Monter son couteau à Thiers

Feel like a cutler at a knife manufacturer

Having just arrived in the territory to join the editorial staff of La Gazette de Thiers, I am going to test for you the different tourist and summer experiences, in Livradois-Forez. This week, I continue my journey with the assembly of my own knife, à la Robert David cutlery which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

And if I may say so, a professionally mounted knife. It's not that simple believe me. For the workshop to go as well as possible, I needed Dylan, my mentor during these two hours.

Each step is important for the future

First of all, and like in all manual work, I started by putting on my apron. Once this first step is finished, I approach my work plan with a little apprehension. It must be said that apart from changing a light bulb or driving a nail, manual work is not my forte. I start, and anyway, there is a first time for everything. Three other women, new to cutlery, take part in the workshop. Dylan quickly explains the usefulness of the pieces in front of us and how the session will unfold.

In front of us are distributed the two plates which will form the knife, the spring with which we will succeed in opening and closing it, but also the two slices of olive wood which will dress it. There is also the blade, which is not sharpened yet.

It's all about the accuracy with the knife

I try to do as I am told, concentrating as much as possible. After the theory comes the practice. I take my first slice of olive tree and put it against a turntable. Once placed against, we face the milling machine to drill the wood. With pliers, we hold the wood firmly against the plate. A conscientious exercise that requires a certain manual dexterity. My first instinct is to operate the milling machine with my left hand, which is very impractical because the lever is in front of my right hand. At first I try to act as if nothing had happened but my clumsiness is quickly noticed. Once you get the hang of it, it's almost, and I mean almost, child's play.

When our two wooden plates are drilled, the first stage begins. After two, three blows of the hammer in the wind, I more or less manage to take the hand, and the iron wire is positioned correctly in the knife in assembly. Dylan regularly helps me with the hammer. I think he noticed that I was not very manual, I see him sketch a small smile.

The assembly of the knife accessible to all

When the iron wire has to be cut, it turns out to be too hard. Luckily Dylan comes to the rescue. Once the wire is held between the plates and the spring, it is cut with pliers. I try to manage, although it would take the strength of both my arms to be able to cut it.

After a few minutes of fierce struggle against this thick wire, Dylan comes to finish cutting it. A repetitive action since it is necessary to reproduce the operation for the three holes of the knife. Once the wire is inside, we must ensure that it is no longer too visible and we file it. This facilitates the smooth closing of the knife. This superb knife mounted there remains in particular some essential steps that only Dylan can carry out.

During the 45 minutes where he takes care of the shaping, polishing, sharpening and engraving, he unrolls a film that allows us to understand the stages of assembly, which he did not necessarily take the time to 'explain. These steps are not performed by the public, it would take too long and it can be dangerous. It is a job that requires more technique and which turns out to be even more meticulous.

When Dylan comes back with my very own knife, this light olive wood dresses him very well and here I am extremely proud to shake him in all directions.

This experience is very instructive and every detail taken into account by Dylan shows the know-how of French cutlery and particularly from Thiers.

Lucile Brière for La Gazette de Thiers and d'Ambert