Laguiole Corkscrew in Mammoth Ivory – A Fossil of Time, Sculpted by Hand
It’s not just rare — it’s prehistoric. Mammoth ivory is not harvested, it is discovered — buried for tens of thousands of years beneath frozen earth, then revealed, gently, like a whispered relic of a vanished world. Its smooth, dense surface carries the calm of millennia. Its color — pale cream, sometimes veined with soft ochre or grey — evokes ancient bone or petrified moonlight.
There is no substitute. No synthetic can imitate the cool depth of its touch, or the visual serenity of its polished grain. When shaped into the handle of a Laguiole corkscrew, it transforms the tool into something else entirely: not just an object of function, but a keeper of silence, patience, and permanence.
Each piece is different, each one finite. Mammoth ivory is, by nature, a material of legacy — fossilized, noble, and forever outside the cycle of fashion. This corkscrew doesn’t seek attention. It invites reverence.
The Cutler’s Craft – Time, Patience, and Bone
Working with mammoth ivory demands patience and respect. The material is dense, slightly brittle, and shaped slowly to preserve its integrity. It is polished by hand in stages — first to uncover its inner hue, then to close the grain, and finally to bring out the soft glow of its fossilized nature.
Each Laguiole in this series is shaped and assembled by a single cutler. There is no repetition, no production line. Just the slow movement of tools on material, the silence of skilled hands, and the invisible line that links this corkscrew to a time long before ours.
Holding it is to hold a gesture — the meeting of an extinct creature, a living artisan, and a moment shared between them.
The Classic Edition – Pure Line, Pure History
This model embraces simplicity — not as a lack, but as a principle. With clean bolsters and a handle in uninterrupted mammoth ivory, the silhouette remains faithful to the essence of Laguiole: fluid, ergonomic, essential. The beauty lies not in ornament, but in proportion.
The material reveals itself differently under light. It may appear matte at dawn, luminous under candlelight, almost translucent at the edges. It speaks not in decoration but in stillness — and when held, it reveals its unexpected weight and its fine, cold smoothness.
It is the perfect gift for those who value truth in materials, depth in objects, and quiet in luxury. Not one of many, but one in itself.
With a Sculpted Bee – A Signature on Fossil
On this exceptional model, the smooth, ancient surface of fossilized mammoth ivory is crowned with a hand-sculpted bee — a symbol of Laguiole’s artisanal lineage. This decorative detail, carved directly into the spring, brings lightness and precision to a material shaped over tens of thousands of years.
The contrast is quiet but striking: the matte glow of ivory meets the shimmer of chiseled steel. The result is a sommelier corkscrew that speaks to connoisseurs — of wine, of craftsmanship, and of time itself. Offering this model is like offering a fragment of prehistory, polished into ritual.
Timeless material, timeless gesture — signed by the bee.
Crust of Mammoth Ivory – Raw, Textured, and Profound
This rare handle retains the outer surface — the **crust** — of fossilized mammoth ivory, preserved through ice, soil, and time. Unlike polished ivory, it remains rugged, marked by cracks, oxidation, and the layered erosion of millennia. It’s not refined — it’s revered.
Each piece is radically unique, often revealing warm tones of brown, grey, or gold. Its texture calls to be touched, its origin to be contemplated. This model isn’t about shine — it’s about soul. For collectors and purists who want the material to speak for itself.
Offer something that no hand has replicated — only revealed.
Ebony & Mammoth Ivory Checkerboard – A Statement of Prestige
Among the most refined sommelier corkscrews in the Laguiole en Aubrac collection, this exceptional piece stands out with its checkerboard inlay — a masterful marquetry combining deep black ebony wood and fossilized mammoth ivory. Each square is meticulously shaped and assembled by hand, forming a geometric mosaic that balances contrast and symmetry with absolute precision.
The handle’s visual rhythm — alternating light and dark, fossil and wood — echoes the harmony between age-old materials and modern craftsmanship. The tactile sensation is just as striking: the warmth of ebony meets the cool, smooth touch of ancient ivory, offering a gripping experience unlike any other.
This sommelier tool also features the signature elements of the Prestige collection: a chiseled bee resting on an engraved spring, and hand-decorated plates that elevate the visual appeal to the highest standards of artisanal excellence. It is more than a corkscrew — it is a collector’s piece, forged for those who appreciate both technical perfection and symbolic elegance.
Nougatine Resin – Daring, Gourmet, and Playfully Luxurious
More than a material, nougatine resin is a visual feast — a gourmet blend of deep amber, toasted caramel, and shimmering golden shards, evoking the crunchy sweetness of its namesake confection. Bold and unexpected, it captures light and attention in equal measure.
This handle is not born of wood or horn, but of artisan fusion — where color, texture, and transparency meet in a sculpted swirl. Each pattern is spontaneous, lively, and unrepeatable, making every piece a celebration of whimsy and elegance.
A corkscrew for those who savor the rare and the refined — with a twist of imagination.
Usage and Sensation – More Than a Tool
Beyond its story, this corkscrew performs with grace. The foil cutter blade is sharp and balanced. The helix enters the cork smoothly. The leverage is precise and fluid. But what you’ll remember is not the mechanics — it’s the way your fingers return, again and again, to the cool ivory curve.
It’s not a sommelier knife for show. It’s one for those who know how to pour a bottle with intention, how to let silence speak before the glass is filled, how to feel tradition in the weight of a simple gesture.
A Gift of Permanence
There are few things we use that might outlast us. This is one of them. The fossil does not age — it already has. The metal will patinate, the polish may soften, but the object will remain, intact, imbued with care and memory.
To offer this Laguiole corkscrew is not only to give beauty — it is to pass on something unrepeatable. An object made not just with tools, but with time, and humility before it.
Offer more than a corkscrew. Offer a moment of deep time — in mammoth ivory.
