OPINEL No7 Carbon Steel Folding Pocket Knife with Beechwood Handle

This is possibly the best pocket knife ive ever bought. The blade is well made and holds a edge quite well. Its VERY sharp, so much so you have to be careful cutting things with it. The handle is a nice wood and is very ergonomic, soft and comfortable to hold. It fits well in the pocket of pants that I forget its even in my pocket. The locking mechanism is tight and secures the blade well, always remember to activate it. I wish Opinel made holsters for it, however. Its a very elegant pocket knife.

I stumbled on the Opinel booth at the 2017 Summer Outdoor Retailor show. I was immediately impressed with the combination of cost and quality of their products. I own knives ranging from cheap (almost throw away) to very fine (one that will surely be handed down to one of my kids). I realize and appreciate there is a place and market for them all. In Opinel I found a knife intended for real everyday use. Something that give good value for the price. Well designed and manufactured enough to be highly useful and reliable, while inexpensive enough that I am not worried about if I might damage it during use or losing it. It has classic clean and simple aesthetics. After much deliberation I decided to purchase the No8 Carbon version. I chose the carbon blade as I intend to use this as a EDC (Every Day Carry) knife so did not need the corrosion resistance of stainless, but wanted something that would take and hold a really fine edge. So far I have not been disappointed. The knife arrived with no problems and was exactly what I expected. As expected the hinge was stiff, making the blade difficult to open unless I used the ‘tap the handle on the table’ method to get it started. The blade was sharp enough for use as I would expect directly from a manufacturer (but far better than I would expect for a knife in this price range). There are some faint machine marks on the blade left over from its manufacturer and some burr from sharpening. I had no trouble getting a sharp enough to shave with edge. Being an engineer and someone who can’t leave well enough alone, I decided to make some customizations. I used a blend of bees wax (used for waterproofing boots) on the hinge to get it to move smother and be less prone to swelling when damp, sanded off the finish, and added a indent in the handle near where nail groove of the handle rests to make it easier to grip. I then refinished the handle using teak oil. I carry the knife daily and use it often for various tasks. With use for things like cutting oranges, the blade is starting to take on a nice patina. A few swipes on a small stone when needed is all it takes to get the razor sharp edge back. I find the No8 size to fit my hand quite well and be very versatile for many tasks, but for me it is slightly large for a EDC. I am considering picking up a No7 or 6.

Bottom line: Is this the worlds best pocket knife? No. But it's unbeatable for the price, in my opinion. The relatively few negative reviews of this knife mostly focus on the blade's tendency to rust. I would point out that this is a carbon steel knife - it absolutely *will* rust if not cared for properly and anyone buying it should expect that. If you want a knife that won't rust, Opinel makes this exact same model in stainless steel, available right here on Amazon for the same price. That said, carbon steel has one big advantage over stainless - a carbon blade can be sharper (if sharpened correctly) and tends to hold an edge better/longer than a stainless blade. Simply oil the blade once in a while, remove any rust promptly, and embrace the inevitable color change in the blade over time (the "patina"), which will help prevent rust. If you aren't willing to do those things, go with stainless steel. For the price, this knife is very well made and functional. The blade is good quality and arrived quite sharp. The beechwood handle is nicely shaped (both ergonomically and aesthetically), and is very lightweight - I can almost forget I have a knife in my pocket. The manually-actuated locking ring can lock the blade both open and closed; the latter is somewhat unique among folding knives but is welcome for me - there is no chance of opening, even partially, in my pocket. This knife does not open and close easily with one hand, but it isn't intended to and that isn't important to me. If it's important to you, look elsewhere. This being my first Opinel knife, I can't comment objectively on longevity; however, from what I see so far it could last a very long time. Highly recommended.

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.

I love the simplicity, the design.. and the utility of this knife. I had a #8 years back and it seemed indestructible.. off the top?..this just doesn't... but it might be? ..the carbon blade is very light and scary sharp.. the handle is classic fishtail opinel design, light and seems durable.... my only complaint is the locking ring seems less sturdy..time will tell how it holds up..

Opinel ist zurecht ein echter Klassiker. Das Messer ist simpel, besteht aus drei Teilen und ist damit überaus minimalistisch und funktional. Die Karbonklinge sollte nicht feucht gehalten werden, da sie rostanfällig ist. Was die Bilder einiger unzufriedener Kunden hier zeigen ist aber kein Rost sondern eine Patina, die klassisch für Kohlenstoffklingen ist und die einige Leute sogar sehr bewusst herbeiführen (im Anhang mein Messer mit einer bewusst herbeigeführten Patina). Tatsächlich ist dies nichts, was das Messer angreift, sondern sogar etwas, was vor Rost schützt. Die Klinge kommt scharf und einsatzbereit, schien bei mir aber noch einen leichten Grat zu haben, der insbesondere bei Karbon schnell zu entfernen ist. Allgemein lässt sich das Messer in der Karbonvariante gut nachschärfen. Preis-Leistung ist wirklich gut. Für alle die weniger experimentieren wollen und sich eine pflegeleichtere Version wünschen, würde ich INOX statt Carbon empfehlen.

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

I have owned the Opinel 8 for many years and have been very happy with it . However it was a little short and light .... idea for small tasks . Without a blink of an eye I picked up the N 12 when it went up on sale on Black Friday sales with free shipping. the 12 is a heftier knife and yet still light and flips open/close easily . I cant pocket this like the 8 but its easy enough to fashion a small belt pouch for it advise.... oil the blade/handle joint if you want it to open easier ....

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).

Die Opinel Winzermesser aus nicht rostfreiem Stahl lassen sich mit Schleifstein extrem scharf schleifen. Das 113120 wirkt etwas unförmig, aber sonst alles OK.