Opinel

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An Opinel knife , or simply Opinel , is a folding knife with a wooden handle that has been manufactured by the company of the same name in the French Savoy since the end of the 19th century . The knife, which was developed for agricultural work, has only been slightly changed and developed over the years in terms of function and shape. It is internationally known and distributed in millions of pieces. In France, in particular, the Opinel is considered a classic of everyday culture .

Opinel knife in size 10 with carbon steel blade and beech wood handle

history

Joseph Opinel designed the folding knife in 1890 in the workshop of his father, a toolmaker in the village of Albiez-Le-Vieux near Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne . In order to adapt form and function to his ideas and to be able to manufacture the knife inexpensively in series production, he first developed a device on a small circular saw , with the help of which he could saw a slot in the wooden handle to accommodate the closed blade. He succeeded in designing a pocket knife for sale in Savoy, which is characterized by agricultural work. In 1896, three employed craftsmen produced 60 copies a day. In 1901, the parents' workshop had become too small for knife production, so that Opinel built a larger workshop in the same location in which he employed fifteen people. There was a generator for the power supply there for the first time . In 1909 Joseph Opinel registered his trademark, the crowned hand, to identify his products.

The knives were initially sold by peddlers , who at that time traveled overland and supplied the population with haberdashery . Joseph's uncle Victor-Amédée also sold the knives in this way. In 1911, Opinel took part in the international exhibition in Turin with its products and received a gold medal for its work.

In 1914 the knives were exported to the neighboring countries of Italy and Switzerland.

From 1920, production took place in a new factory in Cognin near Chambéry . By the beginning of World War II , 20 million copies had been sold.

After Germany and Austria, the knives were not exported to Italy and Switzerland until half a century after the start of export, which is why they are less known there, but have since made a name for themselves among outdoor enthusiasts.

Chambéry has been the company's headquarters and largest production site since 1973 . The company is owned by the Opinel family and is managed by Denis Opinel, a great-grandson of Joseph Opinel. There is an Opinel Museum ( Le Musée de l'Opinel ) in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne . Opinel employs around 100 people at the two production sites in Cognin and Chambéry. With the help of automated manufacturing processes, four to five million folding knives are manufactured annually for global sales.

description

Materials

The blade can be locked with the rotating locking sleeve.

The classic model is made from materials typical of its place of origin: the handle is made from beech wood , the blade is punched from carbon steel, as was made in many places in France by local ironworks in the 19th century . The C90 tool steel used has a carbon content of 0.9 percent. Compared to comparable stainless steels, this material ensures a higher possible sharpness at the expense of slightly increased wear. Since this steel does not contain chromium , the blade corrodes in a damp environment. To avoid rust , it is therefore recommended to dry them off after use and ideally treat them with a little acid-free oil.

In the 21st century, Opinel launched numerous variations of the basic model. Noble types of wood such as oak , walnut , olive , rosewood and stained hornbeam were used, as well as other materials such as horn from African cattle. Stainless blades are also available. Here is Sandvik -Stahl 12C27M used. With the pulling cut, they have a better edge retention than the carbon steel blades at a lower level, but do not achieve their sharpness. They are also more difficult to grind due to the carbides they contain. A "luxury Opinel" is the version with a Bubinga wooden handle and stainless blade.

construction

The same knife with the locking sleeve loosened - the blade can be folded in

The Opinel knife consists of four or five components: a blade, a wooden handle, a pivot for folding the blade, a sheet metal sleeve at the front end and above (except in the case of the smallest models up to size n ° 5) a rotatable locking ring (" Virobloc "called). With this one can lock the blade in the open as well as in the closed state in order to prevent injuries to the hand through unintentional closing or opening of the knife. The patented locking ring, introduced in 1955, is bulged in a ring shape and is guided around the handle by the pivot as a sleeve . It is not absolutely cylindrical in shape, but slightly bevelled on the blade side in order to reliably prevent the blade lock from loosening during use. In recent years, this mechanism has been further developed so that it can block the blade against unintentional opening when it is closed.

