OPINEL

The Opinel, famous pocket knife "with crowned hand". This emblem was chosen in 1909 as a tribute to Saint Jean-Baptiste and the former Duchy of Savoy by its creator, Joseph Opinel. Unchanged for more than a century, its design is one of the most accomplished of all time.

History. Victor-Amédée Opinel, peddler, learned to forge nails during his tours. In 1800, he set up his first forge workshop in Gevoudaz, a hamlet of Albiez-le-Vieux, near Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. His son, Daniel, then works alongside him and then takes over the workshop from him. He will become a renowned slasher very appreciated by farmers who came from far away to buy him pruning hooks or sickles.... In 1890, his eldest son, Joseph Opinel, was 18 years old and worked in the family tailoring workshop. His passion for machines and manufacturing processes will make him want to invent an object that he wants to be able to manufacture with modern techniques. Against the advice of his father, who loved craftsmanship and distrusted machines, he spent his free time refining the shape and manufacture of a small pocket knife: the Opinel was born!

Joseph Opinel has the idea to decline his knife in different formats that can be suitable for large or small hands and be dedicated to different uses. Thus in 1897, he developed 12 sizes numbered from 1 to 12. In the 1970s, a giant knife was manufactured in small quantities as a promotional item for shop windows...... who very quickly asked the company to manufacture them in large series to sell them to individuals! Giant No. 13 has a 22 cm blade and measures 50 cm open! The commercial success is not denied, Joseph must manufacture more quantities. He left his father's forge and built his factory on the Gevoudaz bridge in 1901, near the family workshop. In this new building, he wanted to rationalize production and developed machines to manufacture the sleeves more quickly. Thanks to his hydraulic turbine, he is the first inhabitant of the town to have electricity!

In 1915, Joseph Opinel decided to set up his company in the suburbs of Chambéry, in Cognin, at the heart of an important rail and road network. In 1917, with the support of his two sons, he began the industrial and commercial development of Opinel. In 1950, Maurice, Marcel's son, joined the company, he is still its president today. In 1955, the Virobloc safety system was created: a rotating ferrule which, by sliding on the fixed ferrule, can close the slot and thus block the unfolded blade. It will be generalized on all models in 2000. With the increase in demand during the Thirty Glorious Years, a new production site was built at Rivériaz.

In 1998, Maurice Opinel's eldest son, Denis, took over the company's general management. In 2003 the head office was moved from Cognin to La Revériaz. In 2016, Opinel opened a subsidiary in Chicago (USA).

The products. Knives and pocket tools (corkscrews, mini screwdrivers, oyster knives, gardening knives...), kitchen knives, cutlery...

The pluses. The Opinel Museum, created in 1989, in the former workshop of Jacques Opinel's grandfather, traces the history of Opinel. The visit ends with a film made in the workshops and presenting the current manufacturing process.

Jobs. 120 employees produce 5 million knives per year. In 2017, the company has a turnover of 24 million euros, 45% of which is exported to 70 countries. It has a subsidiary in the United States.