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54-747: It lies in the Maurienne , the valley of the river Arc . It was also an Episcopal See of Savoy during the Ancien Régime and again from 1825 to 1966. Its original name was simply Maurienne , or Moriana in Italian and Latin . Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is located at the confluence of the Arc , a river which has shaped the Maurienne Valley, and the Arvan  [ fr ] which descends

108-498: A design masterpiece. The traditional Opinel knife has a beechwood handle and a high carbon XC90 steel ( acier au carbone ) blade. Opinel also offers most of its models with a Sandvik 12C27M stainless steel ( acier inox ) blade. Custom Opinel models are available using luxurious or exotic handle woods such as oak , walnut , olive wood , bubinga (African rosewood), ebony and stained hornbeam , as well as other materials such as cowhorn. The Opinel Slim Effilé series uses

162-655: A folding drop-point blade with a slim, tapered wood handle, while the Opinel No. 8 and No. 10 Pruning Knives, designed for pruning shrubs and vines, feature a large folding hawkbill blade fitted to an elegantly curved wooden handle. The Opinel Slim Effile series use a thinner-profile stainless steel blade fitted to a tapered wood handle. Available in several sizes and handle materials, the Slim Effile knives are intended for tasks such as cleaning and fileting fish and thinly slicing meats and cheeses. The traditional Opinel

216-581: A machine for mass production of the knife's wooden handles. The company hired peddlers to sell the knives and opened a small shop near the Chambéry railway junction, where the knives became popular with PLM railroad workers, who in turn spread word of the brand throughout France. By 1909, Opinel had registered his first trademark for the Opinel knife, choosing the main couronnée ("crowned hand") as his emblem. A few years later Opinel annual sales were in

270-589: A major tourist attraction. Alpine ibex, grey wolves, lynx, royal eagles or vultures are among the many rare species that live in the numerous valleys of Maurienne. The famous but rare and expensive Bleu de Termignon cheese is made in the commune of Termignon in the Haute-Maurienne near the Italian border. The region has numerous traces of human habitation since the Paleolithic . In 1032, Humbert

324-645: A sculpting tool. In 1989, the Larousse dictionary cited "Opinel" as a registered trademark. Joseph Opinel began making knives in 1890 in Savoie, France as a simple working man's or peasant's knife . It proved popular with the local farmers, herdsmen, and paysans-vignerons (peasant winemakers) of the area. In 1897, a series of twelve sizes, numbered 1 to 12, was developed. From 1901 to 1903, Joseph Opinel built his first factory in Pont de Gévoudaz and produced

378-426: A tapered handle with a slender clip point blade made of Sandvik stainless steel, and the handle may be obtained in a variety of different materials, including bubinga, olive, ebony and cowhorn. The current Opinel knife consists of a blade, wooden handle, stainless steel metal clamping band, stainless pivot pin (axle), and (except in the case of the smaller models) a stainless steel Virobloc locking collar, which locks

432-620: Is 37.9%. This is lower than the national average which adds up to nearly 55.3%. The number of tenants is 56.7% throughout the housing which is higher than the national average of 39.8%. It may be noted also that 5.4% of the inhabitants of the commune are people who are housed for free while at the level of the whole of the France the percentage is 4.9%. Still on all of the municipality housing, 3.5% are studios, 11.5% are two-room housing, 28.4% have three, 34.5% of dwellings have four rooms, and 22.1% of dwellings have five rooms or more. The locality named

486-524: Is a sub-prefecture of Savoie . It is the seat of the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne , the canton of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and the Communauté de communes Cœur de Maurienne Arvan  [ fr ] . The city of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is part of Savoie's 3rd constituency . Traditionally, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne has been a stronghold of the Socialist left from the 1930s because of

540-585: Is after John the Baptist , the precursor, son of Zechariah and Saint Elizabeth , cousin of Jesus , beheaded in 31 AD at the request of the Princess Salome . The Latin name is Mauriana . Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne has been the capital of the Maurienne Valley since the 6th century. After Saint Thècle reported from Alexandria ( Egypt ) the relics of St. John the Baptist , which are

