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 Laguiole Related Questions & Answers

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Where are Chateau Laguiole wine openers Manufactured?

Chateau Laguiole corkscrews are manufactured in the south central city of Thiers, France. Thiers has been the cutlery capital of Europe for the last seven centuries. Mr. Vialis from GUY VIALIS CREATION invented the Chateau Laguiole in 1992 and is the patent owner.
 Laguiole is the name of a small village located in south central France. The famous knife of the same name was born there in 1829. Unfortunately the name Laguiole was never registered and is, to this day totally unprotected. Anyone can use this name on anything, therefore one must be very cautious when purchasing a " bargain " Laguiole knife or opener.
 
How do you pronounce "Chateau Laguiole, what is this name anyway?

Written Chateau Laguiole, and pronounced as "SHATO LAYOL". The old pronunciation, in Occitan, was preserved, this is the reason why one says "LAYOL"

Laguiole wine openers have bee manufactured since the early 1990s. Mr. Vialis the creator of the Chateau Laguiole brand was the first to adapt the Laguiole knife design to a waiter style wine opener. Every single models of Laguiole wine opener on the market today are based on the Chateau Laguiole design concept.
Slogans such as "Chateau Laguiole corkscrews are hand-crafted since 1850" are not true and are misleading.

What insect is represented on the spring?

It is the bee, symbol of the Laguiole knives. The local legend says it is Napoleon Bonaparte's imperial seal that was offered to the Laguiole town for token of his gratitude for the men's courage during the battles. The bee is a technical term used by manufacturers to designate the springhead. The Chateau Laguiole's springhead is a bee.

Are Chateau Laguiole corkscrews really hand made?

Yes and no, to be really hand made a piece would need to be forged the old fashion way, machined by hand, and assembled and polished the same way. Every piece (except the handle material) of a Chateau Laguiole are machined with modern tools, but are carefully and individually assembled entirely by hand and must pass very strict criteria before completion. The carefully selected handles are formed and polished entirely by hand. Some of our custom made pieces like the Damascus are entirely forged the old fashion way.

Why would I purchase my Laguiole from you?

Does the seller supply you with a written and signed certificate that assure you that they will replace your wine opener Free if it breaks, CustomCurling will provide you with such certificate.
All genuine Chateau Laguiole wine openers and Laguiole knives we offer carry a lifetime warranty against manufacturer defects and workmanship. The tricky part is to actually try to activate this warranty; re-sellers will most likely not want to help you with this, they are not required to do so. If they do help, you will have to pay all shipping cost to France and back ($30-$50) and wait about a month, and hopefully, get your wine key back...If you purchase your Chateau Laguiole from us we will replace it for you, no questions asked. All we ask for is that you fund the shipping back to you from the US ($5).

How can you tell a real "Chateau Laguiole wine opener from a Fake?

Although the name and design of the Chateau Laguiole are register and patented some unscrupulous manufacturers and retailers (sometime unaware) will offer look alike / fake Chateau Laguiole. They are sold as Laguiole waiter style corkscrews and sometime as Chateau Laguiole wine openers.
The most obvious sign of a Chateau Laguiole wine opener imitation is the price, if you find a brand new Laguiole wine opener that look like a Chateau Laguiole wine opener for a very low price you are most likely looking at a fake.
An other very obvious sign of a fake is the weight, authentic Chateau Laguioles corkscrews can weight up to 4.5 oz, they have massive / solid stainless bolsters and thick body plates. Laguiole wine openers like the ones bellow may only weigh a couple ounces, of course you will not know the actual weight of your opener until you receive it.
Many fake Chateau Laguiole corkscrews (not all) are offer with a wooden box, you must know that the price of a real Chateau Laguiole wine opener never include a wooden box. If it is to good to be true......

The country of origin must be engraved on the small blade. The stamp "Chateau Laguiole®" must be clearly visible on the boot lever.
Chateau Laguiole waiter style corkscrews are offer with a lifetime warranty. Request a complete guarantee allowing you to exchange the product or obtain a full refund.
Do business with people that are able and available to answer all of your questions. Please call us if you have any questions regarding our product or the one from an other retailer, we will gladly help you.

Chateau Laguiole wine openers "look alike" below retail from $29 to $89 on the net.