Some people make more of an impression than others. Without it always being clear why, they become mentors. In the small world of French and Belgian cutlery, it’s knifemaker Éric Plazen who plays this role. 10 years after his death, he is still a topic of discussion, despite the fact that he never developed a complex mechanism or created an original design.
His credo was simply the pursuit of perfection and simplicity. So it wasn’t his knives that dazzled, but his knowledge of metallurgy and his benevolent personality. At a time when we’re suffering from too much individualism and violence, particularly on social networks, we wanted to dedicate this issue to him, with this simple but metallurgically sophisticated knife on the cover.
Since, like us, he couldn’t stand approximations due to lack of curiosity, we wanted to associate him with an article that really explains the secrets of damascus. On this occasion, we take a look back at Coutellia’s famous competition: the Mondial du Damas.
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Also in this issue:
- In the news, we bring you up to date onchanges in legislation concerning the possession, carrying and transportation of knives, as there have been some unfortunate changes;
- A look back at the cutlery shows of summer 2025, showcasing the very best in French artisan cutlery,
- Introducing a leading brand of kitchen knives, finally offering outstanding value for money: ARCOS. Spain at the top!
- A dazzling return to the knife-throwing world championship for France, with a record number of medals and our world champion author!
- Some models particularly caught our eye: the brand-new Acha from LionSTEEL and the timeless n°7 from StationIX, which we tested for you,
- On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, we invite you to revisit the fabulous history of the Le Thiers® model, developed by the Confrérie du couteau Le Thiers® ;
- Increasingly present on the handles of contemporary knives, we wanted to explore what this high-tech material carbon fiber is and the Lithuanian company that manufactures it, Fatcarbon,
- You’ll also find Paulo Simoës’ indispensable tips and tricks for sharpening your knives when you’re out and about,
- We’d like to take a closer look at a wonderful creative project that brought together cutler Pascale Sabaté and sculptor Serge Raoux,
- Our partner Académie FX’s section on collector’s knives focuses here on knives for travel, picnics and mobility,
- As in every issue, we invite you to meet some particularly interesting cutlery craftsmen such as Daniel-Ange Marlot, Clément Boucheron and Éric Raoult. We’d also like to introduce you to three young Thiers cutlers who had the bright idea of joining forces while retaining their individuality: Tim Bernard, Pierre Thomas and Benjamin Laraud,
- And last but not least: can you tell the difference between a limonadier and a sommelier? Our rendez-vous d’histoire takes a closer look.
