Château LAGUIOLE® Opus
Château LAGUIOLE Classic Opus N° 2 Abalone
REF: CLSOC0204
The hand-engraved exceptional piece
Château LAGUIOLE® Opus is the house's exceptional sommelier knife. It shares the body and mechanism of the Château LAGUIOLE® sommelier knives, but its decoration is not engraved in series: the guilloché work, the decorative chiselled engraving along the back of the spring, is executed by hand by a master cutler, as is the chiselling of the forged bee. No two pieces are ever identical. Abalone mother-of-pearl offers blue-green iridescence that shifts with the light: each scale has its own play of colours. It is reserved for the house's most exclusive creations. Classic, Grand Cru, Melchior or Opus? Château LAGUIOLE® Classic is the original 1993 model, the house reference, offered in 27 handle materials. Grand Cru keeps its features with wider bolsters (the bolster is the metal piece that closes the end of the handle), built for the intensive use of wine professionals. Melchior is recognised by its wide, generous handle. Opus is not one more model: it is a Classic or Grand Cru base whose decoration is chiselled by hand by a master cutler, with a handle chosen among the rarest materials. It is meant for the collector, for the sommelier who wants a signed tool, or for anyone looking for a gift that exists in a single copy. Château LAGUIOLE® was born in 1993 on the initiative of Guy Vialis, a French sommelier who wanted to turn a service tool into a genuine work of art; that year, Château LAGUIOLE® Classic became the first luxury sommelier knife. After Guy Vialis passed away in 2016, the brand was taken over at the end of 2017 by Sébastien Lézier, founder of LIGNE W (2008), and has lived since 2021 under the Maison Château LAGUIOLE® umbrella brand. Our knives are made in Thiers (Puy-de-Dôme), the French capital of cutlery. The house is a partner of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) and of the Union de la Sommellerie Française (UDSF), and its Best Sommelier of the World collection honours the winners of the ASI competition, from Shinya Tasaki (1995) to Raimonds Tomsons (2023). Every piece comes with a membership card, which attests that the knife comes from our workshops; its QR code activates the lifetime warranty.
Materials & finish
- Handle in mineral material : Abalone shell
- Colour : Multicoloured
- Finish : Mirror polished
- Bolsters : 2 bolsters
- Liners : Single liner
- Spring : Guilloché engraved
- Worm : Stainless steel, standard
Features
- Customisable : Yes
Handcrafted in France — Each Château LAGUIOLE is crafted in our workshop near Thiers, France, with exceptional expertise and a rigorous artisanal process.
Handle in natural abalone shell, polished.
Abalone is a marine gastropod whose shell carries a blue-green and violet nacre, far more coloured than white mother-of-pearl. The play of colour comes from the stacking of mineral layers and shifts with the angle you view the piece from, so the handle looks different at every turn.
Caring for this material
The same rules as white mother-of-pearl, without exception: no dishwasher, no soaking, no acidic product, a soft barely damp cloth then dry. Avoid any knock or twist on the edge of the scale, which is the area most exposed to chipping.
Shipping costs are calculated at checkout.
France
- Standard delivery: 2-5 business days*
- Express delivery: 2-3 business days**
EU
- Standard delivery: 4-7 business days*
- Express delivery: 2-5 business days**
International & Non-EU
- Standard delivery: 6-12 business days*
- Express delivery: 2-7 business days**
* Monday to Saturday (excluding public holidays), from receipt of order confirmation email unless otherwise stated in the product description.
** Express delivery guaranteed for orders placed before 7:30 PM, Monday to Thursday (excluding public holidays).
You have 14 days from the delivery date to return your purchase.
In accordance with applicable law, personalised and/or made-to-order products cannot be returned or exchanged.
This product benefits from a lifetime warranty. The warranty is valid for the entire normal use period of the product, subject to compliance with the care and usage conditions defined in the warranty policy. To activate this warranty, you must register your product online.
How to proceed?
- Scan the QR code on the back of the member card included in the box.
- Register your product by following the instructions on the dedicated page.
- Hand wash only, never in the dishwasher: wipe the knife with a soft cloth after each service, without soaking it.
- Hold the bottle neck firmly and let the lever do the work: never clamp the bottle between your knees, the worm would bend.
- A few drops of food-grade mineral oil on the pivot and the spring as soon as the mechanism resists; every 15 days for a professional.
- Guilloché work holds dust: a soft brush or a dry cloth is enough, never an abrasive product.
- Store the knife dry, in its sheath, away from heat and humidity; natural materials (wood, mother-of-pearl, mammoth ivory, horn) dislike sudden changes.
- Care specific to the handle is given in the material section of the product page.
- Mother-of-pearl dislikes knocks and acids: wipe off any splash of wine or lemon at once, no abrasive product, store in the sheath.
To ensure the longevity, performance and elegance of your sommelier knife, please follow these care instructions:
- Hand wash only: this product is not dishwasher safe. Prolonged contact with water may damage materials and reduce durability. After each use, gently wipe your knife with a soft cloth. Do not immerse or soak in water.
- Protect from heat and moisture: avoid exposing your knife to intense heat, excessive humidity or harsh chemicals.
- Handle with care: protect the handle and mechanisms from impacts and drops, which could damage the blade or structure.
- Mechanism maintenance: if you notice slight resistance in the mechanism, apply a few drops of food-grade mineral oil to the moving parts. Professionals should lubricate every 2 weeks.
- Proper storage: after use, store your knife in a dry place, away from moisture, to preserve its performance and quality.
- What is the difference between an Opus and a Classic or a Grand Cru?
- The mechanism is the same. On an Opus, the guilloché work on the spring and the chiselling of the bee are carried out exclusively by hand by a master cutler, and the handle is cut from a rare material. Each piece is unique: this explains the price difference with a series Classic or Grand Cru.
- Is the ivory used on Opus legal, and why is every piece different?
- Cream tones, veins and cracks vary from one tusk to another: the piece you receive resembles the photo without being identical to it.
- Can I put my Opus in the dishwasher?
- No. Hand wash, dry immediately, and a drop of food-grade mineral oil when the mechanism resists. The dishwasher damages the handle and dulls the guilloché work.
- Can an Opus be engraved, and what is the lead time?
- A personalised product cannot be returned or exchanged.