French Country Knife

“I think of the French Country Knife as the ultimate example of copy.” Deborah Wilner Hoffman

“Yes. The iconic French Country Knife always comes to mind when I think about Ron's ability to capture the romance of faraway places and imbue an object with meaning and value while instilling in the customer a compelling desire to acquire it and the mythology that he created for it. Sheer genius really!” Bill Edwards

“Looking at my French Country Knife in original packing, even as I type.” David Jensen

“Hold it close my friend. I just fished mine out from my gear stash. Now holding it as I type, thinking of those amazing times so long ago!” Bill Edwards

“Still have mine.” Valerie Vavrik

All this fuss about a knife on a Facebook thread? Well, that is not half of it. It is really about a man we all knew, a dear friend who passed away just recently, Ron Zimmerman. I knew Ron for almost 50 years and worked with him closely for twelve at our iconic 70s-era outdoor company Early Winters. While Ron was a man of many talents, what stood out was his insatiable curiosity and the fact that he was an incurable romantic. I noticed that right away, and we bonded as I shared those same two traits. The internal Ron Zimmerman lived in a world that was rich with fantasy, and the romance of distant places, and he cultivated that. So, it was not surprising for him to be captivated by a small French knife.

Of course, Opinel, the French manufacturer simply referred to their knife as the ‘No.08 Carbon Steel Folding Knife,’ and they still do. Wow! Could there be a less interesting name? As Ron examined the knife at an outdoor products trade show, he was impressed by the simple design, the pear wood handle, the carbon steel blade, and the rotating stainless-steel ring that securely locked the blade. He discovered that the founder, Joseph Opinel had created the knife in 1890 in the heart of the French Alps. It was intended as an everyday tool for everyman. While Opinel made other sizes, the No. 8 was their most popular. Little known outside of Europe, Ron envisioned the knife as something more. There was a story waiting to be told.

As someone interested in cuisine and who knew his way around a kitchen, Ron immediately recognized the advantage of a carbon steel blade over the stainless blades of the ubiquitous Swiss Army Knives, made by Wenger and Victorinox. Carbon steel was easy to sharpen to a razor’s edge. And, that the palm-sized knife was virtually unknown in the United States provided an urgent motivation to act.

In Ron’s mind, the moment was ripe with opportunity. He christened it the ‘French Country Knife’ and told a story of “the knife that won the heart of Europe.” A “favorite of alpinists and sportsmen since before the turn of the century.” (This was in 1977) He continued to write, embellishing the utility and experience of using the knife. “Each afternoon in the countryside, picnickers and workmen take out these versatile knives to consume bread, pate’ and cheese with skillful flourishes.” “The handle of fine pear wood fills your hand with its natural grace. It feels good as you slice your cheese, cut a cord, or whittle away an idle dream or two.” “Send for your own French Country Knife today and add a touch of alpine tradition to your outdoor gear.” The little knife consumed a full page in our catalogs (major catalog space), which featured an engraved image, a four-color photo with food, and paragraphs of romantic story-based copy. We imported it direct from Opinel and thus had an exclusive. Price: only $3.85 Who could resist?

Resist they did not. Our customers all loved the ‘French Country Knife.” We eventually sold a quarter of a million. Unfortunately, Opinel took notice of our sales and assigned the Canadian firm, Gutmann’s Knives, to take over exclusive North American distribution and then raise the price for us. What? Really? Yes. The important thing to note, the silver lining, was that Ron could discern a unique functional product that had a story beckoning to be told and then could skillfully tell it, captivating and charming our customers into wanting one for themselves. It was a kind of word-based alchemy. And, very effective.

Many other notable Early Winters products were beneficiaries of his approach: The Light Dimension, Danish Fisherman’s Cap, Thousand Mile Sock, Open Air Office, The Last Watch, The Campers Valet, and the Pocket Hotel were but a few. Some were discovered products and others were created in our own sewing factory. All fulfilled the promise of our company tagline, ‘Unique Outdoor Products.’

Interestingly, the Pocket Hotel was a concept of the mind, only a name. before it was even a product. Ron thought of the name and jokingly shared it with me. It captivated my imagination. Who wouldn’t be drawn to that? And so, we talked it through. I then designed a one-person Gore-Tex fabric tent that was the child of our Light Dimension two-person Gore-Tex tent and the Sleep Inn, our Gore-Tex bivy sack. All because of a name. Of course, Ron’s subsequent copywriting was sensational.

Ron’s ability to market products set Early Winters distinctively apart. He knew that a good storyteller could hold an audience rapt with attention and create the driving forces of desire. And Ron was better than good at it. He was absolutely great!

 

Postscript: If you want to know more, I wrote and published a memoir that recalls many of our adventures in the outdoors and the outdoor business during that era. It is titled ‘Banquet of the Infinite.’ My dear friend Ron appears in the following chapters:

Chapter 13: The Clan on Queen Anne

Chapter 14: Dancing with the Dead

Chapter 18: The Light Dimension

Chapter 19: Mountain Money

Chapter 24: The Mountaineer's Secret

Chapter 39: Hiroshi’s Mystery Tour

Chapter 43: Our Noble Quest

‘Banquet of the Infinite’ is available online as an illustrated eBook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Rakuten Kobo.