Sabre started in Paris in 1993, the work of Francis Gelb, who set out to make flatware that didn't take itself too seriously. The bistro was his reference point: cafés and terraces where the cutlery is plain, a little heavy, and meant to be touched, not admired from a drawer. That instinct became the Bistrot collection, stainless steel paired with acrylic handles in dozens of colors, rivets left visible at the join. From there the range grew outward: Lavandou, with handles cut from real olive wood, and Pop Unis, which rounds off the bistro's square lines into something softer.

Every piece is still made in France, hand-assembled and polished by hand. Sabre's point of view hasn't moved much since 1993: color belongs on the table, flatware should feel good to hold, and a set doesn't need to match perfectly to work.