Come and join some like minded friends in a tool collector’s haven! Situated half an hour south west of Paris, in the village of Bievres, is the base for the one and only French tool collector’s association. Commonly known as ‘LADO’- Les Amis De l’Outil means, quite literally, ‘friends of the tools’. The association represents the tools and their trades in many schools and exhibitions and also produces a newsletter.


The most important tool fair is held in Bievres on 1 May every year. This fair has been going now for 20 years and attracts dealers and collectors of tools and folk art. This is all you’ll see here as no other goods are admitted into the fair. You’ll meet collectors from all over the continent, and the best tool hunters will wake up at 5am to start browsing thousands of tools with the help of a flashlight to find that rare piece. It is a very friendly fair too. Over the years everyone gets to know each other - dealers and collectors alike. Once it is known what you are looking for, your favourite pieces will be saved for you.

The museum itself is run by benevolent members and is a non-profit making organisation. It exhibits tools which are well documented and many complete tool kits for trades are on display. It also has an interesting library with lots of trade catalogues to view. Unfortunately it can only grow slowly because of the lack of volunteers to help.

The association really needs to expand to larger premises to be able to display more of its collection as it has been given hundreds of thousands of tools, most of them being cleaned in the nearby shed. I’m sure all of you will know just how much TLC is involved in this huge task of cleaning and restoration. So please do visit the fair if you can and lend your support. Look forward to seeing you there!

Another date for your diaries is the growing Saint Nectaire Fair (held on the last weekend in August). The city itself is famous for its cheese of the same name and for its hot springs too. Situated in Central France, south of Clermont Ferrand and in a volcanic area, it is surrounded by mountains and cowbells. As a remnant of the spa era, there are plenty of hotels in the city and a casino as well.


Here you might see a few dealers that were in Bievres on May 1 but with different stock, as well as a few others from southern France who didn’t come to the May fair. This is a professional fair with only selected and registered dealers. You will see craftsmen at work and be able to attend lectures about tools and trades in the casino.

The organiser of the event, Daniel Verdier, is the son of a famous authority and writer on tools, trades, antiques and folk art. The fair has a growing reputation and buyers come from everywhere. It lasts two days so there is plenty of time for tools and also food and drink. Also the trade is regulated here and no business is allowed before 8 am. So you won’t miss anything if you had too much…er… drink the night before!