Baladeo His & Hers Laguiole Knife Set
(For Women)

Attractive Design, Fit and finish excellent

Picnics

Knife freak, Wine snob

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Nicely-done Asian-made Laguiole from a French company. Fit, finish, and detailing are impeccable - you'd pay at least twice as much for the equivalent quality made in France. However, the screw is a 3-turn screw, not the more secure 5-turn, and there's no stepped lever to rest against the lip of the bottle's neck, so you just tug; it's a true "Tire-bouchon," or cork-pull. So, don't use it on any cork which is in less-than-perfect condition. (STP also has Baladeo's "Waiter's knife" on the site, which is a much more serious wine tool.) Also, the knife is advertised as rosewood, but it's not: the manufacturer's packaging says "Stamina Wood," which is a product made of thin veneers of wood (usually beech), laminated, and saturated with a phenolic plastic resin. It's very tough, water-resistant, and can be dyed to any color, but it's also heavier than natural wood. Overall, the large knife is a bit heavy for the pocket, but tuck it into a picnic kit or a purse, and it's just fine. The smaller in the pair (their "Lady" model) is a nice pen knife, equivalent to the "Gentlemen's knife" of many other fabricators.