The News from ElephantToenails.com

I first met Bernard from Angoulême, France a few years ago when he emailed a catalog page from a 1906 French manufacturer showing their toenail (little did we know at the time toenails were an international pattern). We have some challenges with our language barrier. I speak southern, he speaks french. Tough combo. I have taken the liberty to attempt to reword some of his profile and hope I didn’t misinterpret any of Bernard’s meaning. With that, please meet a fellow knife enthusiast and toenail collector, Mr. Bernard Givernaud.

 I am Bernard Givernaud. I live at Angoulême, the France chief town of strip cartoons since 1999, but I was born near Paris in 1968 (I’m 40 this year!).

I have collected knives since 1994. I have beginning with french regionnal’s knife. I would like to do a book of them, but others people have done before me! I also collected old invoice and catalogue about french cutlery.

In France we have two magazines of cultery. In 2005, I proposed to do a first article in “La Passion des Couteaux” about the french ET: “le bouledogue” (The Bulldog).This knife was made in Thiers for “La manufacture d’arme et de cycles de SAINT ETIENNE”. This firme all year had a new catalogue which was very interesting about arms and manufactured objects with their price. I did not know your excellent site (ET.com) then and after the article publication I found it and was very surprised. I was especially surprised by the Jumbo swell-center, and I hope I find one someday.

Since I have concentrated my research on three subjects : the Nontron knife (Nontron is a town 40 kilometers from my house, and we say it’s the most elder knife in france). I send you the eldest I have a nontron about 1855. I have write 4 articles about this knife.The second is Opinel : I have try to find N°1 and 11 (see picture) which are not made since 1930’s and I am writing an article about.The third are figural knife (like the pig). I have made two articles about them. I would like to do a book, not only with my collection and then if US collector have it, I will be very proud to share pictures.sophie.givernaud@free.fr

 Here is the 1928 toenail from the manufacturer of Saint Etienne. 

 Here are two of the other knives he references.

The first is the Nontron 

 The N 11 Opinel