Opinel

The Opinel folding knife was a request, at first, from our friends at Gospel Flat Farm in Bolinas, CA. In the fields, it is wonderfully efficient to slide the safety ring open with one hand, fold open the knife, and lock it tight again. The carbon steel blade holds a very fine edge, ideal for a long day of cutting.

Opinel is still a family business, started in 1817 by Victor-Amédée Opinel in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, France. In 1897, the series of twelve sizes, numbered 1 to 12, was developed only tiny adjustments have been made to the design. The company had its first real boom came during World War II, when it sold millions of knives. Over the years, the Opinel folding knife became to be so well admired that it has been included in the collection of MoMA as well as The Victoria and Albert Museum. We find it’s still the ideal drop-in-purse, slide-in-pocket knife for camping, picnicking, cheese slicing, or slicing of any kind.