Before the Laguiole knife settled comfortably beside linen napkins and serious wine lists, it enjoyed a less respectable apprentice phase. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, certain spring loaded versions of the Laguiole quietly drifted into the darker back alleys of Paris. Slim, discreet, and quick in the hand, they were sometimes modified to open at lightning speed. Pressed into service as improvised switch blades, they were handy tools to “elevate the financial position” of their handler.