Among fans and collectors of knives, the French brand of Opinel knives is quite popular. Simple appearance, good performance, traditions and the history of old France - all this combines products of this brand.
A bit of history
Opinel is a French brand of knives that is known worldwide. Similar knives existed throughout France in the 19th century on the farms of peasants and workers. The year of creation of the first model of a folding pocket knife with a wooden handle was 1890. Then the young and entrepreneurial Joseph Opinel thought about creating a new model of a knife suitable for the local population and convenient for carrying in your pocket.
His idea was appreciated by fellow villagers, and knives began to be popular.
A few years later, Joseph can no longer cope independently with the flow of orders and hires three assistants, his as-yet unnamed production continues to grow. By 1901, Opinel opened a small factory, which already employs 15 people.
In those days, it was believed that every artisan who produces cold steel should have his own brand - a personal brand. Therefore, on Opinel products, on each released knife, a personalized stamp depicting a hand with the index and middle fingers raised and a crown above it began to be affixed.
The knives were a simple construction made of a handle made of wood (usually beech) or a horn and a sharp soft metal blade that could be hidden in a handle.
At that time, there were 10 dimensional species: from the smallest (key rings) to the giant 22-centimeter blades.Much later, in 1955, on large models (starting with the sixth number), a unique patented lock was installed - a “viroblock”, which prevented the knife from opening or closing unexpectedly (used to this day).
The lineup
At the moment, knife blades are made using carbon steel or stainless steel. For the production of handles, species of trees growing in France are used: elm, beech, wild cherry, boxwood, ash, oak, olive, bubinga and ebony.
Often use handles made of horn, there are modern models with handles made of plastic.
The models are simple in design: a handle with a cut for a blade, a blade and a retainer ring are convenient to use and easy to care for. In addition to traditional knives that have proven themselves in the market, today's production includes the following models.
- For tourism. There are several models that you can use when hiking, fishing and hunting. But the unifying feature is the presence of a handle in each instance, made using fiberglass-reinforced nylon and a Sandvik stainless steel blade of various lengths. Some models are equipped with a rescue whistle, a flint, a hook, a cutter. All models are provided with a “Viroblock” lock.
- Loin. The company presents knives with a handle made of horn, beech, olive, bubing and ebony and special sharpening blades made of stainless Swedish Sandvik alloy. The length of the blade ranges from 8 cm to 15 cm. Each model is equipped with patented “Viroblock” locks, which ensures the safety of use in open or closed position. This model can be purchased in a wooden box with the attached knife case.
- Garden. The company presents folding knives with a beech handle and a stainless or carbon steel blade with straight, curved, serrated blades from 8 cm long (mushroom knife) to 18 cm long (saws). Knives are additionally treated with anti-corrosion compounds. All models are equipped with a “viroblock” lock, a hole for the lanyard, and the mushroom picker’s knife is supplemented with a special brush to remove dirt.
- Outdoor The handles, as in the models for tourism, are made of fiberglass-reinforced polyamide, stainless steel blades 8.5 cm long are additionally equipped with a serrator. Each instance has a “viroblock” lock, a rescue whistle and a key for rigging brackets.
- Miniature trinkets. These are knives with a blade length of 2 cm, equipped with a chain with a key ring.
- Baby My first Opinel. Folding knives suitable for teaching a child how to safely and properly handle cutting objects. They are a beech handle and a steel blade with a rounded end 8 cm long. They are equipped with a “Viroblock” lock. Suitable for cooking, working with wood and making crafts.
- Kitchenware. The company presents various models of knives for cooking, cutting meat, serving.
Features of kitchen knives
As a rule, all kitchen knives and cutlery from this manufacturer are presented with a fixed blade. The blades are made of stainless steel, and the handles are made of beech impregnated with acetal resin (protects from moisture, acids, fats and alkali). This range includes vegetable peelers, butter knives, universal models with a serrated edge, multi-functional with a smooth cutting edge, with a curved blade for peeling vegetables and fruits, sirloin models, cutlery.
The entire model range is made according to the manufacturer's standards - a wooden handle, blades and stainless steel blades of various lengths and sharpening. You can purchase both a separate model and a set of several knives in a gift box.
Cutlery is presented in the Bon Appetit and Chic series. Knives from the Chic collection are a filet type with a handle made of beech, ebony or other valuable woods and the Trailing Point Inox blade (spring-loaded stainless steel), which does not require special care.The length of the blade is 10 centimeters. You can buy a set of 4 knives, packed in a box.
Knives from the Bon Appetit collection are made for permanent use in the restaurant business and at home.
The design consists of a handle made of polymerized formaldehyde providing high wear resistance and protection against moisture and corrosion, and an Inox blade with a blade length of 11 cm and special sharpening (does not require frequent sharpening, leaving the blade sharp even with constant use).
Also in the assortment of the company are models Opinel Gourmet with a 10-centimeter blade, a corkscrew and a 9-centimeter blade for oysters and shellfish.
In this series you can purchase Opinel Nomad Cooking Kit for use in nature and on trips, consisting of folding knives for peeling vegetables and fruits, classic with a corkscrew, serreitor sharpening and a cutting board made of beech. Everything is packed in microfiber fabric. From the above review of the model range of Opinel knives, it follows that absolutely every buyer will be able to choose a unique copy for himself or make a wonderful gift for a connoisseur and collector of knives from a limited series.
Owner reviews
Numerous reviews from Opinel product owners can be divided into 2 camps. Some are ardent fans of the brand with a history and consider it obligatory to have at least one Opinel in their collection. They are not confused by the simple and rude appearance of the products, and affordable prices only add those who want to buy the famous Opinel to their piggy bank.
Many owners of the "classics" are ready to carry out time-consuming manipulations to improve the working properties of models. So, they impregnate wooden handles with linseed oil to give moisture resistance and create an anti-corrosion coating on carbon steel blades (by immersion in Coca-Cola). And modern Opinel models already have all the protective properties, the blades are sharper (they remain such for a long time), and the handles are more durable and ergonomic.
But there are those who consider the models obsolete, and the lack of an automatic blade open-close system is considered a drawback. The presence in some models of sufficiently thin blades made of flexible metals leads to a quick curvature of blades, which is also attributed to disadvantages. But thanks to the centuries-old traditions of metal processing, which the manufacturing company adheres to this day, the simplicity of design and multifunctional use of knives, as well as low prices, the popularity of Opinel products is growing every day.
An overview of Opinel knives see below.
