Love it or hate it, the Opinel knife is an iconic item that speaks of France, cheese slicing and the pleasures of the countryside. Alternatively, it speaks of a laborious and inefficient locking mechanism combined with a certain pretension among its users.
The #8 Opinel is, at least according to Wikipedia, the most popular size, with a blade about 3-1/4″ (8.5 cm) long, shown above. They are certainly available inexpensively, between about $10.98 for a rebranded camping style to $11.95 from Amazon [What’s This?]. The blade is carbon steel (although they do offer stainless blades) and has all the benefits and drawbacks that material brings to a knife. They have updated the locking mechanism so that the blade does weakly lock without the collar being rotated, but secure use dictates the turning of the collar. The “Yatagan” type of blade is slightly curved upwards at the tip.
So what do you think, Toolmongers, Hot or Not?
Opinel [Manufacturer Site]
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16 Responses to Hot or Not? #8 Opinel Knife
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I regard the Opinel knives as hot, at least for most purposes. Having a slightly flexible blade it is more suited to certain tasks than a rigid blade would be.
I find the locking mechanism faultless and locks the blade tightly ensuring there is no play in the hinge. It’s not difficult to set either. I’ve seen French farmers tap the knife on a table making the blade flick open and then with a twist of the fingers set the blade lock, all with one hand. Similar to the trick of opening a Zippo and lighting it by striking it against the leg of your jeans.
The ‘recent’ modification to the lock ring was not to improve the blade lock but to enable the blade to also be locked in the closed position.
Considering they’re pretty cheap, they’re hard to beat for casual use. Beats the heck out of tactic-lol knives for pulling out at work to open something (no more terrified secretaries), and they’re also good for cutting up fruit or whatever you’ve got in your lunch. That being said if you have the classic carbon steel blade and it’s NOT razor sharp, you’re missing the point. The edge you can put on them is a big part of what makes them nice.
VERY HOT.
A high quality, easily sharpened steel blade for $11.
The locking mechanism is archaic, but foolproof.
I wish I’d bought 10 of them when I was in france (for around $5 US) years ago instead of just one.
I’m not sure how one could be pretentious about an $11 knife though.
Anyone buying a stainless steel one completely missed the point.
hot. i have one each in my vehicles. amazing how often you find that you need one. no problem using mine.
Hot! Ditto all the above.
Very Hot. I’ve got a fair collection of them. The edge they take is just incredible.
Buy yourself an old style alox (aluminum) victorinox soldier. Best value in the knife world. I have owned many high end knives (over $100), but this is the only one I carry. It is built like a tank and has a a nice assortment of tools as well. You can find them new on ebay for around $20. I have owned the opinel. Garbage. Trust in Swiss quality. They are legit.
I spent too much of the seventies working on French bicycles and cars to ever trust anything made in that benighted country.
Not my favorite knife but they do hold a special place in my heart as it was my Dad’s first “real” knife. I remember when he bought it when I was a kid and for years I coveted it. Unfortunately he lost it before I was able to inherit it but years later I happened upon it in a box of misc. that he’d moved into storage at my grandmother’s house. I refinished the handle, gave it a new edge and gave it back to him 25 years later. Still remember the smile on his face when he saw it again.
>>I spent too much of the seventies working on French bicycles and cars to ever trust anything made in that benighted country.
@Olderthanyou You must not be a fan of wine, pastries, cream sauces, tarts, or cheese then.
forget the french cheese. More cheese is made in the US. Ohio, Wisconsin, and California produce more than the rifle droppers could ever hope to.
I should add most of it tastes better too.
Hot,Hot,Hot!
One of the first pocket knives I ever owned & still one of my favourites.Actually shaved with one a few years back just to prove that it could be done.Locking mechanism is excellent,solid & reliable if need be,I like the fact that you can choose to use it or not.Also makes a good half-spin throwing knife.Oh,& they float!
Being a tool fetishist, cheese “gourmand” & married to a French teacher, I feel I need to clear a few things up: The Opinel is a great knife that can easily be honed to razor sharpness – which clearly makes it the tool of choice for slicing fresh baguette or to separate a frog from his legs. It’s construction is surprisingly simple but also reliable. It’s a cheap knife designed with one purpose in mind: cutting stuff. Nothing more, nothing less.
The French used to be excellent engineers (Eiffel Tower, Concorde, 2CV) – but those days are obviously over (collapse of the E2/Air France terminal in 2004).
The US might have the world’s highest ouput of “cheese” but if you subtract all 3476 varieties of industrial cheddar, the 150 or so types of spackle (AKA cream cheese), those toast-sized, yellow band-aids (Velveta) and that stuff that comes in spray cans, you are left with only a handful of cheeses that actually have flavour. Sorry to say, but if it comes to cheese, the French are winning hands down… Ahhh, Tete de Moin, Roquefort, Reblochon…
Adam R, I have to agree with Frank on this one. American cheese is okay, but it can’t touch french cheese for artistry. Quality, not quantity.
I like the Swiss knives, but only the most spartan of them; otherwise, I find the Opinel just the tool for cutting most items I usually need to cut, some vegetables from the garden, some string or tape on a postal item, and of course attacking the occasional cardboard box that won’t rip apart with just hand strength. It’s light weight and a simple design, over a hundred years and counting. As for the French Haters among you, lest we forget that if it weren’t for the French, their money, and ships during the American Revolution. We would just be another Commonwealth nation of England. Please read your history books. They were written for a reason.