- Genuine Opinel knife with 3.25-inch blade
- Carbon steel blade, hardwood handle and stainless steel locking collar
- Easy to use, foldable blade design; safe to use, locking collar prevents accidental opening or closing
- Stamped with the famous Opinel crowned hand logo
Opinel knives are the traditional French picnic knives made in France since 1890. Rich in history and utility these knives are still a part of everyday culture in France. They are easy to use and they have a safe design. Each knife is made of four components, so the user need not worry about breaking parts - more common to overly complex mechanisms. Knife consists of carbon steel blade, hardwood handle, rivet and a stainless steel locking collar that prevents the knife from accidentally opening or closing. These knives are not only effective and practical; they are also beautiful. Opinel knives have been displayed in Museums and, in 1985, they were ranked as one of the "100 most beautiful products in the world", by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Opinel - a simple, beautiful and effective design that has survived and thrived for well over a century. Stamped with the famous Opinel crowned hand logo. 4 1/4 " closed, 3 1/4" inch blade.
By Joe
Reading all of the reviews, especially the top one many times, I decided to pull the trigger on getting this knife. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted something this size but decided at worst I have a nice cheap knife I can use to hack away with from time to time. I couldn't be more happy with what I got for the price.
To comment on some other users' reviews, my knives (I bought two of these) both came in and were not tight at all. I took them out of the packaging expecting to have to wear them in some but they were very, very smooth opening/closing/locking. I also double checked to make sure the blades weren't warped and they weren't.
As far as the size go I feel it's pretty close to perfect. It fits my average sized hand perfectly and I wouldn't worry about it slipping. Also what helps is that it's about half, if not less, the weight of normal pocket knives. It has a rounded handle that might be noticeable at first when in your pocket but compared to the weight of all other knives you'll forget about it really quickly. Plus the rounded handle makes it an overall better experience.
As far as durability goes I'll have to report back on that later. I can see how the blade could start to discolor and possibly rust, but I'm not going to be using this thing underwater, and in general I would wipe off the blade if any sort of liquid got on it. Honestly, at this price point, if it lasted a couple years it'd be well worth the money but I have a feeling it'll last longer than that.
To comment on some other users' reviews, my knives (I bought two of these) both came in and were not tight at all. I took them out of the packaging expecting to have to wear them in some but they were very, very smooth opening/closing/locking. I also double checked to make sure the blades weren't warped and they weren't.
As far as the size go I feel it's pretty close to perfect. It fits my average sized hand perfectly and I wouldn't worry about it slipping. Also what helps is that it's about half, if not less, the weight of normal pocket knives. It has a rounded handle that might be noticeable at first when in your pocket but compared to the weight of all other knives you'll forget about it really quickly. Plus the rounded handle makes it an overall better experience.
As far as durability goes I'll have to report back on that later. I can see how the blade could start to discolor and possibly rust, but I'm not going to be using this thing underwater, and in general I would wipe off the blade if any sort of liquid got on it. Honestly, at this price point, if it lasted a couple years it'd be well worth the money but I have a feeling it'll last longer than that.
By Jon
*UPDATE*: Since writing this review I have not bought another Opinel knife but I have handled some in a retail store. I immediately noticed that the hinge was not nearly as tight on the ones in the store as on the ones that I bought on Amazon. I don't know what "normal" is for these knives, but I recognize that there is a range of performance and quality experiences. If this is the knife you want, check the return policy and if it's good it'd be worth giving this knife a chance. I forgot to look at the straightness of the blade on the retail store one so I don't know how that compares to mine. */UPDATE*
I was excited about this knife as I had heard much good about them and am personally a fan of traditional tools. Several months later I am somewhat disappointed. I bought two of them for Christmas. One to test out and keep for myself and one to give to my dad if it seemed like a good knife. I did give him one but he didn't really like it and preferred a more modern knife with an auto-locking mechanism. User preference is definitely something to keep in mind when considering this for a gift for somebody. If they like modern and fancy, they probably won't like this knife with it's carbon steel blade and manual locking mechanism.
