Thiers Issard or Thiers Issard Sabatier is a French cutlery manufacturer, one of a number of companies using the Sabatier name. It exports a wide range of knives and straight razors to approximately thirty countries.[1][2] It is viewed as one of the top cutlery firms in Europe.[3][4]
Along with DOVO Solingen, Thiers Issard is a manufacturer of straight razors in Europe and the rest of the world.[5][6][7] It also makes exclusive and very expensive Damascus steel knives. It is located in Thiers, France, and is one of the better known of many cutlery manufacturers in that area.[8] It has also been manufacturing razor blades since 1920.[2] Thiers Issard is popular with US retailers.[9]
History
Thiers Issard was established in 1884 by Pierre Thiers (1860–1929). He was part of a family of master razor makers. The Thiers family owned their own forge.[1] The "Chart of the Jurande" or the Professional Guild Charter of the time lists at least three "Thiers" as master razor makers.[1]
In 1870 Pierre Thiers started as an apprentice to a master razor maker and, after 24 years in the trade, he had mastered the art well enough to become famous among the cognoscenti and connoisseurs of fine cutlery.[1]
In 1884 Thiers established his own forge. He named his factory Thiers-Issard combining his last name and that of his wife as a way to differentiate himself from the rest of the family who owned similar businesses.[1] From 1884 until his death in 1929, Thiers worked in his forge and died, reportedly, at work.[1]
Razor construction
A straight razor blade (cut-throat razor) starts, at the Thiers Issard factory, as a shape called a blank supplied by the steel manufacturer. Thiers Issard traditionally has used Sheffield silver steel, long considered a superior quality carbon steel.[1][7][10] The first step is to clean the blank using a heavy forge process called the detourage. Following the forging stage, a hole is drilled in the tang of the blade. This is a crucial step since after the steel hardening process it would be next to impossible to drill hardened steel without employing specialised methods such as electrical discharge machining, and even then the process would be too arduous to be practical. At this pre-hardening stage the decoration or guiochage of the blade is done, since the blade is malleable enough to be carved.[1]
Lead hardening
Books
The Thiers Issard blades are also mentioned in books.[10][13][14][15]
See also
- Razor
- Safety razor
- Shaving
External links
- Thiers Issard Sabatier Knives
- Thiers Issard Sabatier:L'Encyclopedie thiernoise du couteau : vol 1 Le couteau thiernois via the Internet archive.
- Thiers Issard Razors: Thiers Issard Straight Razors
References
- Classic shaving through the Internet Archive: The Thiers-Issard Story. (Blade manufacturing details) quote: ''...In 1884 Mr. Thiers undertook to establish his own forge and assume the rightful place of such a highly regarded craftsman - working for himself. In order to differentiate his products from those produced by other members of his family who were still active in the trade themselves, he named his factory Thiers-Issard, adding his wife's family name, Issard, to his own... and: As can be expected, the more grinding required, such as in the case of a Full Hollow Ground "Singing" razor, and the more skill and precision required in accomplishing the grind, the higher the finished razor's resulting cost... and: When the edge of this razor is plucked or strummed much like a guitar string, a clear resonant tone is heard. also: They must flex with the pressure of the fingernail only and of course, "Singing" razors must "Sing."''^
- THIERS ISSARD SABATIER :"Cutlers since 1884 " quote: We perpetuate the tradition of our founder Pierre Thiers, razors maker in 1880, time after time, we first add razor blades in 1920, then in 1958 the SABATIER****ELEPHANT range, and in 1995 the PIGEAT prestigious cutler's range.