Forge de Laguiole Sommelier Corkscrew by Jean-Michel Wilmotte

Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the French designer, architect and urban designer is known for his many achievements in industrial design and the concept of the "interior design of towns", which he has elaborated over many years. For Forge de Laguiole, he designed a new Sommelier corkscrew in 2004 as well as a new line of colored flatware.

"Slicing, cutting, separating, reducing, splitting, sculpting, engraving, incising...The blade is a slender flash of lightning, extending the hand. Useful implement, a dependable companion. Through the years, from Aubrac shepherdsto today's table setting, I loved to honor the traditional design - pure, perfect, elegant - and simply contribute a range of luminous colors and several slight curves and dimensions".

In the mountains of south-central France, in the town of Laguiole, (pronounced Lie-Yoll) a tradition of manufacturing the country's finest knives has existed for centuries. The town's steak knives are a favorite gift at French weddings, as much a standard of excellence and source of pride as wine is in Bordeaux. This long standing reputation for quality is evident in a superbly crafted line of corkscrews. First appearing in 1880, these distinctive corkscrews have been hand assembled in many variations by the town's artisans. The Guild has selected the most elegant of these hand crafted openers for your use. All pieces are forged, stamped, flattened, hardened, honed, burnished, and sharpened to the highest of standards. Seamless in design and functionality, these tools are made of the highest quality stainless steel, and include a serrated knife. This is the one corkscrew that could be used everyday with delight and passed on with pride as an heirloom. Each Laguiole corkscrew comes with a certificate of authenticity and a leather case.