Opinel, pocket knives and kitchen knives of high quality
The first time Jordi brought me an Opinel knife so I could see it, I loved it. A simple, sober design, with good grip and exceptional cut quality. In retrospect, I discovered that behind the Opinel brand there is a centuries-old tradition (Opinel is the last name of the family that created them and has been manufacturing them), and that there are many particularities that make these knives a unique and highly respected item. For all this, 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 for everything, they stood out for their good cut and shape, and were a help even to Pablo Picasso, who was seen using one to carve a sculpture. They were so popular and the brand has grown so large throughout this century that many French people today use the name Opinel to commonly refer to wooden-handled pocket knives.
Opinel registered its well-known logo, "the crowned hand" ("the crow hand") in 1909, and some time later began mass production. But a production that 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 that it uses to manufacture 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 on knives. This system was maintained for half a century, and it was not until 2000 that the Virobloc security system was modified to ensure security during transport (while in the closed position).
It was a surprise for me to discover that in 1985 Opinel was recognized as one of the best designed objects in the world in the " Victoria and Albert Museum ", along with the Porsche 911 and the Rolex watch! And in 2006 the international designers of “Phaidon Design Classics” point out that the Opinel design is one of the most successful of all time.
But Opinel did not want to stay 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 being clear that they have an excellent cut, they thought it made a lot of sense to extend their range to kitchen knives. Very logical, right? They did so, and thanks to this we can offer Opinel knives in the store.
In the store you will find bread , chef's , meat and ham knives. Then there are the knives, so appreciated by some of us and that I would like to detail a little more (why I love them, why I think many of you may like them, and why they are also great gift ideas!).
There is the oyster and shellfish knife , made of bubinga wood to resist moisture, it has a 6.5cm stainless steel blade sharpened only at the tip to easily open oysters and any type of shellfish.
Then comes one of my favorites: the mushroom knife ! It has a thin, curved blade with a serrated back to remove the cuticle from the mushrooms, and its oak wood handle also has a boar bristle brush to clean the mushrooms from dirt and herbs.
And you also have the classic: the knife with a corkscrew , ideal for picnics or always carry with you.
And there are a couple more Opinel products worth keeping in mind. The first is the Opinel Peeler Knife Set . They are beautiful, useful, they come in various colors, and they are presented in a box that invites you to turn it into a gift.
The second is the Le Petit Chef kit , so that children learn to use knives safely correctly and have fun in the kitchen . This set consists of a knife with a beech handle and a 10cm blade with an educational ring (for teach them to place their fingers correctly so that they do not slide towards the sheet); It also includes a finger guard to hold food like great chefs while cutting safely. and a peeler for vegetables and vegetables.
