Château LAGUIOLE® Best Sommelier of the World
Château LAGUIOLE corkscrew World Best Sommelier Serge Dubs
REF: CLME3017
A tribute to the Best Sommeliers of the World
The Château LAGUIOLE® Best Sommelier of the World collection pays tribute to the winners of the Best Sommelier of the World competition, organised by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI). Each laureate composes his own Château LAGUIOLE® sommelier knife: he chooses the handle material and the finishes, and the model bears his name. From Giuseppe Vaccarini (1978) to Raimonds Tomsons (2023), every piece in the collection has its own character: grapevine, lemonwood, walnut, rosewood, charred shou sugi ban wood, reindeer antler, buffalo horn, Stamina, acrylic or carbon, with one or two bolsters, the metal pieces framing the handle, depending on the model. Each knife comes with its own dedicated leather sheath. Beneath the handle, the mechanism is that of the 1993 Château LAGUIOLE® Classic: body and lever in Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel, five-turn worm (the screw that enters the cork), serrated foil cutter, forged bee and guilloché spring. Palissandre is the heartwood of South Asian Dalbergia, most often Dalbergia latifolia, golden brown to purplish brown with darker streaks. It darkens over the years towards a deep brown, so a ten year old handle no longer holds quite the colour it had on day one. Within the Château LAGUIOLE® sommelier knife range, the Classic is the 1993 icon, with one bolster and a choice of 27 handle materials; the Grand Cru keeps the same mechanism with two wider bolsters, for intensive use; the Melchior is recognisable by its wide, generous handle; the Opus is the exceptional piece, made to order and hand-guilloched. Château LAGUIOLE® was born in 1993 in Thiers, when Guy Vialis, a sommelier, created the first luxury sommelier knife. The brand was taken over at the end of 2017 by LIGNE W, founded in 2008 by Sébastien Lézier, and has lived since 2021 within Maison Château LAGUIOLE®. The knives are still made in our workshop in Thiers (Puy-de-Dôme, France), the French capital of cutlery, and the blade bears the engraving « Made in France ». The latest laureate to join the collection is Raimonds Tomsons, ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023. Each knife comes with its membership card: registering it online activates the lifetime warranty.
Materials & finish
- Wooden handle : Rosewood (Indian rosewood)
- Colour : Brown
- Finish : Mirror polished
- Bolsters : 1 bolster
- 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.
Rosewood handle, golden to purplish brown with dark veining.
Palissandre is the heartwood of South Asian Dalbergia, most often Dalbergia latifolia, golden brown to purplish brown with darker streaks. It darkens over the years towards a deep brown, so a ten year old handle no longer holds quite the colour it had on day one.
Caring for this material
Rosewood is an oily wood that asks for very little: a soft cloth after each use is enough, no water, no detergent and never a dishwasher. Its tone darkens naturally with light and oxidation, which is the expected behaviour of the species and not a defect; a drop of food grade mineral oil once a year is enough if the surface looks dull.
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 after each service with a soft cloth and never leave it to soak.
- If the lever or the worm stiffens, a few drops of food-grade mineral oil on the pivots are enough; every 15 days for professional use.
- Keep the handle away from heat, prolonged moisture and chemicals; natural materials (wood, horn, reindeer antler) are sensitive to them.
- Store the knife dry, in its leather sheath.
- Rosewood is an oily wood that asks for very little: a soft cloth after each use is enough, no water, no detergent and never a dishwasher. Its tone darkens naturally with light and oxidation, which is the expected behaviour of the species and not a defect; a drop of food grade mineral oil once a year is enough if the surface looks dull.
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.
- How does this model differ from a Château LAGUIOLE® Classic or Grand Cru?
- The mechanism is the same: Sandvik 12C27 steel, five-turn worm, forged bee, guilloché spring. The Classic (1993) has one bolster and comes in a choice of 27 materials; the Grand Cru has two wider bolsters. Here, the model is that of an ASI competition laureate, bearing his name, in the material and finish he chose, with a dedicated leather sheath.
- Is it dishwasher safe?
- No. The dishwasher damages the handle and the finish of the metal parts. Wash it by hand, dry it at once and never leave it to soak.
- Can it be engraved, and how long is delivery?
- An engraved product cannot be returned or exchanged, and the engraving is not covered by the warranty.
- What is the warranty, and are variations in a natural material a defect?
- The lifetime warranty covers manufacturing defects; it is activated by scanning the QR code on the membership card within 2 months of purchase, otherwise only the legal warranty applies. It covers neither the cutting edge nor engravings. Variations in shade and grain on a wood, horn or reindeer antler handle are specific to each piece: not a defect, but the signature of the material.
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