Thief Hits Upscale Knife Shop for Top Montreal Chefs

The store that provides and sharpens handmade Japanese blades for scores of top Montreal chefs was the victim of a heist at approximately 5 a.m. today. Some 200 knives were taken from L'Émouleur, reports owner Guillaume De L'Isle. The merchant estimates the loss at $200,000. The case is now in the hands of the police. De L'Isle adds that the knives were insured and that security camera footage shows a lone perpetrator. It took the thief two minutes to complete the robbery.

After De L'Isle broke the news on Facebook, scores of Montreal chefs rushed to offer words of encouragement and support. Alexandre Loiseau, formerly of Bistro Cocagne, told the Gazette in 2009 that L'Émouleur's knives "are incredible: very exclusive and expensive, but they stay sharp longer because they are made from a better, harder steel. I know because I sharpen them myself. I’m a maniac about my knives, and Guillaume’s are the highest quality available in the city." De L'Isle posted this photo of his looted store today.