Frequently Asked Questions

Avoid leaving it in damp environments for too long. Grease the metal parts regularly. Dry the blade using a dry cloth after each use.

Humidity, atmospheric condition and the wood used for the handle can all affect the folding mechanism of your Opinel. As wood contracts and expands due to humidity it will hold the blade tighter or looser, this is why the function of your Opinel is not always consistent. If your knife is hard to open due to the above keep it in a cool dry place for a couple of days to give the wood a chance to dry. Some people will place the knife in a ziplock bag with a little uncooked rice overnight. The dry rice will "pull" the moisture out of the wood fairly quickly.

Use a Diamond Whetstone or other fine-grain natural stone on a dry, degreased blade. As if you wanted to cut the stone, move the blade from the base towards the tip, at an angle of 18/20 degrees. A wide angle will thicken the cutting edge: it will be more resistant but less sharp. A small angle will thin the cutting edge: it will be less resistant but sharper. A burr forms on the opposite side of the blade. Remove this by passing this side over the stone, without pressing. To finish off, pass both sides over the stone, twice.

The blade unfolds easily thanks to its nail groove. However, those practiced in the art can tap the heel of the handle hard on a table once and the blade will come out of the slit slightly. Note: Please make sure the the safety ring is not on the locked position before you attempt to perform the above.

Same reasons as above cause your blade to be loose. If your blade is very loose you must try to bring some humidity back to the wood. Simply leave your knife in a very humid area for a couple of days and the wood will expand again and contract the blade area under the ring mechanism. Please do not immerse you knife in water.

Folding knives are not designed to be washed in the dishwasher. You can wash them by hand, being careful never to leave them soaking in the water and to dry and grease them properly afterwards. Fixed-blade kitchen knives with stainless steel blades and wood handle are dishwasher "friendly". In other words, you can place them in the dishwasher from time to time but don't make it a habit as eventually something unpleasant may happen. It is always best to wash Opinel knives by hand. The Intempora kitchen knives are designed to be washed with home or industrial dishwashers.

A safety ring can, from time to time get disconnected from the handle. This happens when one attempt to pull the blade out of the handle when the ring is in the locked position. How to place the safety ring back: Place the ring on a hard surface with the blade side of the ring facing down. With the knife closed: Insert the metal side of the handle back in the ring making sure that the opening on the ring lines up with the closed blade. Firmly push on the back of the handle.

Opinel folding knives are made of carbon steel and stainless steel.Carbon steel blades are susceptible to corrosion, this requires drying them and rubbing them with a little cooking oil to protect them.

In 1565 King Charles IX of France had ordered every master knife-maker to place an emblem on his products to guarantee their origin and quality. “In order to prevent counterfeits, the stamps had to be registered in a ‘safe place’, in the Police Lieutenant’s registry for Paris at the guild headquarters or the home of the oldest Master or Juror for knife-making centres. They had to be stamped on a slab of copper, lead or silver, as proof of registration and in order to keep an imprint in the event of dispute”. Respecting this tradition, Joseph Opinel chose as his emblem "The Crowned Hand”. This right hand, known as a hand raised in blessing, with three fingers straight and two fingers folded, figures on the coat of arms of the town of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. "A silver hand raised in blessing, on an azure background, clad in the same". Since the 6th century, the cathedral has housed a shrine where the faithful may worship, containing three fingers from the hand of Saint John the Baptist, brought back from Alexandria in Egypt by a young girl from Maurienne, named Thecla. The crown placed above the hand recalls the fact that the Savoie region was once a Duchy.

So many people called and asked this question that we felt the need to add it to our FAQs. Opinel is pronounced: [oh-peen-el].

Our knives and tools are made in France in our factory in Chambéry in Savoie, which employs 120 people, 75 of whom are linked to production.A small part of our range is manufactured by our partner in Portugal after being developed in Chambéry: secateurs, Parallèle and Intempora kitchen knives, spreaders and vegetable knives.Garden saw blades and sheaths are made in Asia.The kitchen and table textiles are made in France by the company Tissage Moutet.