Opinel

What Opinel does

Opinel is a 135-year-old French knife manufacturer founded in 1890 by Joseph Opinel in the Maurienne valley and now headquartered in Chambéry, Savoie, under the legal entity OPINEL SAS, with 101–250 employees. The company designs and manufactures a portfolio of cutting tools centered on five categories: pocket/folding knives (its heritage core), kitchen knives (including Les Forgés 1890, Intempora, Parallèle collections), table cutlery (Facette, Perpétue, Bon Appétit, Table Chic), garden tools (secateurs, folding saws, pruning knives), and children's knives (Mon Premier Opinel, Le Petit Chef). Differentiated technology includes the proprietary Virobloc stainless steel safety ring (invented 1955 by Marcel Opinel), the Yatagan blade profile, patented Leisteen secateur, and use of European martensitic stainless steel (55–57 HRC) and PEFC-certified French beech wood from the Jura and Vercors, all manufactured at the Reveriaz site in Chambéry.

The business model is primarily product-led direct-to-consumer: physical knife and cutlery sales through the company's own six-language e-commerce platform (opinel.com) and physical retail points of sale, with unit pricing ranging from approximately €11.50 for entry-level pocket knives to €360–€420 for premium Kintsugi table sets. Supplementary revenue streams include laser engraving personalization (from €6/unit), B2B sales to corporate gift buyers and restaurateurs via bulk order quotes, and paid guided tours at the Musée Opinel in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (€10–€45/adult). Opinel is privately held and family-controlled, with no disclosed external funding, and distributes globally across Europe, the Americas, Oceania, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

Name

Opinel

Legal name

OPINEL SAS

Website

https://opinel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Opinel is a French knife manufacturer founded in 1890, producing pocket knives, kitchen knives, table cutlery, garden tools, and children's knives from its Chambéry headquarters for global consumers, restaurateurs, and corporate gift buyers via direct e-commerce and retail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chambéry

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Knife and Cutlery Product Sales: Opinel generates revenue primarily through the direct sale of physical products including pocket knives, kitchen knives, table knives, garden tools, children's knives, and accessories. Products are sold through the company's own e-commerce platform and physical retail points of sale.
2. Personalization and Laser Engraving Services: Opinel offers laser engraving services on handles or blades of knives, starting at 6 euros per unit. This customization service provides additional revenue per transaction and supports B2B bulk orders for corporate gifts, weddings, and events.
3. Museum and Guided Tour Experiences: The Opinel Museum in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne offers paid guided tours and experience packages, including the 'Journée Opinel' full-day experience at 45 euros per adult, providing an additional revenue stream tied to brand heritage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Opinel designs and manufactures a comprehensive range of knives and cutlery including pocket knives, kitchen knives, table cutlery, garden tools, and children's knives. All products are manufactured in France at the Reveriaz site in Chambéry using martensitic stainless steel and PEFC-certified beech wood. The company also offers laser engraving personalization services and operates the Musée Opinel museum in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne offering paid guided tours.

