Opinel

Invented by Joseph Opinel in 1890, the Opinel knife became an everyday object which is now considered as a design icon throughout the world. Joseph Opinel had the idea of making his knife into different sizes which would be suitable to different hand sizes or used for various tasks. So, in 1897, he developed 12 different sizes numbered from 1 to 12. 

In 1955, Marcel Opinel, wanting to improve the safety of the knife, invented the Virobloc® system. He added a rotating lock which slides on the shell ring, closing the groove and therefore locking the blade in its open position. 

The Opinel is a popular object used on a daily basis. Unchanged for over a century, its design is one of the most successful of all time. Opinel is recognised by the “Victoria and Albert Museum” as being among the 100 best product designs. This list includes the Porsche 911 and the Rolex watch.