Maintain your knife Laguiole

A genuine Laguiole knife of ancestral tradition must be the everyday companion. It benefits from a total guarantee within the framework of normal use.
In general, after use, only clean the blade with a slightly damp cloth or sponge. Then wipe and store your Laguiole knife. If necessary, use a washing-up liquid.
Clean the handle only if it has been soiled. Proceed in the same way as for the blade.
We do not recommend these uses: cleaning under the tap, soaking in water, putting in the dishwasher, cleaning the blade with an abrasive material, ...
These uses may not be covered by any guarantee because you damage both the material of the natural handle and the opening-closing mechanism for a folding Laguiole.
For horn tip handle, horn handle, bones handle and rare materials: be careful. Avoid getting your handle wet.
For handle made with wood, you can feed it to give it a shinier patina. Rub the handle with a soft cloth of linseed oil.

Sharpening pocket knives or small kitchen knives

When sharpening you need to anchor either the stone or the tool. For small knives the stone itself must be anchored, for big knives, the knife must be anchored, but we will talk more about them later. The anchored part enables you to maintain the correct angle against the knife edge.
What angle to use? We recommend a 25% angle. This will give the best edge. A smaller angle of 15% will weaken the edge.
How to get a 25% angle? It’s easy. See the picture below. First put the knife perpendicular to the stone. This is a 90% angle. Now divide this angle by half and again by half; you now have a sharpening angle of about 25%.
Let’s talk about the sharpening process. The stone is anchored and moistened, the angle is perfect and you just need to push the blade up and down, keeping the same pressure against the stone and the same angle without lifting the blade.
First you sharpen the straight part of your blade using the edge of the stone to guide you. Then, with a circular motion , sharpen the round part of the blade, always using even pressure and keeping the same angle. After sharpening one side of the blade, repeat the same stroke on the other side. How long this will take depends on the state of the blade and the quality of the metal. A stainless steel blade or steel 440 will need more time than a carbon steel blade. By touching you can feel if your blade is truly sharp.

Storage of your Laguiole and maintenance of the bolsters

We advise against storing your Laguiole in contact with keys, coins, other knives ... We do not recommend storing your Laguiole in a pocket or drawer because you will damage the handle and metal parts.
If you do not use your Laguiole for a few months, separate your Laguiole from its leather case (leather tanning can oxidise the brass). To make your brass bolsters shine again, use Ouator or Mirror on a cloth with elbow grease!

Maintenance of your Laguiole mechanism

A folding Laguiole has a mechanism. If it becomes difficult to open and close the blade, lubricate the mechanism, like a car engine (you will avoid premature wear of the mechanism). Use a type 3 in 1 oil or WD 40. Insert a drop of oil with the blade closed between the blade and the spring at the blade axis. Open and close the blade and wipe off the excess.

Repair my Laguiole knife

Any Laguiole knife can be repaired, even very old ones.
Change a worn blade, a tired spring, a rib (one side of the handle), ...
But beware, sometimes the repair costs more than buying a new one !
Do not hesitate to contact us if you want your knife to be repaired