Coutellerie Nontronnaise manufactures the Nontron knife, one of the oldest knife brands in France. The Nontron knife-making tradition started with Guillaume Legrand in 1654, followed by his son and grandson, both named Jean Legrand. The current company was established in 1928.

Today the business is a combination museum and workshop. Visitors can explore the exhibits and purchase knives upstairs, then look down from an observation gallery to the workshop below where around 20 artisans craft knives, using a Boxwood plus a variety of other woods and stainless, carbon or Damascus steel. Each knife is handmade through a process involving 39 steps.

The museum includes a delightful collection of miniature knives, previously a speciality of the craftsmen in Nontron. The smallest of these is just 5mm and fits inside a hazelnut shell!

Coutellerie Nontronnaise is one of 1,277 companies with Entreprise du patrimoine vivant "Living heritage company" status (and one of just 9 that are categorized as "Fabrication de coutellerie" or "Cutlery manufacturing"), which they received in 2010. They also have a blog.