They are Opinel: Anthony Gabriele

Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Anthony and I have been working in the laser engraving/pad printing department for 5 years as a laser operator.

Tell us about your career path and how you came to join Opinel.

Before joining Opinel, I worked for 10 years in the catering industry in several establishments in and around Chambéry, and then I worked as a pastry chef. From 2020 onwards, I wanted to explore different roles. So I started as a temp at Opinel, and here I am still!

Can you tell us what your role involves?

The Laser workshop isn’t just a production role, as one might think. I work in collaboration with the B2B department to design, adapt and produce the best engravings to meet customer requirements as effectively as possible. For every knife, we strive to ensure the engraving is as perfect as possible and, of course, matches the customer’s wishes or our standard catalogue designs.

What do you like most about this job?

I really enjoy creating the designs that will later be engraved onto the knives. The whole ‘creative’ aspect is interesting and very varied. Starting with an idea, I get to create a design, tweak it and see the final result on the knife. I also enjoy starting from scratch, even if that doesn’t happen very often. My role is quite versatile, so I’m lucky enough to be involved in a variety of tasks.

How many knife engravings do you do per year?

It’s hard to say; it varies enormously from year to year. But engravings are increasingly in demand and appreciated, and my role is growing significantly over time.