The story of La Carrelette®

The Carrelette®, a registered trademark that has become a reference for everyone!

You've probably already called a tile cutter a Carrelette® or heard someone do it, but do you really know the origin of that "name"? Although the name "La Carrelette®" is used today in common parlance to refer to any tile cutter, it has a very specific origin. In the 1970s, PRCI marketed a manual tile cutter called La Carrelette® and registered the name as a trademark. The manufacturer of tools for laying tiles and plumbing was then far from suspecting the craze that his Carrelette® would cause. Very quickly, the brand was used in the professional environment to designate not only the true Carrelette®, but also all the cut-tiles in general. Since then, "La Carrelette®" has become a reference in the professional tiling and DIY community. This said, do you have any idea of the origin of the modern manual tile cutters?

Before the appearance of the tile cutters, what was it?

The manual tile cutter only appears in modern times (around 1900). But before, we already cut blocks of stone and tiles. At the time of the Pharaohs, wooden clubs and copper and bronze tools were used to cut the stones used in the construction of the pyramids. Subsequently, we see the scissors, used together with an iron wedge to facilitate cutting. In the Greek-Roman era, saws were used to cut the tessera (stone cube, enamel, pebble glass, marble ...), an essential element in the manufacture of mosaics. One can get a pretty clear idea of the means used to work the stone from poems, drawings on sarcophagi and especially from remains of stones. It is precisely these remains that made it possible to know that the saw used to cut the stones at that time was a simple carpenter's saw.

The appearance of tile cutters in modern times

The modern era sees the appearance of many machines for cutting stones and tiles. For example, the hydraulic machine LC Strum (1718), invented to facilitate the cutting of stones. In 1883, we saw the construction of a cutter, the Scwherin saw model. It will be seen later that it was close to the style of cutter from ancient times. In 1951, the tile cutter (ceramic cutter or tile cutter) was finally invented. Its inventors were the Boada brothers who are from the city of Rubi in Spain. This cutter was created to facilitate the work of building professionals when working on mosaics. The Boada brothers' tile cutter is particularly popular because of its efficiency and ease of use: straight-line drawing and a dry cut are enough to cut the tile.

The tile cutters and La Carrelette® today

After the Boada brothers' model, cutting machines have evolved greatly. Improvements were imposed by the evolution of the tiles: dimensions, stiffness, thickness ... and for the comfort of its users. We now see models appear more manageable and more efficient. Today, PRCI's tile cutters (Carrelettes®) have evolved and have become patented products for their innovations. The ergonomic handle of the manual tile cutter ( Carrelette®) made exclusively for a natural wrist position and visible lines due to its open style handle or the special mosaic tile cutter are unique products that combine comfort and performance.