The Baguette.

The ‘baguette’ shape belongs, historically, to the continental school of decorative functionality (in German: ‘Sachlichkeit’). It appeared in France in the mid-19th century and was specially designed for the brasseries and bistros of Paris. Ordinary restaurants then began to show interest in functional cutlery of this type with smooth lines and finish – meaning that it was easy to wash up – but without the relatively expensive decorative element. The ‘baguette’ rapidly became popular in other countries outside France. You can always tell the knives, first, by the separate ‘hollow handles’ we’ve already described and second, by the characteristic ‘collar’ that marks the end of the blade and the beginning of the handle. The historic origins of the knives can be readily detected in their beautifully smooth blades, and that of the forks and spoons in their slim handle-ends and twin hallmarks. Made of 18/10 stainless steel.

French Restaurant Cutlery.

The Alsace firm of Chambly make this cutlery – in a timeless design of classic simplicity – for superior restaurant use. Alsace is – together with Burgundy – the main centre for cutlery manufacture in France. Chambly started there in 1894, originally as a silversmiths’ firm, and has remained in Alsace ever since.

Good Cutlery and Quality Engineering.

There’s cutlery and cutlery – just knives, forks and spoons, or – and this is what we offer – minor masterpieces of engineering. For example: a nice feeling of balance is always important. Another example: knife-blades - these should be slightly pliant, never rigid. Knives themselves should never be made of one piece (monoblock) but always of two parts, handle and blade. Plus, a good knife is never heavy, which can only be achieved with a ‘hollow-handled’ knife, in which the rear end of the blade is carefully fitted into a handle made of two separate parts, upper and lower.