French gastronomy would not really be the same without the know-how of the cutlery makers from Thiers. Come with us on a guided tour of Thiers, world cutlery-making capital.
Located in Auvergne, in central France, Thiers is often overshadowed by famous names such as Paris, Nice, Marseille or Bordeaux. Yet it has a special place in the heart of the greatest starred chefs, for this lovely town is synonymous with cutlery making. As ‘homeland’ of cutlery making, Thiers provides up to 80% of all kitchen knives and common pocket knives, born of the highly sought-after ‘Made in France’ know-how.
« What is so special about this illustrious cutlery making location ? What about its recent and early history ? We cannot be proud of our beautiful country, France, without placing such a very special town as Thiers in the spotlight.’

Thiers, a brief history.
Thiers is located in the Puy-de-Dôme department, in Auvergne, at the heart of France. Although its origins date back to Roman times, the town didn’t acquire any of its various claims to fame before the Middle Ages.
In the early 10th century, people settled in the region, building a town square and a castle, a church and other essential components of a ‘medieval’ town. Hundreds of years later, Thiers still boasts these centuries-old religious monuments as well as a typical, medieval atmosphere, which attract tourists every year.

Forging a new identity
Let us be blunt : Thiers is not exactly famous for its elaborate architecture, its sprawling fortresses or its awe-inspiring cathedrals, unlike so many other French towns. Architecture amateurs can usually be found outside Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe or the Louvre. Instead, Thiers’ history became intimately linked to Auvergne smithies and to the art of cutlery making
All through the French Revolution and even beyond, Thiers literally forged its personality and a distinct temperament, growing famous in France for reasons that only a chef can truly appreciate. Today, the Michelin Guide keeps on listing its best recommendations for holiday-makers who visit Thiers. Among the ‘Top 19 things to see in Thiers’ in 2018 were the Factory Valley, the Museum of Cutlery-Making and much more.

The Knife Museum in Thiers
Auvergne truly deserves to be known as one of the regions of the world where you can find the best knives… After so many years spent under the know-how of master cutlery-makers, the city of Thiers has earned its renown. Revisit the city’s history along the riverside, accompanied by the sound of Auvergne smithies at the Cutlery-Making Museum.
During the tour, immerse yourself in the customs of master blacksmiths, of the families who worked to give French cutlery-making an international fame. You will find an interesting cultural history gallery, which explains how workers lived and organized within trade unions and professional associations such as the Thiers Knife Brotherhood. You will also see a real-size grindstone bench as well as a detailed model of one of the first water factories.
Enjoy this tour with other fine blades amateurs, young and old !

The Thiers region is proud of its gastronomy.
For more than seven centuries, Thiers was the undisputed leader in the field of French cutlery, improving everything, from the basic scout pocket knife to the best-quality professional chef’s knives of today. But the region’s craftsmen did not appear overnight, rather, they have been honing their skills for generations.
Here are some of the most intriguing aspects of the part Thier’s plays in some of the world’s most renowned cutlery products.

A short word about French knives
Historians date the beginning of Thiers’ fascination with blades around 1300 AD.
For centuries afterwards, water-powered mills located on the banks of the Durolle provided the energy needed for the smithies.
The popularity of the Thiers pen-knife is attributed to the latter part of the reign of Louis the 14th, when men began to behave like ‘gentlemen’.
Industrialisation reached the region as early as the 19th century, allowing small shops to thrive and ship their goods all around the world in large quantities.
Nowadays, street names in Thiers pay tribute to the cutlery-making history of the town, such as Cutlery Street, Factory street etc. And even if many independent smithies have now closed down, the town forever bears the mark of their hammer strokes, and on building façades, the names of the cutlery-makers who worked for the fame of Thiers endure.
Le couteau de Thiers est chargé de toute cette histoire, celle de la ville et des habitants qui ont oeuvré à son succès.

Discover the ‘Le Thiers’ knife, which proudly bears the name of its city, the French capital of cutlery-making. Born of a long line of passionate cutlery-makers, this range of fine blades will delight amateurs of traditional knives with a modern twist.
With clean but never boring lines, the ‘Le Thiers’ collection offers a wide selection of handles made of tough and long-lasting materials. With the ‘Le Thiers’ handle, you no longer need to choose between beauty, practicality or toughness : these knives simply have it all.
Made following tradition, ‘Le Thiers’ is a very-high quality knife which, just like every other knife made in our workshops, is guaranteed for life and comes with its certificate of authenticity.
In order to keep your handle shiny and your clasp in perfect condition, we recommend using  Le Thiers sheaths to store away your knife.