The knife Opinel , or simply Opinel , is a pocket knife out of wooden, with the symbol of “crowned hand”, whose principal characteristic is to be cheap. It is manufactured since the Années 1890 in the commune of Albiez-the-Old man close to Saint-Jean-with-Maurienne in Savoy then with Cognin in the suburbs of Chambéry since 1920. Since 1973, the activity was gradually delocalized towards a new factory with Chambéry. The end of the activities of the site of Cognin is envisaged in the neighborhoods of December 2007.
History
The creator of the company was Taillandier of trade. He manufactured large tools for agriculture. In parallel it produced already some knives and one of its models rained much what encouraged it to launch out in the industrial production of knives.The Opinel knife was invented by Joseph Opinel towards 1895. With the beginning of the Second world war, 20 million specimens had already been sold. The company is always directed by the Opinel family. There exists a museum of Opinel with Saint-Jean-with-Maurienne.
The company is established since 1973 with Chambéry in Savoy with a factory with Cognin. It is directed since 1998 by the back grandson of the creator. In 2005, it realized nearly 9 million euros of turnover with 90 paid.
Description
Materials
The traditional model is composed of a handle out of wooden of Hêtre or Merisier and a blade in Acier with the Carbone. This one gives a very good edge but requires to be regularly sharpened, and must be kept clean to avoid tarnishing and rust. However, of the variations of the original model were created, using luxurious or exotic wood such as the Chêne, the Noyer, the olive-tree, the Rosier or the painted hornbeam, or other materials like the ox horn. Blades in Stainless steel also exist, which return the maintenance of the almost optional knife.
Construction
The construction of the knife is very simple. It consists of the assembly of three or four parts: the blade, the handle out of wooden, a metal band riveted on which the blade swivels, and (except for the small sizes) a ring of safety to prevent the blade from being closed again on the hand of the user (there is no spring to keep it open). Added in 1955, it was modified in 2000 to also be able to block the blade in closed position and to avoid an accidental opening, or perhaps like protection for the children. In the same spirit there exists a knife with round end.
Design
The elegant curve of the blade is a known Spanish traditional design under the name of yatagán , whereas the round-off at the base of the handle accommodating the end of the blade is indicated like a cut in front.
Certain models exist certainly more for the principle of innovation that for practical reasons, the such giant version with a blade of 22 cm, measuring a 50 cm length total once opened. The shapes of nontraditional blade and handle were added to the range, as of the models which are not really of Opinels, like kitchen knifes or table, but which carries the prestigious mark all the same.
Logo
The crowned hand was already present on the blade of the model first, any Master cutler in front of since Charles IX affixing his emblem on its manufacture in order to guarantee origin and quality of it. Later, the words OPINEL and FRANCE were added, like STAINLESS for the stainless blades.
The three fingers on the blade represent the relics of Saint Jean-Baptiste that Sainte Thècle brought back Alexandria (Egypt) to the 6th century. They are also reproduced on the weapons of the city of Saint-Jean-of-Maurienne.
At the beginning of 3 Opinel marks existed: that quoted as well as the Cross of Savoy and the Cross and Palm; for the latter, manufacture stopped in 1967.
Sizes
Opinels exist in 10 numbered sizes from 2 to 12 (blade of 3.5 cm to 12 cm), numbers 1 and 11 having been stopped respectively in 1932 and 1935. Number 8 (blade of 8,5 cm) is certainly the size most appreciated and most practical for an everyday usage, although the larger models are excellent like camp-site or kitchen knife.
Cultural statute
The Opinel knife is an element of the French culture for a long time. Is used it to collect dandelions or mushrooms, to cut the meat to the house or sausage in wood, to strip an electric wire or to cut a stick. Pablo Picasso used it to carve, Alain Colas escaped with died while cutting a bond which blocked the leg to him, Eric Tabarly swore only by its Opinel…
Its simple but clever construction, which remained almost unchanged since more than one century, is suitable for have transformed Opinel into a traditional object of the design. The only changes are a stainless blade for certain models and a ring of safety which makes it possible to block the blade in closed position. Opinels are light to carry and not very expensive to replace. If it is well maintained (carbon steel blades particularly), Opinel will last a long time. The blade and the handle of the knife will then take a pleasant patinated aspect.
One of the main advantages of and the manufacture simple design of Opinel is the very low price. Other “traditional” knives like the Laguiole or the Nontron are expensive. It is easy to have several Opinels of sizes, colors or materials different. Opinels are sufficiently cheap to be able to be sold in whole out of box, or like gifts of company. Some use even their knives as supports for their artistic activities, decorating the handle of wood in Pyrogravure or carving there forms resulting from their own imagination.
The Literary prize " Charmettes Rousseau" , created by Maurice Opinel is intended to crown a work close to nature in the spirit of the daydreams and Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
See too
Related articles
External bonds
- Official site Opinel
- the museum of Opinel
- Opinel, a saga in the pocket (Guide Latitude Gallimard Maurienne)
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