Category — Cutlery

COLOR POT CLIPS ON TOUCHOFEUROPE.NET

GRAY STAINLESS POT CLIP ON TOUCHOFEUROPE.NET

Down to the WIRE!  Goodie bags are being packed by busy elves, shelves are being organized, clearance items being sorted and we are all hoping for NO RAIN!   Parking will be plentiful, no mall jams and really,really unique and cool stuff, we promise.

Our clearance section will contain hidden gems not available online! By the time the sale ends, we hope to have created some badly needed space.

Gifts with purchase, bring a friend coupon and gift, coupons on future purchases, and goodies to sample (to take with you and also to taste at the Warehouse).  The tasting area will have spreads, dips, chutneys, candy, chocolate and more – yum!

When:

November 28 and 29, 2008 (the Friday and Saturday right after Thanksgiving).

Time:

Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM.  Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM.

Where:

Touch of Europe

829 Pickens Industrial Drive, Suite 13

Marietta, GA 30062

Map and Directions

Any Questions?  Call Toll Free (between ( AM and 5 PM EST) :866-764-2975

What:

Our entire warehouse will be open.  5,000 Square Feet full to the brim of treasures. Everything shown on our site will be available for you to see and purchase.   Goodies, gifts, clearance items, specials, new arrivals and lots, lots more.

What else:

1. Door prizes
2. Prize drawings for gift baskets,
3. Gifts with purchase
4. We will also be showing video demonstrations of some of our products in use.
5. Vintage items not yet listed on the site
6. Friendly helpful staff ready to answer questions, show products and help in any way they can

A few other important details:

• PLEASE, we insist, no strollers, no big bulky bags, or coats.
• We encourage you to leave children at home.  The warehouse is big, with concrete floors and high shelves, and not a great place for little ones.  We do not think they will enjoy it as much as staying cosily at home!  And you can shop more leisurely too.
• We strongly suggest perusing the website and making lists (write down the item number, that will save a lot of time) so you know what you want to see and we can point you to it.  We have thousands upon thousands of items, and trust us, it can get overwhelming.  In addition, we are not set up as a store, so some items are less visible than others, on high shelves or in big boxes.  We will be happy to pull anything out to show you, but you have to know it’s there
• Parking is available at the warehouse and we are arranging overflow parking just a few steps down the street. Dress comfortably and if necessary warmly (if it is cold outside, the warehouse will be cold too, it is not heated)

OUR SUGGESTIONS:

• Make a shopping list, especially vintage items.  We can show you what you want to see but a list ahead of time will be easier, believe us. We have thousands of items online, and we cannot display them
• Wear comfortable shoe, and layers.  It’s heated and should be warm but a cold spell might pose a challenge.  Layers are easy to deal with!
• Bring a friend, twice the fun and a free gift (see coupon below)
• Think of gifts for friends, co-workers, future baby or wedding showers, future birthdays, not just holidays.  Replenish your stash of ‘just in case’ gifts, we have lots and lots of small items ideal for this (and for stocking stuffers)
• Take time to browse the site so you will know what we have (and we have LOTS)

Clip the coupon below and bring it with you!

France has a long tradition of knife manufacture and production. Handmade products and traditional processes have enjoyed a renaissance of interest that benefits these manufacturere. One of the most famous regions producing knives is the Laguiole area (in the Aveyron). The area is situated in a rural region of the South of France at the junction of three different departments, the Aveyron, the Cantal, and the Lozère.

The Laguiole name is famous for pocket knives. Laguiole is a village in the middle of the Aveyron region of France, with a long-standing reputation for quality. Despite knock-offs and imitators, the real Laguiole name still has tremendous marketing appeal. What used to be an implement for farmers and laborers has become a trendy and fashionable item for many.

Laguiole knives have been produced for almost 200 years. A Renaissance took place in the early 1990s when production was resumed in the village of Laguiole. Some Laguiole designs can today be found in famous collections and even one at he Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City.

Throughout its existence the Laguiole knife has been adapted and evolved and met new demands. The first piece that was added to the traditional blade was the “poinçon, the piercer that was used to make holes in the horse harnesses or to pierce the paunch of sheep suffering from colic, to remove stones from horse’s shoes, or to cut horses hair.

Corkscrews became poplar after 1880 with the emigration of poor farmers from Aveyron to Paris (first selling coal and wood, then opening bars and restaurants, still to be found in Paris today).

Laguiole is not one single company and the bee alone does not guarantee authenticity. “Laguiole” is the name of the town in the Aveyron region. It is almost a generic name for a folding knife. The two main sites of production for the real thing are centered around the town of Thiers (almost a capital for French cutlery production, 70-80 companies are active there) and the village of Laguiole itself.

The knives used to be made with carbon stell blades. Steel of curse is easy to sharpen and long-lasting. But is oxidizes and rusts too. Stainless steel is now the material of choice, especially since a European Union law prohibits the use of carbon steel for kitchen knives in public use (eg restaurants). Two types of steel are mainly found. Type 440 is surgical steel. It does not rust and stays shiny. But it needs to be sharpened more often. Sandvick steel is also now often used, and it combines the advantages of stainless steel (surgical) and carbon steel, without some of the disadvantages.

Handles are found in many different materials. Initially when the knives were first produced, the material of choice was bone or stag horn, the sturdiest materials available at the time. Ivory was used for luxury pieces. Later, cattle horn was used, but restricted only to cattle in the region. Modern day products use new materials, which allows for more diverse designs and colors. Woods of all sorts have become a nice and trendy alternative.

The knife is finished with a small triangular relief with a bee carving. No one explanation exists for the bee other than it is decorative. The bee is an imperial emblem but some also think the bee was meant to represent a fly. Whatever the case may be, it has become a signature of Laguiole and is seen on virtually all pieces.

The blade, made of high-grade stainless steel, is stamped, then ground and then polished with over 25 different manual production stages.

.