French company Opinel's flagship No. 8 size has been produced virtually unchanged since 1890. Its 3.25-inch blade is made of high-grade Swedish Sandvik stainless steel that is anticorrosive, holds an edge well and tunes up easily on any sharpening device, while the contoured handle nestles perfectly into the palm for firm control. We especially love the French company's ingenious “virobloc” collar-style lock, which firmly holds the blade in place by twisting sideways—it's far easier to use than most any other locking-blade knife and basically removes any risk of the blade folding onto exposed fingers.
We test everything we sell. Here’s how we’d use this.
This knife is a terrific choice for close hand work, like peeling garlic cloves or slicing apples.
In France, "l'opinel" now just means pocket knife-- it's become that versatile. You, too, may find yourself reaching for this knife outside of the kitchen, too, for odd jobs like breaking down boxes, cutting herb and flower stems or fas your trustiest companion on your next camping trip.
Since Joseph Opinel crafted his first pocket knife in 1890, family company Opinel has produced iconic knives out of the French Alps, with clean, cutting-edge designs, sturdy construction and remarkable economy. In fact, their pocket knives are such a classic that the French refer to folding knives as Opinels in the way Americans refer to tissues as Kleenex.
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