Among the lovers and collectors of cold arms is quite popular French brand of knives Opinel. Simple appearance, good performance, traditions and history of old France - all this combines the products of this brand.
A bit of history
Opinel - French brand of knives, which is known throughout the world. Similar knives existed throughout France in the nineteenth century in the economy of the peasants and workers. The year of creation of the first sample of a folding pocket knife with a wooden handle was 1890. Then the young and enterprising Joseph Opinel thought about creating a new knife model suitable for the local household and convenient for carrying in his pocket.
Its idea was appreciated by fellow villagers, and knives began to be popular.
A few years later, Joseph can no longer cope with the flow of orders and hires three assistants, his nameless 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 weapons should have his own stamp - a personal trademark. Therefore, on Opinel products, on each released knife, a nominal stamp depicting a hand with a raised index and middle finger and a crown above it began to be affixed.
The knives were a simple handle made of wood (usually beech) or a horn and a sharp blade of soft metal that could be hidden in the handle.
At that time there were 10 dimensional species: from the smallest (key chains) to giant 22-centimeter blades. Much later, in 1955, on large models (starting from the sixth number) a unique patented lock was installed - the “viroblock”, which prevented an unexpected opening or closing of the knife (it still applies today).
The lineup
At the moment, the blades of knives are made using carbon steel or stainless steel. For the production of handles, tree species grown in France are used: elm, beech, wild cherry, boxwood, ash, oak, olive, bubinga and eben.
Often use handles made of horns, there are modern models with plastic handles.
The models are simple in their design: the handle with a cut for the blade, the blade and the ring-clip are easy to use and easy to maintain. In addition to traditional knives, well-proven in the market, today's production includes the following models.
- For tourism. There are several models that can be used in hiking, fishing and hunting. But the unifying feature is that each instance has a handle made using fiberglass-reinforced nylon and a Sandvik stainless steel blade of various lengths. Some models are equipped with a rescue whistle, flashing, hook, cutter. All models are provided with a "viroblock" lock.
- Sirloin. The company presents knives with a horn, beech, olive, bubing and eben handle and special sharpening blades made of Sandvik stainless steel. The length of the blade ranges from 8 cm to 15 cm. Each model is equipped with patented locking "Viroblock", which ensures the safety of use in the open or closed position. This model can be purchased in a box made of wood with the included cover for a knife.
- Garden. The company is represented by folding knives with beech handles and blades of stainless or carbon steel with straight, curved, serrated blades from 8 cm in length (mushroom picker's knife) to 18 cm (saws). Knives are additionally processed with anti-corrosion compounds. All models are equipped with a “viroblock” lock, a lanyard hole, and a mushroom picker's knife is supplemented with a special brush to remove dirt.
- Outdoor. Handles, as in the models for tourism, are made of polyamide reinforced with fiberglass, blades made of stainless steel with a length of 8.5 cm are additionally equipped with a serreytor. Each copy has a lock “viroblok”, a rescue whistle and a key for rigging brackets.
- Miniature charms. 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 the child the safe and proper handling of cutting objects. They are a handle made of beech wood and a steel blade with a rounded end length of 8 cm. Equipped with a lock "viroblok". Suitable for cooking, working with wood and making crafts.
- Kitchen. The company represents 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 wood impregnated with acetal resin (protects against moisture, acids, fats and alkali). This line includes peelers, butter knives, universal models with serrated edges, multifunctional ones with a smooth cutting edge, a curved blade for cleaning fruits and vegetables, sirloin models, and cutlery.
The entire model range is manufactured according to the standards of the manufacturer - a wooden handle, blades and blades made of stainless steel of various lengths and sharpening. You can purchase both a separate model and a set of several knives in gift wrapping.
Cutlery is presented in the Bon Appetit and Chic series. Chic knives are a filet type with a handle made of beech, ebony or other precious woods and Trailing Point Inox blade (spring-loaded stainless steel) that do not require special care. Blade length is 10 centimeters. You can purchase 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, which provides high wear resistance and protection against moisture and corrosion, and an Inox blade with a blade length of 11 cm and a 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 clams.
In this series you can buy Opinel Nomad Cooking Kit for use outdoors and on the go, consisting of folding knives for cleaning vegetables and fruits, classic with a corkscrew, with serreytornoj sharpening and a cutting board made of beech. Everything is packaged in microfiber fabric. From the above review of the Opinel knife lineup, it follows that absolutely every buyer will be able to choose for himself a unique copy or make a wonderful gift to a lover and collector of knives from a limited series.
Owner reviews
Numerous reviews of Opinel product owners can be divided into 2 camps. Some are ardent fans of the brand with history and consider it obligatory to have at least one Opinel in their collection. They are not confused by the simple and rough appearance of the products, and affordable prices only add to those who want to buy the famous Opinel in their piggy bank.
Many owners of the "classics" are ready to carry out time-consuming manipulations to improve the working properties of the models.So, they impregnate wood handles with linseed oil to impart moisture resistance and create a corrosion-resistant coating to carbon steel blades (by immersion in Coca-Cola). But modern Opinel models already have all the protective properties, blades are sharper (and remain so 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 system for opening and closing the blade is considered a disadvantage. The presence of sufficiently thin blades made of flexible metals in some models leads to a rapid bending of the blades, which is also attributed to the shortcomings. But thanks to the centuries-old traditions of metal processing, which the manufacturer 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.