594-409: Is designed to be opened with two hands, and a nail nick is provided on the blade. It is possible to adjust the fitting of the safety locking collar if it is too tight or too loose. Those practiced in the art of coup du savoyard grip the metal collar between index finger and thumb and tap the heel of the handle firmly on a hard surface, as if using it as a drumstick; the blade should open slightly from

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648-525: Is industrial, and its significant towns are: The upper valley of the Arc is known as haute Maurienne . It lies along the Italian border around 45 km near Mont Cenis . It begins east of Modane , an old frontier town, at the mouth of the Fréjus Road Tunnel , dominated by the resort of Val Fréjus. The villages, rising up from the valley, are: About 5,000 inhabitants live there permanently, but

702-498: Is located in Modane . La Bastille, Les Chaudannes and Les Clapeys are the three main quarters . The total number of dwellings in the commune is 4,240. Among such housing, 87.9% are principal residences, 5.4% are secondary homes and 6.7% are vacant dwellings. These accommodations have a share of 17.5% as individual houses, 79.3% as apartments and finally only 3.2% as dwellings of another type. The number of residents who own their homes

756-512: Is one of the provinces of Savoy , corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France . It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne . The Maurienne valley is one of the great transverse valleys of the Alps . The river which has shaped the valley since the last glaciation is the Arc . The valley begins at the village of Écot (in

810-409: Is only found on the larger Opinel models (#6 and up). While simple, the locking mechanism is quite sturdy. Due to the way in which the locking collar tapers, the blade does not loosen over time and can be fixed firmly even once the mechanism is quite worn. In 2000 the locking collar was modified slightly to allow the blade to be locked in the closed as well as the open position. This feature prevents

864-587: Is the alpine type because of the presence of the Alpine Massif. Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is on the route of the future Lyon-Turin rail link . Homes, businesses, the current railway station and the rescue centre are affected by the project. The Lyon Turin Railway company (LTF) which manages the construction projects plans to build new railway station in the Sous-le-Bourg neighborhood, serving both

918-515: Is the share of seats in the municipal council of Saint Jean de Maurienne: In the municipal elections of March 2008 , turnout of the first round was 65.46% with a total of 5,310 people registered to vote in the commune. The number of voters amounted to 3,476 voters which 3,393 expressed themselves. In the first round, the presidential majority list of Ensemble pour Saint Jean [Together for Sain Jean] with its head, Pierre-Marie Charvoz collected 46.95% of

972-735: The commune of Bonneval-sur-Arc ), at the foot of the Col de l'Iseran , and ends at the confluence of the Arc and the Isère in the commune of Aiton . The mountains on the southern side are the Dauphiné Alps and the Cottian Alps . On the northern side are the part of the Graian Alps known as the Vanoise . The capital, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne , lies at the confluence of the Arc and

1026-587: The Counts of Savoy were the counties of Maurienne , Savoy proper (the district between Arc, Isère, and the middle course of the Rhone), and Belley , with Bugey as its chief town. The Duchy of Savoy , which had been a French-speaking province under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Sardinia - Piedmont , was invaded by Revolutionary France, but restored to Piedmont in 1815. It became part of France in 1859, after

1080-465: The Couteau du Jardin , Opinel also offers a hawkbill-bladed pruning knife designed for use in the garden or vineyard, and a large folding wood saw with locking blade using the same Virobloc mechanism as found on large Opinel knives. For the kitchen, the company sells vegetable peelers, chefs knives, paring knives, knives with corkscrews ( couteau tire-bouchon ), and prep knives for the kitchen, including

1134-967: The Croix-de-Fer , the Télégraphe , the Lautaret , the Grand Cucheron , the Madeleine , the Glandon , the Iseran , Mont Cenis and the Galibier mountain passes. The city regularly hosts major cycling races such as the Tour de France or the Critérium du Dauphiné . The Tour de France came to the commune during the 2006 , 2010 , and 2012 races. The 2015 Tour de France had a stage finish in

