OPINEL No. 07 Carbone - Carbon Steel Folding Pocket Knife, Beechwood Handle

Fantastic little knife. Sharp upon arrival, but not quite shaving sharp. That is easily forgiven and fixed. This is my first Opinel as i had always questioned the security of the locking mechanism, but now realize that my doubts had no basis in reality. Have not given this knife any use yet because after playing with it for a few hours, I tore it down to it's 5 elegant and well made parts. The ferule and locking ring are anicely crafted heavy gauge stainless steel. The blade took a nice even and dark charcoal colored patina after two rounds of being immersed in hot white vinegar for about 2-3 minutes each round. The beech handle is lightweight, but strong and the wood grain is tight and is responding well to being shaped with my Dremel tool and sandpaper. I am gradually adding finger grooves custom tailored to my hand for two different holding positions. The knife and handle are small so having a custom tailored grip should work out well. There is not much wood there to begin with, so I am being cautious about how much material I am removing. I can already tell that it has made a great improvement even though I am only about 80% done with the contouring. I have no doubt that even though this knife is small, that it will work both as a utility pocket knife and, in a pinch, as a filet/small game knife if used deliberately. After much research, I have settled on using a Danish oil applied slowly over multiple days to finish the handle with a final beeswax treatment once the Danish oil has fully dried. Will post pictures once my project is complete. Could not be any happier with this $9 purchase. I got a great knife and a rewarding simple project that is easy to get a good result with. Even if I did not have the time and desire to modify this knife, I would still give it 5 stars as it came from the factory. My next purchase will be the folding slim #15 filet knife with Bubinga wood handle. This is also a knife that is pretty much legal to carry concealed in a pocket almost everywhere in the U.S. I'm sure that there are a few jurisdictions or particular places where carrying this may not be legal for some or all persons, but this knife will be safe to carry for most people in most places and has a very non-threatening appearance. Update: added pic of my torn down knife with partially completed handle which has had factory finish sanded off, been partially re-contoured and given a light coat of Old English dark scratch cover/oil(as a test and to keep it from absorbing any moisture and swelling as I finish the project. I am also considering using some India ink I have on hand as opposed to spending more $ for Danish oil than I have on the knife itself...lol. I think a black "ebonized" handle separated from the now black blade by the stainless ferrule and lock ring will provide a striking finished appearance. I will likely do several "inkings" over several days, follow with whatever furniture oil I have on hand and a final touch of beeswax. Gonna keep this project a micro budget, low resource impact one. Update March 7 2016: Finished my simple knife mod project. I added a few more contours on the right and left sides and top of the wood handle to facilitate two different grips for different tasks. The knife now fits my hand perfectly. I applied and wiped off some generic black dye I had on hand and then treated with some Olde English Dark wood scratch cover stain and oil. After doing so the knife was quite dark, almost black. The Old English left a nicer finish and did not remove any of the dye. I recently purchased some Lavender essential oil and I was curious what effect that might have so I used an eyedropper and put about 10 drops on the handle and rubbed it in. To my surprise it removed a good deal of the black dye, but not all of it. I rubbed in a bit more and rubbed off all the remaining oil and dye that would come up. It left me with a beautiful dark brown stain with black grain highlights. I left dry overnight and then did 2 light treatments with ordinary mineral oil and let that dry overnight. I the heated the handle gently with a hair dryer and rubbed on some Sno-Seal beeswax which quickly melted. I buffed it hard with a cloth and paper towel until not stain or finish or beeswax wood come off. Great knife to experiment with. I cannot wait to get my next Opinel. I probably will not be doing any mods on the already slim handled #15 filet knife but I might look at a #7 or a #8 as well as the smaller non locking blades. Just buy these knives and enjoy them and give them as gifts. You CANNOT go wrong for the money. Added more pics!

