The first time Jordi brought me an Opinel knife to see, I loved it. A simple, sober design, with a good grip and exceptional cutting quality. Afterwards, I discovered that behind the Opinel brand there is a centuries-old tradition (Opinel is the surname of the family that created and has been manufacturing them), and that there are many peculiarities that make these knives a unique and highly respected item. For all these reasons, I want to share some of the curiosities about this brand, very interesting I think!, that make me like it even more.
Traditionally, they were work knives and all-purpose knives, noted for their good cut and shape, and were even a boon to Pablo Picasso, who was seen using one to carve a sculpture. They were so popular and the brand has grown so much throughout this century that many French people today use the name Opinel to refer to pocket knives with wooden handles.
Opinel registered its famous logo, "the crow hand" in 1909, and began mass production some time later. But production has always stood out for one thing: quality and respect for the environment and materials. Opinel is very concerned about the origin of the wood and charcoal it uses to make its knives, something that, as you can imagine, we really like at Claudia&Julia!
Around 1955 they designed a safety ring, which was a significant improvement for the knives. This system was maintained for half a century, and it was not until 2000 that the Virobloc safety system was modified to ensure safety during transport (while in the closed position).
I was surprised to discover that in 1985 Opinel was recognised as one of the best designed objects in the world by the Victoria and Albert Museum , alongside the Porsche 911 and the Rolex watch! And in 2006 the international designers of “Phaidon Design Classics” pointed out that Opinel's design is one of the most successful of all time.
But Opinel did not want to remain only in the pockets of the French, so they export a large part of their production to more than 70 countries. And for the same reason, and knowing that they have an excellent cut, they thought it made a lot of sense to extend their range to kitchen knives. Very logical, right? So they did, and thanks to this we can offer Opinel knives in the store.
In the shop you will find bread knives, chef knives, meat knives and ham knives . Then there are the pocket knives, which are so appreciated by some of us and which I would like to explain in more detail (why I love them, why I think many of you will like them, and why they are also great gift ideas!).
There is the oyster and shellfish knife , made of bubinga wood to resist humidity, it has a 6.5cm stainless steel blade sharpened only at the tip to easily open oysters and any type of shellfish.
Next up is one of my favourites: the mushroom knife ! It has a thin, curved blade with a serrated back to remove the cuticle from mushrooms, and its oak handle also has a boar bristle brush to clean the mushroom of dirt and weeds.
And you also have the classic: the knife with a corkscrew , ideal for picnics or to always carry with you.
And there are a couple more Opinel products worth keeping in mind. The first is the Opinel knife and peeler set . They are beautiful, useful, come in various colors, and come presented in a gift-worthy box.
The second is the Le Petit Chef kit , so that children can learn to use knives correctly and safely, and enjoy themselves in the kitchen. This set is made up of a knife with a beech handle and a 10cm blade with an educational ring (to teach them to place their fingers correctly, preventing them from slipping towards the blade); it also includes a finger guard to hold food like great chefs while cutting safely; and a vegetable peeler.
