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HELLO !

Between June 16and June 27th, I will be travelling throughout California to show our « Basque Country » knife along with our other MIZPIRA creations.
I will each day relate my trip through California : Los Angeles, Chino, Ontario, Bakersfield, San Francisco, Carmel… See you later .. :-)) />
Watch this space !
Til then….

Best





Rachel and Pascal EXPOSITO - Louis PLAA’s grand kids from St Jean Pied de port « Garazi »
LES COUTELIERS BASQUES - Route de l’Hydro - 64200 Arcangues - France
Cell : +33 (0) 608 638 631
info@ lescouteliersbasques.fr

Proud of our identity, in love with our land and traditions, it seemed obvious that a knife symbolizing the Basque authenticity and culture was missing. That is the reason why our 20 years of experience, allows us to create the Mizpira. The story of the Basque knife started 2 years ago.

Mizpira is made of scarified medlar, wood used to make the famous Makila. This wood requires many years of work, engraved by the hand of man from April to May, it is cut and picked up in November. Long years of drying will give it the hardness necessary to be a defence stick when it becomes a Makila, authentic and traditional travel companion in the Basque culture. Its beautiful warm shade comes from barking, straightening and steaming in ovens…

Mizpira was born from this wood of a rare beauty. Mizpira in Basque means: medlar fruit…

While its spring is done smooth and is avoided with a beautiful cross forged manually, symbol of the Basque identity, its sober line mixes elegance with stainless glossed with the warm shade of the rare medlar tree…

Mizpira, exceptional range of gifts...



Mizpira exceptional range of gifts …
Think Mizpira for special events:
- weddings - birthdays - retirements - congratulations …

Your Makila is on the wall, your Mizpira on your pocket, always taking care of you…

« … each wood is “unique”, full of its own history, and if for an instant, you are the lovers of nature and of the nourishing earth, then, you slip your fingers on its veins, cherish each of its slightest details, touch lightly each one of its curves and thus be in touch with the soul of this noble wood, that is medlar… »



The Basque cross is sculpted by hand on the spring forged in one piece.The steel blade is 12c27, Swedish Sandvik stainless steel richer in carbon than the 440 surgical steel, giving it a better quality of cut. Thickness : 3 mm, hardness : 54 Hrc

To see in live its production, click here to watch the video

Each piece is unique, full of its own history ...



A scabbard made in Buffalo leather accompanies each of our basque knife Mizpira. We specially design it to make the basque cross appear. We also create a scabbard for belt.

Our partner for scabbard is Remy Carriat Tannery from Espelette



Each basque knife Mizpira is supplied with a parchment which it's numbered for Mizpira Damascus blade...

The parchment confirms the authenticity of your Mizpira and tells you about the soul and the story of Mizpira ...

"... come closer, cherish its invaluable flesh so that it lives under your fingers, its prints speak to you about a history, this story of love between the medlar, time and the man: in May, these lovers meet, the man engraves the tree with the greatest care and lets it continue its slow growth until November, best time for the cut and the collecting of the scarified feet of medlar. Long years of drying will give it the hardness necessary to be a defence stick when it becomes a Makila, authentic and traditional travel companion in the Basque culture.

Its beautiful warm shade comes from barking, straightening and steaming in ovens…

That’s for sure, Mizpira is ready to seduce you and be cherished for life, probably because of all the things he has to say, your love story just begins… "

Creations customized on request engraving in relief on the spring

*- In order to respect and leave apparent scarifications of each wood, the technique requires assembling, specific knowledge, patience and meticulousness.

*- Each side of the medlar is cut gradually from the inside to come between the bolsters and the liners.

*- The Basque cross is sculpted by hand on the spring forged in one piece.

*- The steel blade is 12c27, Swedish Sandvik stainless steel richer in carbon than the 440 surgical steel, giving it a better quality of cut.

Thickness : 3 mm, hardness : 54 Hrc

*- The Basque cross, the spring, the blade, the bolsters and the liners are in dull stainless steel, to combine contemporary with the nobility and the authenticity of the medlar.

« …it is an endless fascination to see the light playing on its surface, even the smallest actions that had occurred during its manufacture are trapped in the metal. It keeps the memory of fire and hammer … »

The production of Damascus blade requires exceptional knowledge and it will require full pages to explain its technique of production precisely.

In a word, a Damascus blade is forged from a piece of steel that as been folded, hammered, shaped hundreds of times to get the desired number of layers. The pattern is revealed by soaking in acid baths, which oxidize carbon by a chemical reaction.

Each of our carbon Damascus blade has more than 280 superimposed layers of steel. Thickness : 3 mm, hardness : 54 Hrc

Our Swedish stainless steel Damascus blade has more than 120 superimposed layers.

Thickness : 3mm, hardness : 54 Hrc



The Mizpira Damascus blades are numbered.

Pleasure of tasting, friendliness, warmth of meeting with friends or family, by its generous and elegant curves, the basque sommelier Mizpira invites you to travel ... Go to the discovery of thousand and one lands and enjoy these vintages which have been sometimes forgotten in the cellar, for future delight !
You will appreciate its transparent support designed where transparency and authenticity coexist in perfect harmony.

The quintessence of the makila wood
Rare parts, an exceptional beauty ... The fine and elegant knife is out of brushed steel, glossed, raised of a superb Basque cross.
Its handle of 17cm ensures an excellent catching. Accompanied by the matched fork, this service to be cut out will find its place on the most beautiful tables...

Knife 34cm long
Fork 28cm long

Our knowledge enables us to produce customized knives .
For example, the logo of a company can be engraved then carved to the hand on the forged spring of one part only. We also engrave, in relief, the name of the company or of the person on the spring and according to your desires, we avoid these beautiful parts of many different wood : ebony, olive-tree, root of heather, genévrier etc…
To give you an idea of the vastness of the possibilities offered, here are some pictures…
Any idea ? A particular wish ? don’t waste your time, get in touch with us.


Logo of a french company engraved and carved by hand



Engraved in relief with the company name



Ebony handler assembly with rivets on duffels.



Customized on request



Airplane engraved and carved by hand



Name engraved on relief on the stringe



Handler in genevrier,an exceptional pepper smell wood