Chateau Laguiole corkscrews are manufactured in the south-central city of Thiers, France. Thiers has been the cutlery capital of Europe for the last seven centuries. The late Mr. Vialis from GUY VIALIS CREATION invented the Chateau Laguiole in 1992.

Yes, it is normal especially when the corkscrew is new. The spring action of the screw is designed to last many years, as a result the clearance between the screw and the spring (the long decorated spine just under the bee) is very small to allow for some wear over time.

We have been retailing Chateau Laguiole for the last 20 years. We offer U.S. basedwarranty and repair support

All genuine Chateau Laguiole wine openers and Laguiole knives we offer carry a  warranty against manufacturer defects and workmanship. The tricky part is to try to activate this warranty; other retailers will most likely not want to help you with this, they are not required to do so. If they do help, you will have to pay all shipping cost to France and back ($30-$50) and wait about a month or two, and, hopefully, get your wine key back. If you purchase your Chateau Laguiole from us we will have you ship it to us in Florida and have the manufacturer repair it for you. Please visit our warranty support page  for more details.

It depends who you ask. The ethical answer is "yes and no". To be hand made a piece would need to be forged the old fashion way, machined by hand, and assembled and polished the same way. Every parts (except the handle material) of a Chateau Laguiole are manufactured with modern tools, but are carefully and individually assembled entirely by hand and must pass very strict criteria before completion. The carefully selected handles material are formed and polished entirely by hand. Some of our custom made pieces like the Damascus are fully forged the old fashion way. 

Laguiole is the name of a small village located in south central France. The famous knife of the same name was born there in 1829. Unfortunately, the name Laguiole was never registered and is, to this day totally unprotected. Anyone can use this name on any cutlery item; therefore, one must be very cautious when purchasing a " bargain " Laguiole knife or corkscrew. 

Chateau Laguiole is pronounced "SHATO LAYOL". The old pronunciation, in Occitan, was preserved, this is the reason why one says "LAYOL"
Laguiole wine waiter's style openers have bee manufactured since the early 1990s. Mr. Vialis, the creator of the Chateau Laguiole brand, was the first to adapt the Laguiole knife design to a true waiter style wine opener. Several Laguiole manufacturers were offering rudimentary waiter style openers before 1992, but they were only crude modifications of a standard Laguiole knife handle. 

Mr. Guy Vialis was, at one time, France's best sommelier and worked at some of Paris most prestigious restaurants. During that period Guy was using the same corkscrew as other sommeliers, the free and of course inexpensive ones given by wine vendors. Guy could not understand why he was opening some of the world most famous and costly wine bottles with such tool. A light bulb when off and the Chateau Laguiole was born. Only one model was created in 1992. Over 100,000 units were sold the first year alone.

The name of the brand is quite easy to figure out. Most of France's best wines are from a "Chateau" and the wine tool is based on the "Laguiole" style of cutlery. 
The name "Laguiole" is not a registered brand of cutlery, it is the name of the village where the style first appeared. "Chateau Laguiole" was a very clever name created by an even more clever sommelier. 

All models of Laguiole waiter's style corkscrews on the market today came after the Chateau Laguiole design was introduced. Slogans such as "Chateau Laguiole corkscrews are hand-crafted since 1850" are false and misleading.

Beware of Counterfeit Chateau Laguiole Wine Openers on Amazon!

Don't be fooled by imitations! While some Chinese-made Chateau Laguiole corkscrews may appear to be genuine, there are a few telltale signs that they are not the real deal. For starters, these knockoff corkscrews do not feature the coveted "Made in France" inscription on the foil cutter.

To guarantee authenticity and warranty coverage, it is crucial to purchase your Chateau Laguiole wine opener directly from Laguiole Imports. Even though the name and design of the Chateau Laguiole are registered and patented, there is still a market for look-alike or downright fake versions. These imitations are often sold as Laguiole waiter-style corkscrews or Chateau Laguiole wine openers.

So, how can you spot a counterfeit Chateau Laguiole wine opener? The most obvious telltale sign is the price. If you come across a brand new Laguiole wine opener that resembles a Chateau Laguiole model but is priced significantly lower, chances are it's a fake.

Don't settle for a subpar imitation. Invest in the authenticity and quality of a genuine Chateau Laguiole wine opener from Laguiole Imports. Your wine-opening experience will never be the same.