Design variants

The standard model, also known as the “French Knife” in the USA, is on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. In 1985 it was presented as part of an exhibition on product design at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The shape of the blade is based on a traditional design known as yatagán . The end of the handle is reminiscent of the shape of a fish tail, an element of suitability as a fishing knife. The caught fish can be stunned with a blow on the head with the edge of the knife and then properly killed with the blade. The blade can also be folded out of the handle more easily by tapping the edge point protruding on the blade side on a solid object.

Opened Opinel hip

Some models are more collectible than practical. With the “Géant Opinel” there is an oversized version with a 22 centimeter long blade which, when unfolded, results in a knife length of over 50 centimeters.

Narrower and longer models are suitable for filleting fish. There are tools like a gardening hip or a folding saw. These can also be used outdoors. Kitchen and table knives without a folding mechanism are also sold under the Opinel brand. Based on the classic model, a knife is available in size n ° 7 for children from the recommended age of five ( Mon premier Opinel - My first Opinel ) with a rounded tip. In addition, there is now a “Slim-Line”, that is, slimmer versions that are reminiscent of Laguiole knives , as well as editions with an integrated corkscrew .

Opinel logo

The symbol of the main couronnée ("the crowned hand") was already stamped on the first Opinel knives. Later the words OPINEL and FRANCE were added, as well as INOX ("rust-free") for stainless steel blades.

The hand symbol was taken from the coat of arms of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. Saint Thekla is said to have brought three fingers of the hand of John the Baptist from Alexandria to the place as a relic in the 6th century . The crown symbolizes the Duchy of Savoy.

Sizes

The classic Opinel is sold in eleven sizes, numbered from 2 to 13:

size Blade length [cm]
n ° 2 3.5
n ° 3 4th
n ° 4 5
n ° 5 6th
n ° 6 7th
n ° 7 8th
n ° 8 8.5
n ° 9 9
n ° 10 10
n ° 12 12
n ° 13 22nd
Size difference: model n ° 2 and "Géant Opinel"

The sizes n ° 1 and n ° 11 were only produced until 1939. The small knife n ° 1 with its almost two centimeter long blade was worn on a watch chain and was intended, for example, as a pipe or nail cleaner - these applications did not prevail. In the 1990s it formed the motif for a series of jewelery by Jacques Bellon. However, the originals of this miniature knife are virtually nonexistent today - even the manufacturer only owns two copies. The manufacture of the knife with the size n ° 11 ended because folding knives with a blade more than ten centimeters long were not very common at the time, which is why the obvious sizes 10 and 12 were considered sufficient.

The knife n ° 8 is probably the best-selling Opinel with a size that is handy for most applications. It can be used as a carving or utility knife, but less for rougher work. The larger models are considered suitable for use in the kitchen or when camping .

The giant model "Géant" is labeled with the size n ° 13. In contrast to the smaller models, it was not developed for practical applications and falls out of the classic numbering due to the enormous size difference to its siblings.

Everyday culture

An Opinel with the characteristic patina

The Opinel knife is considered an object of everyday French culture. The term Opinel was adopted as an eponym in common parlance and is translated, for example, in German-French dictionaries as “jackknife”.

The Opinel is cheaper than other “classic” knives such as the Laguiole or the Nontron , which among other things makes sales in gift boxes with several knives or as a promotional gift with a company logo lucrative and appeals to collectors. Some owners use the knives for redesigning, for example by redesigning the handle by carving or pyrography (branding of symbols and writing).

Legal position

In France, the country of origin, it is forbidden to carry jackknives with a blade with a locking mechanism in public, regardless of the length of the blade and the type of construction; The Opinel therefore also falls under this ban.

Although the knives may be sold in Great Britain, it is strictly forbidden to carry lock knives (knives with a lockable blade), fixed knives or folding knives with a blade length of more than three inches (76 mm) in public, unless otherwise , a "legal reason" explains the carrying of the knife. This affects all Opinels from n ° 7 and larger.

For the legal situation in Germany see Pocket knife # Legal situation in Germany .

literature

See also

swell

  1. ↑ Advice on knife law in Europe (as of 2013). In: Victorinox (Ed.) On wieland-verlag.com (PDF file, 1.7 Mb). Retrieved April 7, 2018 .
  2. ^ Criminal Justice Act 1988. Section 139: Offence of having article with blade or point in public place. The National Archives , July 16, 2008, accessed December 24, 2013 .

Web links

Commons : Opinel  - album with pictures, videos and audio files