Our history

ARBALETE GENES DAVID SINCE 1810

M. G. David has taken up the torch of the brand in his workshop in Granetias where he developed new creations from the oldest manufacture of cutlery in Thiers.

G. David is the creator of the society in 1922. Nowadays, the firm has taken his name, however, in 1930, G. David has started a relation with the Laguiole knife by creating the Aveyronnais design (without the bee). Then in 1950, Genes David played an important role in the boom of the laguiole knife, because he was in collaboration with the descendant of the Laguiole knife creator.

His two sons joined him, however, in 1960 Jean-Louis relaunched manufacturing subcontracting of the Laguiole Knife Model, which represented 50% of the turnover.

The whole process of fabrication was made on site, from the cutting of raw materials to the conditioning.

David is now a benchmark

FROM ELEGANCE TO QUALITY

Arbalete G. David raised the challenge by  producing the integrality of his production in France

TRADITION VS INNOVATION

Arbalete G. David, a topscale production respecting the whole tradition. 

Even if tools have changed over the centuries, it is the same gesture which is reproduced by our team signed by Arbalete G. David.

In our workshop in Thiers everyone surpasses themselves in order to obtain excellence as the status of a master cutler, designer and manufacturer.

From the shape of the blade, the quench, the hand polishing and assembling part. The whole process of fabrication is respected in order to produce the entire product in our factory. Producing a knife with 3 pieces (blade, corkscrew, punch) counts on average 200 different steps.

The pressing and the shaping of the corn are realized by the master hunter with the aim of obtaining a perfect handle from living matter. 

Arbalete G. David a traditional and innovative brand :

As part of the tradition of excellence of Arbalete G. David, the new generation continues its legend. With centuries-old know-how, the artisanal manufacturer Arbalète G.David has now acquired its letters of nobility in the world of cutlery. Its business philosophy allows it to be among the elite. 

Arbalete G. David intends to carry the banner of his prestigious past high and far to engage further in modernity.

We invite you to discover our universe of authentic pleasure far from counterfeits and imports from all sources. 

KNIFE HISTORY

The knife is one of the first tools created by man to accompany him in his daily life as a weapon or to slice. It has never ceased to evolve according to uses made of it and its users : peasant knife, princess knife, unique art object or kitchen utensil for the housewife, professional instrument etc. 

Built on the sides of the ravines where the Durolle Flows, between the plains of the Limage and the DOmes mountains, Thiers has established itself over the centuries as the capital of French cutlery. In addition to the Thiers model, many traditional regional knives are made here, including the famous Laguiole (since the 19th century).

The Arbalete G. David knife is artisanal because all the assembly and adjustment steps are carried out by one the same craftsman, with manual guillochage on a forged spring and sight adjustment. Thus each piece is unique because it is shaped by the hand of the craftsman.

The Arbalete G. David brand has a wide range of products : Laguiole closing knives, tableware, hunting knives, regional knives, accessories…

The laguiole Knife was created in 1829. It was inspired by two models : the Capuchadou (Aubrac peasant knife with a fixed blade) and the Spanish Navaja (pocket knife from Catalonia).

During the harsh winters, the peasants of Aubrac went to work in Catalonia. Back home, these seasonal workers brought back the famous Navaja with them. 

In 1840 the apparition of the punch. This was regularly used by shepherds to pierce the bellies of cattle. 

In 1880, it was about the addition of the corkscrew. It was very useful for the people of people from Aveyron in Paris.

Thiers being the French town of Cutlery, at the beginning of the 20 th century, craftsmen from Thiers and Laguiole worked together to develop the Laguiole knife. After 1950, the Laguiole is mainly produced in the Thiers basin. Thus, the Laguiole knife will no longer be produced in limited quantities in Laguiole until the end of the 20th century. 

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