I tend to research stuff a lot before I buy it, so a lot of my reviews end up with 4 or 5 stars simply because I don't end up purchasing lower quality stuff in the first place. That being said, the 5 stars I offer this product would be 10 or more stars if it were possible. I cannot stress you you enough how great this knife is. The carbon steel blade holds an edge very well, and that edge is SHARP, mine is always shaving sharp and it's easy to keep that way. I actually just strop this on the back of an old belt most of the time and that keeps it perfect. Then handle is ergonomic perfection, I'm 6'4" with hands proportionally sized for my height (big) and it is still comfortable. The locking mechanism is unusual but very effective and after using it now for almost a year, I'm surprised it isn't a more common method. The thin blade slices unbelievably nice, I have used it on wood, food prep (even in a kitchen when the supplied knives were lame), picking cheap locks, all kinds of stuff and it holds up great and performs superlatively. It is impossible to exaggerate the qualities of this blade. It is insulting to say it is good "for the price," if it were $100 or more I would still say it was a great knife (although I would have just longed for it, and not purchased it). I say that in all honesty. I have a modest collection, just a few knives that I have selected to actually use daily and camping. These include a high end Strider (wonderful knife, but I work in an office and I am concerned about making people nervous), some buck knives, a MoraKniv (another just crazy nice inexpensive knife, but again not for the office), and some cheaper knives (including a Gerber that is a huge disappointment). I just mention these to qualify my opinion of this particular blade. I love it. A lot. It has been my every day carry in my slacks and jeans for a while now and I have plenty of opportunities to assess it. It's a beautiful knife, when it's closed is elegant and does not look like a weirdo tactical knife, just like a french piece of art so nobody gets nervous. Open, it is still such a classic look that the only comments I get about it, even from people who don't carry, is that it's a good looking knife. Carries nice in the pocket, which I was concerned about, I usually have pocket clips on my knives. Casual, Dress, Bushcraft, Kitchen, EDC, fishing, basically whatever you would need a blade for this guy should have you covered (haven't tried field dressing anything, I imagine it would work fine but get super grody). No doubt there are obviously better knives out there for specific situations like self defense, wood processing (I would not use this for batoning through a log), hunting, or whatever but for a terrific pocket knife to always have on you, you would be hard pressed to find its equal.

These knives are so sharp out of the box. No need to sharpen before use. I bought a smaller size for my wife and a larger size for me. Then I liked the smaller one for some applications so I bought myself another one. The cost point makes this possible. I use it for woodcarving mostly, but also for cleaning fish.

I’ll start by saying that I am a knife collector, but not of fancy, super-expensive knives that simply sit around and are never used so they maintain their appearance and “value.” A valuable knife is one that is usable and high quality. Every knife I have is used, although some are used far more than others because of how good they are. I purchased this No. 10 Opinel carbon steel knife with certain expectations, and almost all of them were met. I gave this knife a 5-star rating because it is an excellent quality knife blade that will see quite a lot of use from me, but not **heavy duty** use some of my other knives are used for. First, some design facts about this blade: --The wood handle is comfortable, but is one of the points that make this a **moderate duty** knife. I will not be applying a lot of force on this handle. --The ring supporting the blade is right at 3/32”. There is no side-to-side play in the blade, so the ring seems to support the blade very well. With the locking ring (which is much thinner) is closed, that extra support gives the knife an even more solid feel. --The knife blade is made from xc90 carbon steel, which is pretty comparable to 1086 steel. That means it will wear a little easier some other common carbon steels like 1095, but are very easy to sharpen/maintain. More on sharpness and sharpening later. --The blade is 1/8” thick on the spine before the clip of the blade. The blade grind is NOT FLAT, but a slight convex grind (think magnifying glass lens shape). That’s actually just fine with me, because that helps add supporting strength to the edge and take away some of the edge-retention disadvantage the xc90 steel has. Still pretty thin, though. --The locking ring, while manually-operated, allows you to lock the blade in both the open and the closed position. Its design looks and feels very secure. --This is a CARBON steel, not STAINLESS. You’ll have to keep it dry, maintain it, or it’ll be rusty trash. If that’s not your thing, get the stainless version. 12C27 Sandvik is a good comparable quality steel. So, now the pros and cons: Pros: --The fit of everything on this knife is tight. While I don’t know if it will loosen over time, there is resistance when you open and close the blade, which is nice. --Once properly sharpened (more about this later), this blade is hair-whittling sharp...for those that don’t understand the significance, that is far beyond hair-shaving sharp. Far beyond. I barely touched the edge after putting a proper edge on this knife and cut a couple layers of skin. Feather-touched. Didn’t even feel it; noticed it when I touched my thumb with my finger. ----This level of sharpness is what makes this knife really usable. With its sharpness and convex grind going all the way to the edge, it’ll slice through things easily...which will help with retaining that edge longer. Cutting into wood for detail carving or for whittling...will probably be like cutting warm butter. --The xc90 may not retain edges as well as higher carbon steels, but it’s tough. Unless you abuse it on purpose or for things knives AREN’T designed for (like as a screwdriver or pry bar) --The COST. For the quality of this blade, and its tight fit and finish, it is a tremendous value. The Cons are not enough to detract from my rating. Cons: --The factory edge sucks. Saw someone comment here it didn’t feel sharp but still cut a tomato with ease...that’s because whatever sharpening method they use leaves a bur...which means you literally SAWED through that tomato. Also, the edge was ALMOST one-sided like a chisel. I had to reshape the edge bevel. Once I did, though, and properly sharpened it and stropped it, I can almost let it sink through a tomato with its own weight. Annoying I had to do that. Morakniv I’ve ever only had to strop to refine...their factory edges are better than anyone else. --The blade thickness and handle keep this from being a heavy duty knife. That’s actually OK, as with this being a pocket folder I’m not going to be carrying it while needing to do something heavy.

