When in France, Noah and I picked up a LaGuiole knife to cut food and open wine bottles with. It was a bit pricey but I am still amazed at both the fit and finish as well as the hand-feel of the blade. It works like an extension of one's paw. What is really cool is if you look at the old French books on la savate and lutte (like Renaud's or Andre's), the blade shape is the same as used by both the savateur and the "apache." There website also has regional blades and many of the techniques I learned back when I studied savate favored the vine cutting blade from my family's home province.

So, Terry, can you make me one with a 5" blade, a liner lock, and some sort of thumb release?