The process starts from a coil of steel that it will be unroll and cut.

What are the making steps to create a forged knife?

 

Each section will then be heated until it melts and then passed through a press to obtain the final shape of the knife or cutlery piece, the raw forge, made in one piece.

This forged part will then be cut. This step will determine in particular the shape of the blade and will specify the contours of the handle.

On some of our models, the bars are also upset. This step consists of forming a ball by hot pressing on the steel section. Once forged, this ball will form the bolster or the base of the handle.

The blade is then tempered (heated to a very high temperature then cooled rapidly), in order to improve the quality of the steel and increase its hardness.

Among the major manufacturing steps applied to the blade then comes the grinding, which consists in thinning the blade to create the cutting edge of the knife, then the polishing, to give it its final appearance and the sharpening to finalize the edge. All these steps are essential to guarantee a high-performance and everlasting cutting quality.

In parallel (and especially before the blade cuts too much!) we do the work of the handle. Preparation of the inserts (material of the handle), adjustment, assembly then shaping to obtain the final shape.

Once the forge has been completed, our knives are 100% handmade, respecting the traditions of Thiers cutlery.

Handmade knives offer a wide choice in the materials used for the handle (wood, acrylic, or rarer materials such as warthog ivory, mammoth crust, etc.).

Why choose a handmade knife?

 

Goyon-Chazeau also offers you to personalize your knives with rare materials, unique engraving, personalized compositions…

Opting for a handmade knife also means supporting French craftsmanship and Thiers quality…

This ensures that careful attention is paid to each manufacturing step. With nearly 7 centuries of cutlery and more than 70% of national production, the city of Thiers is indeed the capital of French cutlery, and has unparalleled know-how in the field.

To learn more about forged knives, read our article “What is a forged knife?”