Opinel
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1890 |
| Headquarters | Chambéry, Savoie, France |
Key people | Joseph Opinel (Founder) François Opinel (President) Denis Opinel (CEO) |
| Products | Knives |
| Revenue | €29 million (2021) |
Number of employees | 160 |
| Website | www.opinel.com |
Opinel is a French manufacturer of pocket or pen knives. The company has made its line of eponymous wooden-handled knives since 1890 from its headquarters in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Savoie. The company sells approximately 15 million knives annually. Opinel knives are made of both high carbon and stainless steel, the latter being Sandvik steel from Sweden.
Originally sold as a working man's knife, an Opinel knife has become emblematic of French culture. Pablo Picasso is said to have used one of the company's knives as a sculpting tool. In 1989, the Larousse dictionary cited "Opinel" as a registered trademark.