Laguiole Knives with Corkscrew

Why a Laguiole knife comes with a corkscrew

A corkscrew on a Laguiole is a nod to the men from the knife's home region who headed to Paris around 1880 to wait tables in its cafés, where pulling corks came with the job. Today the knives themselves come from Laguiole en Aubrac, handmade in France, with one blade and one corkscrew that both fold away into the handle. Unfold your Laguiole knife with corkscrew at the dinner table or on the patio and you're keeping up a Paris café habit more than a century old. For the full backstory, read History of the Laguiole Knife.

Grapevine, olive or snakewood: pick your wood handle pocket knife

Every wood handle pocket knife on this page feels warm the moment you pick it up, and the wood you choose sets the whole look of the knife. Grapevine wood comes from old vines, so its twists and knots are pure vineyard, a fitting touch on a knife whose second job is opening wine. Olive wood is hard and close-grained, with honey and amber tones crossed by darker swirls, and the satin finish is soft under your thumb. Snakewood is the head-turner, its spotted pattern brought up to a deep gloss. Wood never grows the same way twice, so the grain on your handle is yours alone.

Classic or double plates: two styles of Laguiole corkscrew knives

Classic first: a slender handle with a gentle curve, the Laguiole as most people picture it, sitting comfortably in the palm. The double-plate version takes things further. Laguiole en Aubrac calls it its most elaborate construction: the handle is wider, and plates chiseled by hand with a file run along it. Both styles of these Laguiole corkscrew knives uncork a bottle and slice a baguette just as well, so it's really about looks. Go classic for a knife you'll use every weekend, or pick the double-plate version if you'd like the knife your friends ask to hold. To compare the two, see Laguiole Double-Plates Knives.

Corkscrew knife questions, answered

How do you open wine with a pocket knife corkscrew?

Start by cutting the foil below the bottle's lip with the tip of the blade, then fold the blade shut. Swing the corkscrew out of the handle, set its point in the center of the cork and turn the knife until only the last curl of the spiral is showing. Grip the handle firmly, hold the bottle steady and ease the cork out with a gentle rocking pull. The same steps work on a synthetic cork. A Laguiole gives you a full handle to hold on to, which makes that final tug feel easy.

What is grapevine wood good for?

Grapevine wood is dense and twisted, with knots all along it, so it's prized for small pieces where character counts, like knife handles. Pitmasters also burn vine cuttings for a light, fruity smoke on grilled meat. Laguiole en Aubrac cuts the handles of some of its corkscrew knives from old vines and gives them a satin finish that keeps every knot and twist in plain view. It's the obvious handle for a knife you'll use to open wine.

What is olive wood?

Olive wood comes from the olive tree, which grows slowly around the Mediterranean. It's hard and close-grained, with warm honey tones broken by darker streaks that swirl differently on every piece, so each handle shows its own pattern. On these Laguiole knives with corkscrew, olive wood takes a satin finish that is smooth to the touch. A gentle hand wash, then a thorough dry, keeps the grain at its best.

Care tips come with every order. Hand-wash the knife, dry it off right away so the wood stays sound, and keep it far from the dishwasher.