The town of Thiers in Auvergne is the birthplace of French cutlery. It is where the International Exhibition of Art and Traditional Knives, Coutellia, is held every year: a must-attend event for enthusiasts!
The town of Thiers in Auvergne is the birthplace of French cutlery. It is where the International Exhibition of Art and Traditional Knives, Coutellia, is held every year: a must-attend event for enthusiasts!
The Thiers Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been organizing the Coutellia exhibition for over 20 years, dedicated to art and traditional knives. The choice of this location is not surprising since Thiers has been a cutlery basin for over six centuries...
Even today, 70% of knives made in France come from the Thiers basin. The industry has 92 artisanal companies and 20% of local production is exported outside our borders, particularly to the United States and the rest of Europe.
The city, nicknamed the European Capital of Cutlery, also has a Cutlery Museum where rare and unique pieces dating from the 16th century to the present day are exhibited.
With this industrial tradition, the city hosts an international exhibition bringing together cutlery artists from around the world. A true showcase of cutlery know-how, this event aims to become a European reference. Note: In 2012, the exhibition broke attendance records with around 4000 visitors and 133 exhibitors.
The 26th edition of the Coutellia exhibition will take place on May 20th and 21st, 2023 and will bring together 230 exhibitors from around twenty countries.
This year, the exhibition area has been expanded from three to four halls. The exhibition will cover an area of 2500 square meters.
Two halls will be dedicated to high-end cutlery creations, a third will be devoted to antique knives, and the fourth hall will be exclusively for suppliers of raw materials in the cutlery industry.
Visitors will also be able to:
• Attend forge demonstrations
• Participate in knife assembly workshops with the Confrérie du Couté de Tié
• Discover the cutlery heritage of Thiers at the Cutlery Museum and the Usine du May.
New in 2016, the exhibition will be prefaced by the World Cutlery Meetings, which will take place from May 12th to 15th, 2016.
The Coutellia exhibition will take place on May 20th and 21st, 2023.
Address
"Jo Cognet" multipurpose room
ZI du Breuil
63300 THIERS
Access: A72 motorway, (Thiers-Ouest exit)
Opening hours
Open non-stop:
• Saturday: from 9am to 6pm
• Sunday: from 10am to 6pm
Tariffs
• 10 € per day
• 15 € for both days
• Free for children under 15 years old
These prices include entry to the exhibition and activities. They also give access to the Cutlery Museum and the May Factory during the weekend.
Author Audrey on 12 October 2023
Trade and Society : Agriculture and Fisheries
Author Audrey on 15 June 2023
Trade and Society : Handicrafts