Opinel is one of the brands that should stick in everyone’s mind. It is a traditional knife that we have surely come across in our lives. The origins of this brand date back to the beginning of the 19th century and to the family blacksmith’s shop bearing the name Opinel.
The first world-famous knife as we know it today was made by Joseph Opinel, the third generation of blacksmiths in his family. It was created in 1890. However, the world only saw mass production in 1897, when a dozen knives marked only with numbers 1–12 appeared on the market. These were graded by size. The first factory and true mass production started in 1901 in Pont de Gevoudaz.
What does a genuine Opinel look like?
A typical folding Opinel knife has in most cases a uniform appearance — a straight wooden handle with a folding blade secured by a rotating collar. This is what a genuine Opinel looks like.
Opinel today
Today, Opinel does not produce only classic Opinel mushroom knives; production has also expanded to include kitchen knives, steak knives, as well as children’s and gardening knives. In our range, the most common are the classic Opinel mushroom knives.
These can have blades made of stainless or carbon steel. In most cases, the handle is made from quality beech wood, shaped to fit comfortably in the hand as well as in the pocket. Among the most popular models in our offer are the gardening knife Opinel 8 with a specially shaped handle and the Opinel 12 with carbon blade.