Nontron and her knives
Nontron is a lovely town, situated in the heart of the ‘Parc Naturel Perigord-Limousin’ and walled in by elegant façades on the hills of the valley of Bandiat. Next to her charm which makes it a pleasant place for tourists, Nontron is also praised because of its knives. The small city has specialized itself in the fabrication of knives and thereby possesses a very productive craft.
- A tradition since many centuries
The craft of making knives has been without a doubt already practiced in Nontron since the middle ages. The tradition of forging the blade originates from the forges of the knife fabricators of Nontron, just like the sword of King Charles the VIIth. Although there have been traces found of folding knives from the 15th century, it is only until the year 1653 by the installation of de master knife maker of Nontron that the first lockable knife has its origin.
The technique of fabricating the knife with a handle of box tree, marked by the well-known logo that separates knives from Nontron with others, has been changed since the 15th century. The original models remain hand-made, with a blade forged into place and a handle of wood, trimmed from the forests of the region and pyrographed with the logo.
The exact origin of the fabrication of the Nontron knife is unknown. It is supposed that the choice of Nontron to manufacture knives started because of the suitable surroundings that contained the elements (minerals, water and forest), needed for this specific craft.
- The celebration of the Nontron knife
Every year, in the first weekend of august, the celebration of the Nontron knife honors the product that by now is internationally known and it unites enthusiasts and craftsmen coming from all over Europe.
- Visiting the knife factories
The knife factory in Nontron (Rue Carnot 33) is the most pronoun knife factory of Nontron. In the boutique – museum it is possible to, accompanied by a specialist, see all the steps involved by the knife fabrication.
However, the Nontron knife factory is not the only knife factory in Nontron. You can also find the knife factory of Le Périgord in the centre of Nontron (place Alfred Agard). A little smaller though, but with also very nice products and a boutique in Brantôme.
