Fab 40: Nontron Knives, Dordogne

France

Opinel, forgers of the famous French pocket knife and Laguiole, the name behind the distinctive handled knives from the Aveyron, have taken the fine reputation of French knife design around the world. Ever innovating, the brands have remained leaders in knife design since the 19th century.

Nontron, however, is not a name that has travelled. Handmade from local steel and boxwood by one of six artisan knifemakers in the small village of Nontron for 500 years, and branded with a distinctive, burned-in logo, these beautiful knives have remained under the radar. Italian designer Stefania di Petrillo is changing that with a collaborative project that has produced this picnic cultery set. The handles, which come in snakewood, boxwood, ebony, olive, rosewood or juniper, are riveted with magnets that hold the set together when on the move.

20 October 2009 | Design