Sabatier Trompette / Ekco Ancienne Maison 3.25" Round Tip Paring Knife Forged Stainless Gutta Percha 1950-60s

The influential Sabatier La Trompette has found its way across the globe by the late 19th century, an important ambassador of Thiers knife-making and a marker of the widespread footprint of French cuisine. La Trompette Sabatier has its origins in the Sabatier family of Le Moûtier in Thiers, with master cutlers recorded as far back as 1615 (as with many knife-making families in Thiers with deep roots in the craft). Maison Sabatier was founded in 1728, according to their letterhead, but the story really begins with Jean Sabatier, who moved to Paris during the French Revolution in the 1790s. Jean Sabatier marries Marie Sauzet, the daughter of a Paris surgical tool maker, and establishes finishing workshops in Paris, with forging coming from Thiers, after seeing at the 1819 National Exhibition in Paris that only expensive, fine-finished cutlery, surgical tools, embroidery scissors, etc. are being made in Paris. He sees an opening for professional chef and butcher knives in Paris, which at the time is experiencing the explosive birth of the à la carte restaurant and the idea is created to but it is not until much later in the 1830s when his son Jean (‘le parisien’) Sabatier has also become a master cutler does the family business take root with more established production facilities in Thiers built and inherited and a shop at 84 Rue St Honore becoming the Paris flagship shop for knives made in Thiers and knives forged and ground in Thiers and finished in Paris at nearby workshops owned by the family. Several brands will sprout from this origin, including the Main Ouvert or Open Hand with 84 St Honore marked on the blade, as well as Sabatier Trompette, an older trademark from Thiers purchased by the family.

A gold medal won in 1878, referenced on the blade, and retained in the La Trompette and Sabatier Trumpet markings. After 1891 the mark 'France' was added to allow them to be imported into the USA in compliance with new import laws in the USA. Later owners of La Trompette brand added their names to the markings, Dufresne was added to the markings until 1920 when the company was purchased by M Pouzet whose name is found from 1920-40 production. In 1940 with the Nazi invasion of France production stopped until after the war when La Trompette was reborn as Sabatier Trumpet Brand, still with the 1878 in the marks. Sabatier Trumpet made OEM knives for Ekco under their Ancienne Maison line in forged stainless steel and for Forschner in carbon and stainless.