Chien knife, stainless steel blade, all-metal handle

A fixture of West Indian kitchens, the Chien knife has been part of family life for over a hundred years. It is made in Thiers, the historic home of French cutlery, where it has been produced the same way for generations.

This all-metal, one-piece version keeps the knife's original outline, with a steel handle modelled on 19th-century designs. The Renaissance-shaped blade and the studded handle are made entirely of stainless steel, so the knife resists corrosion well, stands up to hard use and is easy to keep clean, as there are no joints or assembled parts.

Well balanced and comfortable in the hand, it cuts cleanly for everyday cooking. It is the knife of choice for making sauce chien, the West Indian speciality that takes its name from it.

It comes in an illustrated cardboard box that tells the story of the knife, which also makes it a good gift for anyone fond of cooking, heritage or French knives.