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1188-544: The Second Italian War of Independence . The Aix-les-Bains —Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne railway opened in 1857. In the early 1900s, the technological advances of Swiss hydroelectric power were originally the subject of intense stock market speculation on hydroelectric companies, which benefitted the Maurienne Valley with industrial facilities, and tourism took off. The city of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne

1242-437: The relics of John the Baptist , three of whose finger-bones were supposedly brought back from Alexandria by Saint Tecla in the 5th century. The crown comes from the arms of Savoy , the larger region containing Savoie . Opinel knives are currently offered in eleven numbered sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 13. The No. 1 Opinel was discontinued in 1932. With its tiny 2 cm (0.787-inch) blade and boxwood handle, it

1296-409: The vote or 1,593 votes. Followed by the list of "Saint Jean 10,000" led by Hervé Bottino, having received 34.39% of the vote or 1,169 votes. In third position, Saint Jean à venir [Saint Jean to come] list, headed by Christine Merlin got 13.26% of the votes or 450 votes. Finally the list Vivons Saint Jean [Live Saint Jean], led by Florence Arnoux Le Bras got 5.39% or 183 votes. In the second round,

1350-537: The "Floral City" label with "three flowers" awarded by the National Council of floral cities and villages of France in the Concours des villes et villages fleuris . Born in the commune: Other personalities: This coat of arms was firstly that of the chapter of the cathedral, before becoming that of the city. There originated the relics of Saint John the Baptist , made in the 6th century: Three fingers of

1404-586: The Arvan. Part of the main road and rail route between Lyon and Turin runs through the valley. The A43 autoroute and a railway line enter at the western end from the Isère valley, and leave at Modane using the Fréjus Road and Rail Tunnels respectively which both emerge at Bardonecchia in Italy . The Turin–Lyon high-speed railway will also be built through the lower valley. The other roads out of

1458-497: The Arves Valley ( Col de la Croix de Fer ). The neighbouring communes of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne are Saint-Julien-Mont-Denis , Jarrier , Hermillon , Villargondran , Albiez-le-Jeune , Albiez-Montrond , Saint-Pancrace and Pontamafrey-Montpascal . Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is close to Albertville (59 km), Chambery (72 km), Grenoble (103 km), Turin (137 km) and Lyon (174 km). The climate

1512-573: The Sardinians in the early 19th century to protect Piedmont from a French invasion. The Maurienne was not incorporated into France until 1860, as part of the political agreement with Napoleon III that brought about the unification of Italy . Despite this, the Maurienne and the Tarentaise valleys are classified as French towns and lands of Art and History . The middle part of the valley

1566-563: The White-Handed received the Maurienne , his native land, from Conrad II the Salian whom he had helped in his Italian campaigns against Aribert, Archbishop of Milan . The House of Savoy maintained their independence as counts and then dukes until Savoy was linked with the Kingdom of Sardinia , which included Piedmont in north-western Italy. In the Maurienne are a series of five forts, La Barrière de l'Esseillon, that were created by

1620-420: The blade from opening by accident when carried in a pocket. Eighty percent of all Opinel knives use traditional beechwood for the handle. The company's large demand for beechwood not infrequently results in a shortage of precut handle blanks, forcing the use of rectangular (bulk) sheets, which generate considerable wood waste. The excess wood waste and sawdust generated is subsequently recycled. The curve of

1674-429: The blade open or closed. Smaller Opinel models (Nos. 2 through 5) have no locking blade mechanism, and use only the friction of the clamping band against the compressed handle and knife tang to hold the blade open, much the same as all Opinel knives sold before 1955. This simple design was sometimes known as a " penny knife " or "peasant's knife". The locking collar ( Virobloc ) was patented in 1955 by Marcel Opinel, and

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1728-460: The commune on 23 July, at the end of stage 18. The following day, it was the departure point for stage 19. Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne was last visited for the Tour in the 2019 Tour de France Local television: Local radio: The unemployment rate for the commune, in 1999, amounted to 8.8%, with a total number of 359 unemployed. The workforce between 20 and 59 years stood at 84%, which is higher than

