Opinel

‘Sturdy, rustic, practical – the most simple knife in the world’

billdevink — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 01:04:59 +0000

The firm OPINEL employs today 95 persons, all based in Chambery.

Through this 100% French production, OPINEL S.A manufactures 4 million units per year of which 40% are exported to the 5 continents.
In one century 210,000,000 knives have been sold in the world…

Today, OPINEL offers to the hobbyists and to the professionals, a set of closing tools, made of wood and steel, robust and reliable, ingenious in its creation and easy to use.

1800 Blacksmiths from father to son

billdevink — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 06:53:49 +0000

The Opinel family starts to forge metal.

1872 Birth of Joseph Opinel

billdevink — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 06:54:22 +0000

Birth of Joseph Opinel at Gévoudaz in Savoie.

1890 Family workshop

billdevink — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 06:55:25 +0000

Edgetool maker at Albiez-Le-Vieux, a small village near Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in Savoie, Joseph Opinel manufactures the first Opinel knives.

1897 Series no. 1 to no. 12

billdevink — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 06:56:14 +0000

The series of ten sizes numbered 1 to 12 is developed.

1901 First factory

billdevink — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 06:57:03 +0000

Joseph Opinel builds his first factory at Pont de Gévoudaz and produces a machine to make the handles.

1909 The crowned hand

billdevink — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 06:57:39 +0000

Joseph Opinel registers his first cutlery trademark and chooses “The Crowned Hand” as its emblem.”

1911 Gold Medal

billdevink — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 06:58:19 +0000

Gold Medal at the Alpine International Exhibition in Turin (Italy).

1914 Mass production

billdevink — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 06:59:11 +0000

The start of mass production.

1915 Moving to Chambéry

billdevink — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 07:00:05 +0000

Joseph Opinel buys an abandoned tannery at Cognin (outskirts of Chambéry), along with its waterfall, the Hyères canal, to set up his factory.