Joseph Opinel began his knifemaking career in 1895 in the Savoie region of the French Alps. The local population of shepherds, farmers, and artisans were the first to put the knives to the test but by the 1940s more than 200 million had been sold, each knife featuring the brand mark which depicts the hand of St. John the Baptist and the crown of the Savoie Dukedom. This specialized version is for mushroom hunting. The 3" curved blade cuts stems with ease and features a serrated section to scrape off larger bits of debris, while the natural bristle brush finishes the cleaning job. Happy hunting.