Local Handicrafts of the Midi Pyrenees , France

Laguiole's knives, Millau's gloves and the skilfully crafted furniture of Revel: in the Midi-Pyrenees, skills sometimes bear the names of towns and become generic terms, a sure sign of their unquestionable success. Here are a few clues into the arts and crafts, which produce unique objects, the reputation of which has long extended beyond the borders of France.


The knives of Laguiole

The small Laguiole knife with its fly-shaped hallmark takes its name from the town in which it has been made for the last 150 years. First used by shepherds in the Aubrac it was later to become popular among the bourgeoisie. It then became obsolete before being revamped by Philippe Starck during the late 80s. The French designer has more than succeeded his bet as the Laguiole knife has now become a cult object and is distributed throughout the whole world.

The skillfully crafted furniture of Revel

For more than a century now, Revel has produced furniture which bears its name and is made by skilled craftsmen using the rarest, most noble materials such as cherry, oak, rose and lemon wood, etc. Dozens of master cabinetmakers, inlayers, lacquers and upholsterers have been working in this fortified town in the Haute-Garonne since the 19th century, busy reproducing perfect copies of Louis XIV, Louis XV, Louis XVI and Empire style furniture.

The gloves of Millau

Just as Revel is the French capital of furniture made by skilled craftsmen, Millau is the capital of leather gloves. Marrying charm and delicacy, Millau gloves are the produce of tanning and glove-making factories whose presence dates back to the 12th century. Having delighted the elegant women of past centuries, these essential accessories have endured into modern times and now interest fashion designers. Millau's glove museum displays some of their most beautiful models.

Les chapeaux de Caussade

Caussade, a small town in the Tarn-et-Garonne, has been cultivating its skill since 1857 and has managed to impose itself as the first hat-making centre in France. They have a very wide range of products such as panama and montechristi hats, boaters, beach caps as well as wide-brimmed hats. Their reputation is International, which explains why the town's workers were called upon to make the hats worn by Andy Mc Dowell in the film "Four weddings and a funeral" for example

The pewter of Gramat and Rouergue

Durfort's copperware has enjoyed an enviable reputation since the 1600s. They make cauldrons, preserving pans and other cooking or decorative pots. Pewter, which is the oldest of precious metals, also has its master craftsmen in the Midi-Pyrenees and they have perfected their skill to the utmost with the pewter of Gramat and Rouergue. These family concerns have given a new lease of life to pewter, thus reflecting the spirit of a region in which tradition, although still relevant, has become a springboard from which their imagination can reach new heights.

Earthenware in Martres-Tolosanes

Another speciality product: combs made from natural horn which are still made as they were at the beginning of the 18th century in a small village in the Ariège close to Lavelanet (the textile and horn comb museum is worth visiting). The 18th century also saw the development of earthenware objects made in Martres-Tolosanes. They are as delicate as they are unalterable and are painted freehand on unbaked enamel.