1782-600: The data as a percentage of the distribution of these households, compared to the total number of households. Kindergartens: Primary schools: Collèges: High schools: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is located close to some of the major Alpine passes, and of the Les Sybelles ski area and the Vanoise National Park . Activities are available for nature and sports enthusiasts, both hikers and cyclists, as well as skiers. Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne provides access to

1836-410: The family-run company also operates a museum dedicated to its knives. 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

1890-652: The hand which baptised Christ , hence the hand blessing symbol. This coat of arms is now widespread in much of the world, on the Opinel knife blade: The "crowned hand". The hand blessing recalls the origin of the knife, near Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, and the ducal crown means that it is now produced in Chambéry , the capital of the Dukes of Savoy. Maurienne Maurienne ( French pronunciation: [mɔʁjɛn] ; Arpitan : Môrièna ; Italian : Moriana )

1944-426: The handle, allowing it to be rotated into position with the thumb. The main couronnée ("crowned hand") device was already present on the blade of very early models. Later the words OPINEL and FRANCE were added, as well as INOX ("stainless", from "INOXidable", meaning "non-oxidizable) in the case of stainless steel blades. The image of the hand comes from the arms of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne , and represents

1998-486: The historic line and the new Lyon-Turin line. Geological and topographical investigations are underway. The project promises to be even more complex than that of the Channel Tunnel . The town of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is equipped with a network of public transport run by the Communauté de communes Cœur de Maurienne  [ fr ] . A heliport is available for the helicopter of the gendarmerie whose base

2052-457: The hundreds of thousands, and by the start of World War II as many as 20 million knives had been sold. The Opinel Virobloc or safety twistlock mechanism was invented by Marcel Opinel in 1955, increasing the safety and versatility of the knife by allowing the blade to be locked in the open position. In 2000, the Virobloc locking mechanism was improved to allow locking the blade in either

2106-484: The importance of its worker labor pool. Thus, Roland Merloz was the Socialist mayor from 1977 to 2008. But since the 1990s and sociological changes in the Maurienne (departure of factories, multiplication of tourist resorts, decrease of the population with an increase in representation of the elderly), the right-wing vote has increased. A UMP Councillor General, Pierre-Marie Charvoz, was elected in 2001, Nicolas Sarkozy

2160-489: The national average at 82.2%. There were 46% of people employed versus 19.1% of retirees , whose number is slightly higher than the average national (18.2%). There were 21.9% of people of school age and 13% of people without activity. Alcan (ex- Pechiney ): Currently, an important activity of production of aluminium by electrolysis of alumina still exists thanks to a Trimet France factory. The factory celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2007. With tourism growing through

2214-789: The open or closed position. In 1985 the Victoria and Albert Museum in London selected the Opinel knife as part of an exhibit celebrating the “100 most beautiful products in the world”, featuring the Opinel alongside the Porsche 911 sports car and the Rolex watch. The Opinel was also selected as one of the 999 classic designs in Phaidon Design Classics , and has been exhibited by the New York's Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) as

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2268-514: The original Opinel blade is a Yatagan (more commonly described as a drop point with a blade slightly angled downwards from the handle centerline), while the flared butt at the base of the wood handle is referred to as a fishtail. The modern No. 8 knife consists of 5 pieces (formerly 4); the handle, the blade, the pivot or axle, the metal collar and the locking ring or "Virobloc". The blade is quite thin, only 1.68mm (.066 inches), which helps keep its weight to only 45g (1.6 ounces). Original Opinels and

2322-407: The population reaches about 15,000 in the winter. Much of the upper Maurienne is included in Vanoise National Park , which became the first national park in France in 1963. This borders Gran Paradiso National Park of Italy. The two parks are important areas for ibexes , chamois , and golden eagles ; the lammergeier was recently reintroduced into the area. It appears that wolves have reached