I'll preface this by saying that I own a sharpening business, I'm pretty obsessive about edges and I have the means to measure them. Overall, I think these are some of the best values in the industry – right up there with Mora. I don't know how they can produce and sell a quality product for this cheap, in France. I love the classic design, they're exceedingly light and comfortable to hold, and the lock works. I don't really care that it isn't one-handed or takes a second to open and close. This isn't mall-ninja gear; it's a 130-year-old classic. Unfortunately I have to dock a star based solely on the factory edge. I was going to regrind mine regardless, so it doesn't matter to me, but I am not a representative buyer. I bought three of them at the same time, as gifts, and all tested between 740-755 BESS. If that doesn't mean anything to you, it's like golf scores: lower is better. A new Wusthof or Henckels should be ~300, a double-edge razor blade is 40-50. Sure it's a cheap knife, but I've seen $10 Wal-Mart knives that score in the mid-200's out of the box. All three of mine also had a fairly prominent burr along much of the edge. I would expect a new knife at any price point to at least pass the fingernail test, and mine didn't. All in all, I think these are great and I'd buy another. I was surprised at the lackluster factory edges, as most reviews are positive on that. Obviously the average person doesn't own a BESS tester, most won't be able to tell the difference between 300 BESS and 100...but mine were bad enough to notice. It's unfortunate because the thin carbon-steel blade is capable of taking an AMAZING edge...the factory just didn't bother (again, at least in my batch). If you're going to buy one and aren't a competent sharpener, plan on taking it to a pro. It's only going to cost $10 or so to have a proper edge put on, and I think it remains a superb value even factoring that in.

The Opinel is a classic French pocket knife. Folks, this is about as simple as folding knives get. Let's start with the blade. You get XC90 carbon steel. Very cheap, holds a good edge, may take some stains, may (will) rust without some oil. The handle is beechwood and is very light; indeed, the whole knife is super light. It fits in your hand well, like it's almost not even there. The blade locks into place with a "Virobloc." Invented in 1954 by the company owner's son, it's essentially a metal collar that goes around the top of the handle (the bolster) and rotates to keep the blade extended. It's very simple, but the knife does require two hands to make it stay open. I know that this will sound crazy, but this knife is pretty much only for cutting things or whittling. It will not be useful for chopping or prying. Moreover, people in France have been using these as small general purpose utility knives for like 135 years. For me, it's never going to be my main EDC knife. But it will be a backup. I love it. If you have larger hands, I might go for a No. 9 over the No. 8 for EDC.

