TB Groupe will be present at Coutellia – an event in Thiers celebrating the art of cutlery

Coutellia: the artistic cutlery event which is not to be missed

Coutellia’s 25^th anniversary

Coutellia, an international event celebrating traditional and artistic knives, is celebrating its 25^th anniversary May 16–17. The Thiers International Chamber of Commerce has been organizing Coutellia for the past 22 years. Talk of this festive, traditional and cultural event has spread well beyond the Auvergne region and should attract a large crowd again this year.

Approximately 150 renowned cutlery artists from around the world will be at this unique event - including manufacturers, collectors and suppliers who will thrill cutlery aficionados and curious spectators with their creations.

Cutlers from around the world (South Africa, Germany, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Holland, Japan, Czech Republic, Sweden, USA, etc.) will show their latest creations.

Spread the word: the finest examples of artisanal cutlery will be in Thiers in a couple of days!

Traditional and artistic cutlery

Artistic cutlery professionals and artists will present the public with a wide variety of knives and works of art which are imbued with history and culture.
Coutellia will be sure to please its passionate public, eager to discover the most beautiful artisanal blades and other ancient knives.

Coutellia has a wide variety of activities planned for visitors, including diverse workshops using the latest technologies and a chance to discover many knife manufacturing processes. This yearly event’s large variety of activities creates a convivial and welcoming atmosphere.

The diverse activities, workshops and highlights of the weekend that should not be missed are the following:

• A workshop on assembling knives
• A demonstration on forging which will take place throughout the duration of the Coutellia trade fair
• A stand dedicated to knife sharpening
• Chefs giving demonstrations on knife skills
• Knife exhibits showcasing the creations made during The Best Craftsman of France competition
• Tours of the Musée de la Coutellerie (Cutlery Museum), the Maison de l’Aventure Industrielle (House of Industrial Adventure) and the Cité des Couteliers (City of Cutlers)
• A festival tent with an exhibit on ancient knives
• A cutlery product competition reuniting the world’s top specialists and artists

TB Groupe will certainly be present in Thiers!

The city of Thiers in the limelight

Coutellia has promoted the ancestral cutlery knowledge from Thiers and its environs for a quarter of a century. As TB Groupe is the number one knife manufacturer in France its representatives will naturally be present to celebrate the trade fair’s 25^th anniversary in a couple of days.

Thiers’ city image is inextricably linked with the national history of cutlery. The origins of the cutlery trade date back to the 12^th century. This trade was firmly established in Thiers by the 14^th century and the city gained its reputation as the “capital of French cutlery.” In 1567 Thiers was already home to 170 master cutlers and 450 cutlers!

Thiers, the cradle of cutlery, had forged its reputation over the centuries by ensuring that the knowledge used to make products of unequalled quality was passed down.

Up to this day 70% of the knives manufactured in France come from Thiers and its environs. There are 20,000 cutlery models manufactured in Thiers:

• Professional knives
• Kitchen gadgets
• Cutting tools
• Kitchen knives
• Silverware
• Tableware
• Pocket and sporting knives
• Wine cellar articles
• Etc.

300,000 products are manufactured daily in the region’s factories and workshops and a large portion of these are manufactured by the company TB Groupe! The cutlery industry in Thiers reunites 92 artisanal companies and 90 subcontractors or suppliers specializing in different stages of the knife manufacturing process. In total this industry employs 1,620 individuals.

It goes without saying that cutlery is the region’s major economic driving force. Coutellia is not only a convivial event for knife aficionados it also has a tremendous significance in the area. The event is an immense natural showcase for Thiers and its environs.

TB Groupe will be represented by Générale de Découpage

At the Coutellia trade fair TB Groupe will be represented by its subcontracting subsidiary Générale de Découpage (GDD). They will present different activities and skills, especially subjects that touch on the following themes:

• Traditional cutting
• Continuous laser cutting
• The process of press cutting knives
• Spot welding
• Controlled atmosphere heat treatment
• Polishing through vibratory finishing techniques
• Mechanical polishing
• Grinding using CN processes
• Polishing using CN processes
• All types of micro serration
• Finalizing complex products
• Diverse manufacturing techniques
• Plastic injection and molding from a cast
• The design sector and integrated design

Since its creation the public has shown great enthusiasm for Coutellia. Many thousands of visitors are expected to come to Thiers on the weekend of May 16–17. Do not hesitate to come check out the trade fair and meet TB Groupe during this major event dedicated to the art of cutlery and the Thiers’ tradition.

Lastly, TB Goupe congratulates Coutellia Trade Fair on its 25^th anniversary!