Didier & Clément Lascombe

La Coutellerie Le Camarguais

Knife maker

Lola Moser ©Michelangelo Foundation

A sharp family business

The Lascombe family uphold the values of the 'Made in France' label
Their company began in a garage
It can take up to seven hours to make a single knife

Knife making is a story of blood and passion for the Lascombe family. Founded in 1993, La Coutellerie Le Camarguais, located between Nîmes and Pont du Gard, is a family business: Didier’s son Clément is the workshop supervisor, his wife, Christine, manages the shop, and Didier likes to say that he is all over the place. The Camarguais knives owe their name to the South-East region of France where they are made, the Camargue, a famous natural region appreciated for its fauna, and are always made using noble materials such as horn or olive wood. They were originally created by Didier and his wife to complement the outfit of the 'gardian' (the local herdsman) which lacked a small sharp tool specific to that profession.

Interview

Lola Moser ©Michelangelo Foundation

Lola Moser ©Michelangelo Foundation

How did you start making knives?: I am a trained razeteur [a participant in a bull fight] but had to stop after a serious bull gore injury. I moved to Auvergne where I met cutlers who passed on their passion to me. I decided to move back to Camargue and told my wife that we were going to create a knife and call it the Camarguais.
What is special about your knives?: All our knives have a miter decorated with the emblem of the region, namely the Camargue cross, and a Camargue trident which acts as a pump to close the knife and to open it, so it doesn’t close by itself.
What different designs do you have?: Our knives are available in various sizes. For the handles, we use all kinds of materials: wood, horn, but also amazing materials such as mammoth bone or giraffe. We also create them with cockades or Provençal fabrics.
Why is the 'Made in France' label a key commitment for you?: It’s our trademark and we care very much about it. We give a certificate of authenticity with all our knives in order to show that they are a 100 percent French product made in our workshops. I am happy to be an artisan and proud to be an artisan from Gard!

Didier & Clément Lascombe are master artisans: they began their career in 1990 and they started teaching in 2007