Opinel’s long history of knife production

I restore an old French Opinel pocket knife No. 7, a classic knife from one of France’s most iconic makers. Opinel was founded in 1890 by Joseph Opinel in the French Alps and has been producing simple, reliable knives for over 130 years. Known for their wooden handles and timeless design, Opinel knives became famous around the world for their practicality and durability.

This particular knife was made before 1955, identified by its unique early locking mechanism used on Opinel models from that period. In this video, I carefully disassemble the knife, remove rust and years of wear, clean and polish every part, restore the wooden handle, and bring this vintage piece of French history back to life.