Cutlery and knives

Catherine Néron

It’s no surprise that Thiers is considered the knife capital of Europe. French craftsmen have been making knives in the medieval town since at least the 15th century, if not earlier. The Confrerie du Couteau Le Thiers (Brotherhood of the Thiers Knife) is a collective of over 200 family-owned knife workshops in a town of under 12,000 people. Perhaps the only surprise is that it took until 1993 for the Brotherhood to design a knife distinctive to the town, called simply Le Thiers.

For a long time previous, the craftsmen of Thiers had worked instead on Laguiole knives, a distinctive design considered one of France’s most ancient knives, which originated in Laguiole in the Aubrac region. As its popularity spread, the Laguiole knife found a second home among the couteliers of Thiers. 

For nearly 100 years before the Le Thiers design was produced, the Néron family had been making Laguiole knives and many others. In 1957, Jean Néron took over his father’s tools and created his trademarked La Fourmi range of cutlery. The distinctive ant symbol has grown to be a sign of trust, of exceptional quality even in a town dedicated to the craft of knifemaking. In 1996, Jean’s daughter Catherine took over the company and now oversees a team of 19 people passionate about the family promise: a long-lasting cut with every knife they make.

Coutellerie Néron stood out among all workshops of Thiers for their family values, long tradition, and relentless pursuit of quality, as well as their fantastically-wide range of knives. They continue to uphold and build on their long-standing reputation and we’re delighted to be able to bring their expertise to a wider audience through our partnership with them. As well as their Thiers and Laguiole ranges, they also produce a Professional range of the finest quality kitchen knives, truly offering something for everyone.

 Whether you are looking for simple elegance in your table knives or a more eye-catching design, we trust that the ranges we bring to you from the Néron family will have everything you need, and quality that lasts.