The handles of the Laguiole knives are hand-crafted by cutlers regardless of their material. They can be found in wood, horn, and even some in noble and rare elements such as shagreen (treated skin of certain fish) or mammoth molar. The handles are first shaped via an initial cut in the sawmill. Each side is adjusted to fit between the two bolsters of the knife, to the nearest centimeter. An important mark of good quality is the absence of any space between the handle and the bolster.