2376-454: The recently-added novelty No. 13, Le Géant ("the Giant") with its 22 cm blade. There is now a No. 7 round-ended knife without the sharp point, intended for children and others as "My first Opinel". A variety of different Opinels have been offered over the years. A few are sold more for their novelty value than for practical purposes, such as Le Géant . Besides the Slim Effile series and

2430-633: The region within the past five years. The Maurienne valley is home to around 20 ski resorts. There is also access to The Three Valleys via the Orelle gondola. In rough order heading up the valley: 45°12′N 6°40′E  /  45.200°N 6.667°E  / 45.200; 6.667 Opinel knife The Opinel company has manufactured and marketed a line of eponymous wooden-handled knives since 1890 from its headquarters in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne , Savoie , France where

2484-476: The second round. Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is twinned with: The population structure of the commune of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in 2017: Total: 7744 The total number of households in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is 3,729. These households are not all equal in numbers of individuals. Some of these households contain one, others two, three, four, five or even more than six people. Here, below, is

2538-421: The smallest sizes today are still made of only 4 parts, lacking the simple Virobloc locking mechanism. The locking ring can easily be removed with simple tools for use in countries where locking knives are prohibited; some sources claim that opening the blade with the ring in the locked position causes the ring to pop off; it can be replaced easily later if desired. The No. 8 Couteau du Jardin or Garden Knife uses

2592-655: The three fingers represented on the arms of the city, as well as on the Opinel knife blades, the town was raised to the rank of diocese by Guntram , grandson of Clovis I . In 753, Grifo went to Italy to join the King of the Lombards , Aistulf , the most powerful opponent of his half-brother, the King of the Franks, Pepin the Short , but he was killed at Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne by the men of Pepin. The oldest possessions of

2646-457: The turnout was 68.57%. The number of voters amounted to 3,642 voters with 3,509 expressing themselves. In the second round, the presidential majority list of Ensemble pour Saint Jean with its head, Pierre-Marie Charvoz collected 55.40% of the vote or 1,944 votes and won 23 seats. The list of "Saint Jean 10 000" conducted by Hervé Bottino, received 44.60% of the vote or 1,565 votes and was therefore awarded 6 seats. The other lists were not present in

2700-412: The valley use the following mountain cols: Other cols such as the Col d'Etache , Col du Carro and the Col de Vallée Etroite are only passable on foot. Geographers traditionally distinguish three areas: the lower, middle and upper Maurienne. The province contains the following cantons , from west to east : The abundance of hydro-electric power (there are twenty-four hydroelectric stations in

2754-405: The valley) created heavy industry such as electrochemical plants and aluminum refining, but now the emphasis in the area is on tourism, especially winter sports. Numerous ski resorts line the valley, from the small villages like Albiez-Montrond to the purpose-built resorts, dating from the 1970s like Le Corbier and Les Karellis . The Vanoise National Park and its protected surroundings are

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2808-601: The winter sport resorts and the proximity of the major passes of the Alps and of the Vanoise National Park , local commerce is a new dynamic. The Clos Carloz and the recreation area of the Combe are the main green spaces in the city. There is also the Garden of Europe and the Saint Ayrald Garden. The commune has several museums: Notable cultural associations: In 2014, the commune of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne has

2862-438: Was in the lead in the two rounds of the presidential elections of 2007, with respectively 33.5% and 56.62%, and in 2008, Pierre-Marie Charvoz won the communal elections. The city council of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne has 29 members. It is composed of a mayor, seven assistants, four delegate councillors and seventeen councillors. Roland Merloz, mayor of the city since 1977, announced his desire not to stand in 2008. The following

2916-513: Was meant to be attached to a key fob or watch chain and used as a tobacco pipe cleaner or nail cleaner, but was judged to be too small. The No. 11 Opinel was discontinued in 1935, its size being considered too similar to Opinels Nos. 10 and 12. With its 8.5 cm blade, the No. 8 Opinel is perhaps the most widely used size, though Nos. 4, 6, and 10 are consistent sellers. There is a considerable difference in size between No. 12 (12 cm blade) and

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