In 1829, a blacksmith from the village of Laguiole, designed the first Laguiole knife. A few years later he added an Awl or Trocar to the knife in response to the need of local shepherds to treat their livestock. In 1880, the corkscrew was incorporated into the Laguiole knife in response to the increase on the consumption of bottled wine in the big cities and the demand from bar and restaurant owners from Paris. As demand increased, cutlers from the Laguiole region asked Thiers, known as the capital of knife making in France since the 11th century, for help to be able to meet the demand.

The legend goes that the bee, the Napoleonic imperial symbol, was attributed to the citizens of Laguiole by Emperor Napoléon himself as a tribute to their courage shown in the services to the emperor. WWI and WWII, modernization and rural exodus lead to a reduction in Laguiole knives production. At the beginning of the 1980’s a handful of knife makers from the region of Laguiole decided to bring back the tradition and the art of knife-making which made the area of Laguiole so popular a hundred and fifty years before.

Today, the popularity of the Laguiole knife has extended to most parts of the world. Since 2011, Laguiole universe has expended to cookware, tabletops and appliances to allow professional grade products to reach anyone’s kitchen around the world. The Laguiole bee has become the symbol of excellence, creativity and professionalism for kitchen utensils and cookware.