Opinel No. 112 Paring Knives 2 Piece Set, Sandvik 12C27 Steel Everyday Use Prep Knives for Chopping, Peeling, Slicing, Trimming, Stabilized Sustainably Harvested Beechwood Handles, Made in France

Recently bought a Opinel No 8 and loved it so I ended up ordering these to use as steak knives. The steel used is Sandvik 12C27, it was originally developed for use in razors, personally its one of my favorite budget steels because its very easy to sharpen. I remember seeing somewhere that they're 56-58 HRC, so edge retention is respectable & it's tough and fairly corrosion resistant. It won't match VG10 or Aus10 for edge retention but it's way easier to sharpen, anyone with rudimentary sharpening skills should have no problem keeping it working sharp.These knives are thin, sharp and have basic cheap wooden handles, nothing fancy but they get the job done. They're flimsy but being paring knives I don't mind. You shouldn't be using paring knives for heavy duty tasks anyway. As long as you hand wash they should hold up fine.I mentioned Kiwi knives because they feel very similar but the steel used in these is better (unsure of the steel Kiwi uses but heard speculation it's 2 or 3Cr). It's also IMO better than German 1.4116 steel or 5cr15MoV or 7Cr17 which are other very common steels for making lower priced knives.

Absolutely perfect! Will use them again! Good place to shop.

Great.

I have a folding Opinel knife that I love and love using in the kitchen. It has the carbon steel blade that stays sharp and cuts fruits and vegetables like butter. I thought that these paring knives would be similar in function but they have stainless steel blades that do not seem to take an edge like the carbon steel. They feel flimsy and are generally a bit disappointing. They are not terrible knives, but they are not like the original Opinel blade. I wish I had just ordered another folding knife with the carbon steel blade as they are really well made and relatively cheap for such good quality.

Handy little blades! Hold an edge okay, good size. Hard to beat for the money.

Simply put, this is the best value for excellent pairing knives ever. They're flexible, super-sharp, and nice looking. Still, be very, very careful, you'll want more.

I discovered Opinel knives a number of years ago. I've carried one of their folding pocket knives since then. Opinel seems to be one of the only knife companies left who actually focus on the steel in their blades. This paring knife is made with Opinel's 'Inox' steel, which is very similar to Sandvik steel. These are superior blades. Unlike most stainless blades, these will take a keen edge and hold it. It is a knife; you do have to sharpen it and keep it sharp. It's easy to do and you'll appreciate the sharp edge when you use it. Opinel's carbon blades take a better edge, but they do stain. Not something important to me as a professional furniture maker, but sometimes important to those who want a 'pretty' blade in the kitchen instead of a sharp one. Opinel does both.

As a chef, I place a lot of importance on good paring knives for a lot of prep tasks. These are great!