,<\/strong> meaning the little church<\/em>.
Over the centuries, this modest relief church became the main church in the area. The village formed around her, grouped together, pressed against the winds of the plateau. <\/p>

We pronounce here “La\u00efole”,<\/strong> according to the language of the past.<\/p>

Since the Middle Ages, Laguiole has lived by the rhythm of the seasons:
breeding, fairs, exchanges. The great mountain fairs attracted merchants and peasants. They were reputed to be lively \u2014 to the point that the famous “justice of Laguiole”<\/strong> was evoked, the white alisier (drelhi\u00e8r<\/em>) fairground stick that sometimes settled disputes in an expeditious manner. <\/p>

Land of livestock farming and transhumance<\/h2>

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Laguiole is inseparable from cattle breeding.<\/p>

For centuries, herds of Aubrac cows have been moving up to the summer pastures during transhumance. The burons, built of stone and topped with slates, punctuate the pastures. Cheese was once made there in the solitude of the heights. <\/p>

Even today, Laguiole cheese perpetuates this ancestral cheese tradition, a symbol of a know-how transmitted with consistency.<\/p>

1829: Birth of a knife<\/h2>

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But the history of Laguiole took a decisive turn in the nineteenth century.<\/p>

In 1829<\/strong>, a folding knife appeared in the village for peasants.
It is inspired by the Spanish Navaja<\/strong>, brought back by seasonal workers who went to work in Catalonia, and the local knife, the Capouchadou<\/strong>.<\/p>

From this encounter was born a slender and slender silhouette.<\/p>

Little by little, the Laguiole knife became the emblem of the village.
Its chiseled spring, often decorated with a bee, symbolizes precision and quality of work. The cutlery craft developed, workshops were set up, and Laguiole acquired a reputation that went far beyond the borders of the plateau. <\/p>

The Bougnats: exile and success<\/h2>

<\/p>

Like many mountain villages in the nineteenth century, Laguiole experienced a rural exodus.
Many of its inhabitants left for Paris. They are called bougnats<\/strong>. <\/p>

They often start by selling coal, then open cafes and breweries. Some famous Parisian houses \u2014 such as Lipp or the Caf\u00e9 de Flore \u2014 still bear the imprint of these Auvergnats who moved to the capital. <\/p>

But even away from the stage, they remain attached to their native land.
They founded friendship groups, returned to the festivals, and passed on the memory of the country.<\/p>

A village true to itself<\/h2>

\"Village<\/h2>

Today, Laguiole remains a stone village, set in the immensity of the Aubrac.
The wind still blows with the same force. The seasons still dictate the rhythm of life there. <\/p>

Between breeding, cheese and cutlery, Laguiole has managed to preserve what makes up its soul:
the rigor of the work, the respect of the gesture, the attachment to the land.<\/p>

More than a name engraved on a blade, Laguiole is a place of origin.
A village that, for centuries, has stood upright against the wind \u2014 anchored in the mountains, faithful to its history.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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History of the Laguiole knife: Pierre-Jean Calmels and the birth of French know-how<\/h1>

The Laguiole knife<\/strong> was born at the beginning of the nineteenth century in the village of Laguiole, on the Aubrac plateau.
Its invention is attributed to Pierre-Jean Calmels<\/strong>, creator of the forced notch<\/strong> mechanism, which has become the technical signature of Laguiole.<\/p>

Since 1829, this folding knife has embodied French cutlery know-how<\/strong>, artisanal innovation and family transmission.<\/p>

1827-1829: the creation of the Laguiole knife<\/h2>

Between 1827 and 1828<\/strong>, Pierre-Jean Calmels (born in 1813) worked in the family inn in Laguiole.<\/p>

A customer shows him a Spanish knife, the Navaja<\/strong>.
Seduced by its folding principle, he imagined a version adapted to the needs of the farmers of Aubrac.<\/p>

With the help of his uncle Belmon<\/strong>, a locksmith, he developed a new mechanism.<\/p>

\u27a1\ufe0f In 1829, the Laguiole knife with a forced notch was born.<\/strong><\/p>

At only 16 years old, Pierre-Jean Calmels became a cutler and founded what would become a real dynasty.<\/p>

Targeted keyword: invention of the Laguiole knife<\/strong><\/p>

The forced notch mechanism: the technical signature of the Laguiole<\/h2>

The Laguiole belongs to the family of folding knives<\/strong>.<\/p>

From the “fly” system to the forced notch<\/h3>

The first models sometimes used a so-called “fly”<\/strong> system, probably inspired by the Catalan navajas.<\/p>

The “fly” referred to a small mechanical part that facilitated closing.<\/p>

This system was quickly replaced by the forced notch<\/strong>, a major innovation:<\/p>