Carbon steel folders are hard to find these days and most people have never even picked up a quality made, well tempered piece of steel. For those of you who havent yet experienced the joy of owning and using one, I envy you. You are in for a pleasant surprise. These knives are well engineered. The design is simple, robust and economical to produce. They have evolved into their current excellent form after years of use. They have an economy of design that translates directly into lower costs, and lower weight. This is a 4.75 inch by 1 inch blade and it weighs nearly nothing. The wooden handle is reinforced by a steel bolster so it can't break and the locking ring is more secure than any of the tang locks you see on all the other folders. This is a very strong design. These knives are made of top quality materials. Not expensive materials, but appropriate materials without trying to cut costs by using cheap components. The blade is made of some kind of high carbon steel. The handle is a solid block of hard wood. The other parts, including the rivet and bolster appear to be low carbon steel and the locking ring is stainless steel. These things come from the factory very sharp. They can be made even sharper with a few minutes on a whetstone. The steel is quite good and well tempered, so they hold an edge well, even if you want them sharp enough to shave with. Don't be put off by the shape of the handle. It comes from the factory with a large "utility knife" handle more suitable for a wood shop than a pocket. You can fix that by removing some wood to customize your handle or make it fit your pocket better. Because there is no spring in the tang, you can remove a lot of wood from the back, sides and rear of the handle without effecting the integrity of the handle at all. Or, you can leave it alone. It works great just like it is. The number 12 knife is a VERY LARGE KNIFE. If you are buying this as a pocket knife, be aware that folded up, these are 6 1/2 inches long and an inch thick...too large for most people to want to carry around. Of course, they weigh so little, you might not mind the size too much. It won't pull your pants down around your knees like some folders. This is a great knife. I highly recommend it.

First Impressions I'm incredibly happy I pulled the trigger on this knife. I've been on the hunt for a good quality EDC blade and this one really fits the bill. I'm the type of online shopper who loves digging into reviews and researching products thoroughly before making a purchase. Many times products with this kind of following end up somewhat disappointing once you have the real deal in hand. Rest assured, I did my research and this knife is a phenomenal value for the price. Size/Fit and Finish The No 6 is a little smaller than I imagined, and that's a good thing. You can walk around with it in the front pocket of your slacks without showing the whole world that you are carrying a knife. I'd say its the perfect size for my needs. The design is classic and also uniquely Opinel. I have already gotten compliments. Performance This blade is thin...very thin. It's also made out of good quality carbon steel. I believe that combination is the reason these have such a cult following. A blade as thin and strong as this can be sharpened to a true razor's edge without to much work. This is why its such a good slicer. Keep in mind that a blade with this much carbon will RUST if you don't take care of it. Just dab a bit of mineral oil on the blade once in a while and you will be fine. If you do get a bit of rust, hit it with some fine sandpaper and the shine will come right back. Cons There are obviously drawbacks to a blade as affordable as the Opinel. The blade was a little snug in mine when I first received it but has loosened up after some use. Also, one of my first tests for this blade was some whittling. It did really well but I did get some very small chips in the blade. The edge was still very usable but there were chips none the less. This is to be expected with a blade this thin and after a couple of minutes sharpening and it was back to normal. If you intend to use this for heavy duty work like woodcarving it will work - it just won't meet your needs as well as a blade dedicated to the task. Overall I'm very impressed with this knife and considering the build quality I'll likely lose the thing way before it wears out.

Muy buen producto quedé satisfecho con su calidad y función... Filo bien preciso.

Heerlijk mes. Lekker licht. Goedkoop en toch prima kwaliteit.

Das Opinel No. 8 aus Carbonstahl ist ein echtes Klassiker-Messer. Es liegt gut in der Hand, schneidet hervorragend und lässt sich sehr leicht wieder rasiermesserscharf nachschärfen. Die Verarbeitung ist sauber und das geringe Gewicht macht es zum idealen Begleiter für Outdoor, Camping oder den Alltag. Wer ein einfaches, zuverlässiges Taschenmesser sucht, wird hier nicht enttäuscht. Klare Kaufempfehlung!

Perfection

Justo lo que buscaba, una navaja para todo uso. La puedes emplear en la cocina para pelar patatas como el mejor cuchillo patatero o llevarla al campo para cualquier uso no muy exigente. El tamaño es justito pero ¿para qué más? vas a poder hacer bocadillos sin problemas o cortar fiambre, pelar fruta,etc. El filo y ajustes vienen muy bien, y pasándola de vez en cuando la chaira mantiene el filo perfecto. Al ser carbono hay que cuidar de secar bien antes de guardarla. Puede quedar algo de agua en la madera y dejar macha de óxido si no se tiene cuidado, pero es fácil volverla a poner a tono si nos descuidamos. Un poco de aceite de máquina de coser o específico de navajas en el eje previene que se atasque (me pasó ya que aunque la seques algo de óxido puede producirse, le he puesto el aceite...y como nueva).