Product overview

Opinel is a French knife manufacturer founded in 1890 by Joseph Opinel, producing a comprehensive portfolio of cutting tools and kitchenware. The product range centers on five core categories: Couteaux de poche (pocket/folding knives) as the flagship heritage product with the iconic Virobloc safety system, Couteaux de cuisine (kitchen knives) including professional-grade collections like Les Forgés 1890 and specialty knives, Couteaux de table (table cutlery) spanning casual to luxury segments, Couteaux de jardinier (garden tools) with pruning and harvesting knives, and Couteaux enfants (children's knives) designed for safe use. The portfolio includes sub-brands such as the modern néO7 Alpine multifunction line, limited edition Cosmos collaborations, and curated sets like the Coffret du Jardinier and Le Petit Chef children's cooking sets. Accessories include sharpening tools, cutting boards, and storage solutions. The company offers personalization services through laser engraving on handles or blades. Products are manufactured in France with PEFC-certified wood handles and European-origin stainless steel (55-57 HRC hardness). The company operates the Musée Opinel museum in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne offering guided tours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Couteaux de poche (Pocket Knives) The flagship product line of folding pocket knives invented by Joseph Opinel in 1890. Includes Tradition stainless steel and carbon blade knives, néo Opiflex series, Effilés slim knives, multifunction knives, outdoor tools, and limited edition collaborations. For everyday carry, outdoor activities, and specialty uses.
• Couteaux de cuisine (Kitchen Knives) Professional-quality kitchen knives including Les Forgés 1890, Intempora, Parallèle collections, and specialty knives (Santoku, Chef, bread, filleting, vegetable, office, peeling, steak butter, children's kitchen, deboning). For home cooks, culinary enthusiasts, and professional kitchens.
• Couteaux de table (Table Knives) Table cutlery including Facette, Perpétue stainless steel, Bon Appétit (wood and recycled plastic), Table Chic (wood and Bernardaud porcelain), Sylve forks, Le Petit Gourmet, breakfast sets, cheese services, steak knives, and complete cutlery sets. For home dining and professional foodservice.
• Couteaux de jardinier (Garden Tools) Garden tools including pruning knives, folding saws, secateurs (Prarie, Ardoise/Leisteen), garden tool sets, and specialty knives for grafting, cutting, harvesting, and picking. For amateur and professional gardeners.
• Couteaux enfants (Children's Knives) Safe knives and cutlery for children including Mon Premier Opinel (first knife), Outdoor Junior for outdoor activities, Le Petit Chef cooking sets, and Le Petit Gourmet children's cutlery. For families introducing children to cooking and outdoor activities.
• Accessoires (Knife Accessories) Knife accessories including sharpening and maintenance tools, knife storage blocks, wood cutting boards, barbecue forks, kitchen linens (aprons, towels), books, and bags. For knife owners seeking maintenance and storage solutions.
• Personnalisation (Laser Engraving Service) Laser engraving service offered on handles or blades of Opinel knives. Custom text up to 20 characters per knife, starting at 6 euros per unit. Bulk orders for corporate gifts, weddings, or associations (100+ units) require a quote request.
• Set Barbecue Three-piece barbecue utensil set made in France: N°12 B knife with bottle opener, Spatula+ that attaches to knife handle, and XL Tongs. For barbecue enthusiasts and outdoor cooks.
• néo7 Alpine Modern multifunction pocket knife series with ergonomic design, available in Bleu Glacier, Tilleul, and Brun Noir color variants. For everyday carry and outdoor use.
• Coffret Le Petit Chef Children's cooking set including a small chef knife, peeler, and cutting guide designed to teach children cooking safely. For families with young children.
• Coffret du Jardinier (Garden Tool Set) Garden tool set containing three essential tools: N°08 garden knife, N°08 grafting knife, and N°12 folding saw. For gardeners seeking a complete pruning and harvesting kit.
• Sécateur Prairie (Pruning Shears) Pruning shears capable of cutting branches up to 20mm diameter, featuring beech wood handle and polyamide guard for comfortable, secure grip. For gardeners and horticulturists.
• Coffret Facette Panaché Table knife set combining comfort, efficiency, and aesthetics with four different handles: ash, dark ash, olive, and VittEr eco-material. For home dining and gifting.
• Série Cosmos (Limited Editions) Limited edition pocket knife series featuring artwork collaborations with artists Benjamin Jeanjean, Asile, and Dalkhafine on the N°08 pocket knife. For collectors and design enthusiasts.
• Collection 10 Couteaux Carbone Complete collector's set of 10 carbon steel pocket knives from the Tradition line (N°02 through N°12) presented in a wooden box with lid. For collectors.
• Musée Opinel Guided Tours Opinel Museum located in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne offering guided tours of the company's history and knife-making heritage since 1890. Formula 1 (Museum visit, 1h30): Adults 10 euros, Children 7 euros. Formula 2 (La Journée Opinel, full day with Savoyard lunch): Adults 45 euros, Children 25 euros. For tourists, brand enthusiasts, and cultural visitors.
• Carte cadeau (Gift Card) Digital gift cards available for purchase on opinel.com. For gifting Opinel products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lifetime guarantee — no time limitation on warranty for manufacturing defects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• monbentominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpinel collaborated with monbento (a French brand specializing in food containers and lunch boxes) to create the 'Kit repas Origines Opinel x monbento' — a combined meal kit featuring Opinel pocket knives and monbento food containers designed for outdoor and nomadic dining.
• BernardaudminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpinel partnered with Bernardaud, the renowned French porcelain manufacturer, for the 'Table Chic Porcelaine Bernardaud' collection — premium table knives and cutlery featuring Bernardaud-designed porcelain handles combined with Opinel's stainless steel blades.
• Artist Collaborators (Cosmos Limited Editions)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpinel has collaborated with artists for limited edition 'Cosmos' series pocket knives. Collaborators include Benjamin Jeanjean, Asile, and Dalkhafine, each creating unique artistic designs for the N°08 pocket knife.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wüsthof: German premium kitchen knife manufacturer with a strong global reputation and chef endorsement base. Directly comparable to Opinel's Les Forgés 1890 and Intempora kitchen collections.
• Robert Welch: British designer cutlery and kitchenware brand known for premium stainless steel and signature collections. Comparable to Opinel's Perpétue and table cutlery lines on design-led premium positioning.
• Arcos: Spanish cutlery manufacturer with a long heritage producing kitchen knives, pocket knives, and table cutlery. Closely comparable to Opinel in product breadth, European manufacturing, and mid-market positioning.
• Victorinox: Swiss manufacturer of the iconic Swiss Army knife and a global leader in multi-function and kitchen cutlery. The most direct comparable to Opinel in pocket knives, kitchen cutlery, and global brand-led premium positioning.
• Laguiole: Heritage French folding knife brand sharing Opinel's positioning as an authentic French-made pocket knife. Direct overlap in customer base, price tier, and gifting use cases.
• Leatherman: U.S. multi-tool pioneer dominating the premium multifunction pocket tool category. Comparable to Opinel's néo7 Alpine and N°08 Horizon multifunction line in target consumer and price tier.
• Forge de Laguiole: Premium handmade Laguiole knife maker sold largely as collectibles and luxury gifts. Comparable to Opinel's Kintsugi and Table Chic premium lines in target buyer and price band.

Broad incumbents

• Zwilling J.A. Henckels: German broad-line cutlery and kitchenware group with a much larger portfolio spanning knives, cookware, and beauty. Overlaps with Opinel on kitchen knives and table cutlery but at a much greater scale.

Regional players

• Goyon-Chazeau: French artisanal knife maker based in Thiers, producing Laguiole-style and table knives. Comparable to Opinel on French craftsmanship heritage, though operating primarily in the French domestic market.

Emerging players

• Kai Corporation (Shun): Japanese kitchen cutlery specialist with the Shun premium brand competing in the high-end chef knife segment. Comparable to Opinel's Les Forgés 1890 on professional kitchen positioning and price band.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Opinel1890
• Xx.com/Opinel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Opinel