The Good:
1)The blade is carbon steel. It will sharpen up well and stay sharp a long time if you have the right sharpening tools. It is also strong and relatively flexible (a good thing in a utility knife).
2)The handle feels nice in my hand. It's comfortable enough for use as a carving knife.
3)The locking mechanism is very safe. I don't know about any statistics, but the danger of a failure of the locking mechanism seems significantly reduced by this design. That is something to consider if you want to use a folder for hard work
I was excited about this knife as I had heard much good about them and am personally a fan of traditional tools. Several months later I am somewhat disappointed. I bought two of them for Christmas. One to test out and keep for myself and one to give to my dad if it seemed like a good knife. I did give him one but he didn't really like it and preferred a more modern knife with an auto-locking mechanism. User preference is definitely something to keep in mind when considering this for a gift for somebody. If they like modern and fancy, they probably won't like this knife with it's carbon steel blade and manual locking mechanism.
The Good:
1)The blade is carbon steel. It will sharpen up well and stay sharp a long time if you have the right sharpening tools. It is also strong and relatively flexible (a good thing in a utility knife).
2)The handle feels nice in my hand. It's comfortable enough for use as a carving knife.
3)The locking mechanism is very safe. I don't know about any statistics, but the danger of a failure of the locking mechanism seems significantly reduced by this design. That is something to consider if you want to use a folder for hard work
By Loren Woirhaye
I bought another one recently 6/24/2016 it arrived and the quality is better than my first. The blade-lock of the new one doesn't require tuning, it twists with a just-right amount of tightness. The blade also opens easier and doesn't require oiling the joint to work the joint in order to reliev the tightness of the pivot. Even better than before, highest recommendation now.
Weighs 1.8 oz
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The knife has a very nice blade and a pleasing handle for whittling and cutting. When open the handle doesn't bite at the hand like folding knife handles often do with their belt clips, screws and hard edges. It is really a very friendly tool and I think that is part of its timeless appeal.
The knife may not be so comfortable to carry if you wear tight jeans. I don't - I like roomy pants with slant-sided pockets. The problem with knives and such trousers is that a small and heavy metal knife, like pocket change, can slither out when I sit down. The Opinel is large enough that you can feel it in your pocket but also light enough that it doesn't slither out of the pocket. By my reckoning that makes it an ideal pocket knife for me. It is also inexpensive and well made so losing one is not such a big deal and it works very well as a knife.
The handle is easy to reshape to your preference. I carved a concave dip in one side of the handle by the thumb notch in the blade to make it easier to open. Then I sanded the handle lightly with 150 grit paper and shellacked it. You could use oil or something else - I like shellac and keep it on hand so that's what I used.
As you get the knife it will be pretty sharp.
Weighs 1.8 oz
###
The knife has a very nice blade and a pleasing handle for whittling and cutting. When open the handle doesn't bite at the hand like folding knife handles often do with their belt clips, screws and hard edges. It is really a very friendly tool and I think that is part of its timeless appeal.
The knife may not be so comfortable to carry if you wear tight jeans. I don't - I like roomy pants with slant-sided pockets. The problem with knives and such trousers is that a small and heavy metal knife, like pocket change, can slither out when I sit down. The Opinel is large enough that you can feel it in your pocket but also light enough that it doesn't slither out of the pocket. By my reckoning that makes it an ideal pocket knife for me. It is also inexpensive and well made so losing one is not such a big deal and it works very well as a knife.
The handle is easy to reshape to your preference. I carved a concave dip in one side of the handle by the thumb notch in the blade to make it easier to open. Then I sanded the handle lightly with 150 grit paper and shellacked it. You could use oil or something else - I like shellac and keep it on hand so that's what I used.
As you get the knife it will be pretty sharp.
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