New Vintage Au Nain 36.5cm / 14.5" Tranchelard Slicer Carbon 1950-70

New and unused thin light slicer made by Au Nain in St Remy adjoining Thiers in the heart of French knifemaking. These were hand forged to draw out the blade and tang after being drop forged and then hand ground, with brass and steel rosette riveted dyed beechwood handles. They have been lightly cleaned but are otherwise how they were made at least 75 years ago. They were found in superb condition from long storage. 

In the later part of the 19th century the industrial drop forge was introduced into Thiers and the Canadian pattern was developed with a full tang and short bolster. A smaller rope and pulley hand operated drop forge had been in use for folding knife blades but with the growing popularity of eating with table knives over the previous personal folding knives in the mid 19th century the drop forge both sped production and encouraged new designs on larger knives.

These knives were made in Theirs, France in the 1950s possibly earlier. They are thin and light being hand forged on an old style 'Martinet' mechanical hammer after being drop forged and then ground by hand, very similarly to how these knives were made originally in the 19th century, sadly, these techniques and equipment are now long gone.

They are lighter and springier than their modern contemporaries with great cutting feel and are super easy to sharpen, don't over-polish them with fine Japanese stones, these do better with a coarser edge (equivalent to 1000 Japanese grit stone) and kept up with a fine honing steel. The advice to use a steel before you use your knife is the result of these kind of knives in a busy professional kitchen; steel them once you feel the edge starting to lean to one side.

Being handmade there are slight differences between knives and they may have slight imperfections that would be consistent with handmade knives of their day such as a slight waviness in edge and small bends, there can also be imperfections and small gaps in handle etc. They are not 'perfect' by strict standards but are still great knives.

If you can deal with these small issues you are rewarded with a knife that has a great cutting feel and is truly a piece of history!

Keep dry when not in use to avoid rust, carbon steel will naturally develop a patina with use.

New Vintage knives do not come sharpened. Please request sharpening if desired in the order notes section of the cart page. 

Brand: Au Nain
Producing Area: St Remy, Thiers, France
Profile: Tranchelard/Slicer
Size: 36.5cm/14.5in
Blade Type: Carbon Steel
Handle: Dyed Beechwood
Total Length: 480mm/19.25in
Handle Length: 120mm/4.75in
Handle to Tip Length: 365mm/14.5in
Blade Height: 34mm/1.25in
Edge Length: 370mm/14.5in
Thickness: 3.3mm
Weight: 172g/6.0oz
Hand Orientation: Ambidextrous