A hard-working knife from France; Coursolle Pradel in Rosewood. 🇨🇵

Salutations, Ladies and Gentlemen! Today, I’ll be discussing a classic, working knife from France-the Pradel.
The Pradel is a very interesting pattern. Unlike many French knives, the Pradel is not named after a city-but rather, Etienne Pradel, the man who designed the knife in 1867. It was inspired by Sheffield spearpoint knives, which were quite common at the time. Hence its original name-the “English Style”. Eventually, the pattern adopted the name of its inventor, thus christening it; the Pradel knife.
The Pradel wasn’t particularly popular in Thiers, where it was first produced. It did, however, find favour in Brittany and Normandy-particularly amongst fishermen and farmers. Some even found their way to Canada, as many fishermen brought them on fishing campaigns near Newfoundland.
The Pradel is still produced by a small bunch of makers, today. This particular piece is made by Couperier Coursolle. Coursolle has an incredibly interesting history-one that I would highly suggest reading about on the Knives of France Blog. knives-of-fran...
Coursolle Pradel Knife:
-XC75 carbon steel spearpoint blade. (with half-stops)
-Square tang.
-Carbon steel (square) bolsters.
-Brass liners and pins.
-Rosewood handles.
-Handmade in France.
Overall, the Coursolle Pradel is a fine example of a budget, French pocket knife. The materials are good and the fit and finish is acceptable at the price. There are also models available with horn handles, for those interested in something a little fancier!
Where I bought this knife: Knives-of-France.com
Where I researched this knife: Knives-of-France-Blog.com
The Knives of France KZbin channel: ‪@frenchknives9611‬
#knives
#edc
#gentleman

[@RandysWSG]

That's a great looking one! Excellent video as well!!

[@TheKnifeRaven]

Thanks, as always, Randy! Cheers!

[@patrickmunneke8348]

I was thinking about this one.

[@TheKnifeRaven]

Certainly a nice worker! Cheers!

[@IanRosie-mx6rn]

Until the penny dropped, it used to confuse the hell out of me that there was a Pradel pattern and a Pradel knife manufacturer. I think that handle is called a coffin handle. It looks like it's been constructed with typical French 'joie de vivre', and to be honest you could find similar on the Taylor's basic Barlow at one time, if not still, which I can't help but compare it to. Like the Taylor's, it also looks like it will last a lifetime. It's funny, but since collecting French knives myself, I've also stopped letting knives snap shut.

[@TheKnifeRaven]

A 'coffin handle' is actually a very accurate term to describe the Pradel's shape. I certainly appreciate the construction for the cost. It's far from perfect, but I can't really fault it as a work knife. Oh, and yes, Taylor's basic Barlows features the same tang style. Cheers, as always!

[@IanRosie-mx6rn]

@@TheKnifeRaven Yeah, I forgot to say, I really dig the bolster design. I think traditionally, the 'coffin handle' has more of a slope to the shoulders than this Pradel is exhibiting, but it's the closest pattern that I can see.

[@TheKnifeRaven]

@@IanRosie-mx6rn I love the shape, too. It's pretty much just the French take on a Spearpoint knife, but the lines seem a little more elegant, to me. Cheers!

[@davidkurle5418]

What??? A French knife with no blade rap??? 😆Nice looking piece, buddy!

[@TheKnifeRaven]

I know! Shocking, isn't it? 🤣 Cheers, as always!

[@lewisgreenway5065]

Like the blade dislike the handle to slab sided and I would send it back with gap being so bad at the back end, like French knives but not this one. 🙄

[@TheKnifeRaven]

@@lewisgreenway5065 Perfectly fair. I can certainly see how the gapping could be a nuisance! Regardless, it's still a shockingly sturdy little knife-and hey, my Dad enjoys it! Cheers, as always, Lewis!

[@Yellow_Devil_]

So the knife has both a blade kick AND a stop pin? What is the point in that?

[@TheKnifeRaven]

I'm not exactly sure, really! 😅 Nothing I've seen regarding the Pradel's history seems to explain why such a choice was made. Perhaps this is unique to Coursolle? I do not know. Cheers!

[@Yellow_Devil_]

@@TheKnifeRaven Umh, I checked a couple of other reviews for Pradel patterns manufactured by other makers and they also seem to feature both blade kick and stop pin. It would be interesting to find out how the original model was as intended by Mr. Pradel... As it is, I guess you can still get either blade rap or proud tips, depending on which stops the blade first, the stop pin or the kick, respectively!

[@TheKnifeRaven]

@@Yellow_Devil_ This has only increased my curiosity! I'd thought that, maybe, this was something Coursolle did, specifically, but I see that I must be wrong! I suppose this leaves more room for research? 😁 Cheers, as always!