Before being a tactical knife brand and supplier to the French army, TB-Outdoor is the culmination of thirteen generations of the same family of Thiers-based cutlers. This story began in 1580 and has never been interrupted since—a rare continuity that has earned the Tarrerias Bonjean Group membership in the very exclusive Henokiens circle. Here is the complete narrative, with the dates and the figures who have shaped it.
1580: Claude Tarrerias, the first recorded cutler of the lineage
Documented history begins with Claude Tarrerias, who started his work as a master grinder in the Thiers region. His son, Jean Tarrerias, continued the tradition—his 1646 marriage contract already explicitly mentions his occupation as a cutler, proving that the craft was already being passed down from father to son at that time.
1648: official registration
Departmental archives record the mention of Claude Tarrerias as a master grinder in Celles-sur-Durolle. It is this 1648 date that serves as the official landmark today—the brand TB-1648 derives its name from it—even if the family's cutlery activity is attested as far back as 1580. The two dates do not contradict each other: 1580 marks the start of the activity, and 1648 marks its first official archival trace.
1919: the postcard documenting the craft
The oldest visual record of the family history is a postcard titled "Thiers pittoresque: Les couteliers" (Picturesque Thiers: The Cutlers), dated around 1919. The photograph shows the family workshop—a "rouet"—set up in the village of Le Moulin Neuf, along the banks of the Durolle river, whose current powered the grindstones.
One can distinguish master grinders lying on boards, performing the grinding of blades by hand through friction against large stone wheels. The central figure is Joseph Tarrerias, then the 8th generation of cutlers in the lineage. In the foreground, blurred, an 11-year-old girl polishes blades by hand: this is Marie Bonjean, the 11th generation of another lineage of cutlers. A small dog is lying on the legs of a grinder to keep him warm—a detail that gives this 100-year-old photograph a rare, intimate character for an industrial document.
1926: the union of two lineages
Marie Bonjean marries Lucien Tarrerias, son of Joseph. This union brought together two Thiers cutlery families who had each been practicing the craft for several generations.
The founding of the Tarrerias Bonjean company
After the Second World War, Lucien Tarrerias and Marie Bonjean took the family workshop a decisive step further: moving to an industrial scale. It was at this moment that the Tarrerias Bonjean company was formally born, pairing the two family names. Their son Georges Tarrerias would then pick up the torch, before passing it on in turn to the next generation.
1989: the arrival of the current generation
Eric Tarrerias joined the family business, followed shortly after by his sister Carole Tarrerias and her husband Stéphane Guillaumont, who would later take charge of the industrial subsidiary GDD. It is this generation—the 13th of cutlers in the lineage—that leads the group today.
1998: full industrial independence
Tarrerias Bonjean integrated the entire manufacturing process in-house—from the raw steel coil to the polishing of the finished product. A choice that durably distinguishes the company in a sector where partial outsourcing is the norm.
2001-2018: the birth of the military and outdoor world
1996 marked the beginning of the collaboration with the French army via the Bivouac®. The subsidiary Générale de Découpage (GDD), led by Stéphane Guillaumont, obtained the EPV label in 2001—the same year the Baroudeur® took over from the Bivouac®. In 2007, Tarrerias Bonjean became the first French cutlery company to be ISO 9001 certified. The 2016 move to the current site in La Monnerie-le-Montel accompanied the growth of the business, culminating in the adoption of the C.A.C.® in 2018—the result of two decades of field feedback and the collaboration with Philippe Perotti, a former member of the French special forces.
Today: two brands, one home
The SE Tarrerias Bonjean Group currently manages two distinct commercial worlds: TB-Outdoor, dedicated to field and military expertise, and TB-1648, dedicated to table cutlery and culinary art—a name that directly pays homage to the official registration date of 1648. This dual identity rests on the same foundation: thirteen generations of Thiers cutlery expertise, full industrial integration via GDD, and uninterrupted family governance, which earned the group its membership in the Henokiens circle.
Summary chronology
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1580 | Claude Tarrerias, first recorded master grinder of the lineage |
| 1648 | Official registration of cutlery activity in the departmental archives |
| 1919 | Postcard "Picturesque Thiers: The Cutlers" — Joseph Tarrerias and Marie Bonjean |
| 1926 | Marriage of Marie Bonjean and Lucien Tarrerias |
| After 1945 | Industrial founding of the Tarrerias Bonjean company |
| 1989 | Arrival of Eric and Carole Tarrerias, 13th generation |
| 1996 | First regulation knife supplied to the French army: the Bivouac® |
| 1998 | Full vertical integration of production |
| 2001 | EPV label for GDD; adoption of the Baroudeur® |
| 2007 | First ISO 9001 certification in the French cutlery industry |
| 2016 | Move to the current site in La Monnerie-le-Montel |
| 2018 | Adoption of the C.A.C.® |
| 2022 | New warehouse, ecological transition (solar panels) |
Frequently asked questions
Why does TB-1648 bear this name if the family history dates back to 1580?
1580 marks the beginning of the Tarrerias family's documented cutlery activity. 1648 is the date when this activity was officially registered in the departmental archives—it is this second date that was chosen as the official founding landmark.
Who leads the Tarrerias Bonjean Group today?
Eric and Carole Tarrerias, the 13th generation of the lineage, with Stéphane Guillaumont as head of the industrial subsidiary GDD.
Is the 1919 postcard visible anywhere?
Yes, it is presented on the page dedicated to the history of TB-Outdoor.
