About me
Laurent Chabut, master cutler
I was born and brought up in a small village in the Cantal. From a very young age, I became familiar with manual work by watching my father, who was himself a craftsman, work with metal. I have always cherished the memory of those moments spent watching him at work. Without realising it at the time, this close connection with the material and with craftsmanship would prove significant many years later.
It was also in this village that I met my future wife, who is originally from the Tarn. In 1990, we moved to Castres, and then, a few years later, to Saint-Gauzens, between Graulhet and Lavaur. It is in this region that we have chosen to live and build our life.
For nearly thirty years, I worked as a project manager in the construction industry, mainly in the finishing works sector. This role took me along many of the roads of the South-West and led me to work with numerous professionals. It was an experience rich in encounters, which taught me rigour, a commitment to a job well done, and the importance of honouring one’s commitments.
Then a health issue forced me to rethink my career plans. That period led me to reflect on what I really wanted to do next. I wanted to find a more hands-on job, to work with my hands and, above all, to create something.
The decision to take up cutlery-making came quite naturally. The metalwork I’d learnt from my father, my love of working with my hands and my desire to create useful objects all came together in the end.
To learn the trade in the best possible conditions, I undertook a training course at the CFAI in Thiers, the European capital of cutlery. This course enabled me not only to acquire the fundamentals and techniques essential to the cutler’s trade, but also to gain a better understanding of the precision required to make a knife.
I am currently a knife-maker in the Tarn. I craft my knives with particular attention to the materials, the fit and finish. Each piece requires time and precision. I particularly love the fact that no two knives made in the same spirit are ever quite identical.
The choice of materials also plays an important role in my work. The types of steel, the varieties of wood and the different materials used for the handles give each knife its own look and character. I attach great importance to the feel, the grip and the overall balance of the knife, because a beautiful object must, above all, remain pleasant and practical to use.
My approach is, above all, that of a craftsman.
After thirty years in a different line of work, this career change has allowed me to return to something that suits me better: working with materials, taking the time to do things properly, and seeing an object take shape from my own hands.
That’s what I love about cutlery-making these days: starting with a few raw materials and, step by step, creating a knife that will be used and which, I hope, will serve its owner for many years to come.
