Secret France stars Dick and Angel delighted by ancient knife revelation
Mammoth teeth make awesome penknives.
What did you miss?
Secret France with Dick & Angel ended its three-episode run on Sunday, with the final part of this Channel 4 docuseries whisking the couple off to the rugged region of the Auvergne.
During their travels, Dick and Angel Strawbridge stopped by a family-owned knifemakers in the town of Thiers. Here, they were invited into the owner Manu's workshop to design a "one-off" penknife each, comprising of their chosen decorative material.
Awestruck by the ancient fossil on offer, they both opted for the tooth of a mammoth.
What, how and why?
As the couple, who are famed for their fellow C4 programme Escape to the Chateau, headed through to this esteemed workspace, Secret France's narrator informed fans: "The knives are crafted from rare and unusual materials that Manu has responsibly sourced from all across the globe".
Manu proceeded to proudly present a ginormous tooth preset in resin from a shelf. "Look at this, it's very unique. It's a fossil. I can imagine 20,000 years old," he told his visitors.
"OK... 20,000 years old, it has to be a rhino?" replied Dick, with Manu correcting him. "A mammoth tooth? That is amazing. I've never heard that before. You can make a penknife out of a mammoth's tooth?!"
He and wife Angel then requested a "his and hers" penknife incorporating this iconic creature's gnasher; the latter's inlayed with mother of pearl, too.
When the finished products were handed over, it was revealed that Manu had also customised their knives with a tower from their chateau. After planting one on the craftsman's cheek, Dick said: "That is so special! I don't kiss many men, but that is so special".
What else happened on Secret France?
Earlier in the show's last episode, Dick and Angel swung by the spectacularly gothic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Clermont-Ferrand. Built entirely from black lava stone, its construction began in 1248 and was only completed in 1902 due to various interruptions.
Secret France with Dick & Angel is now available to stream in its entirety on Channel 4oD.