Opinel Knives

Most outdoor-oriented people will have heard of the Opinel range of knives – many will have owned one at some point and a lot of those will be firm fans of this iconic folding knife. And to mark their 125th anniversary, the family-run business – still based in the Savoie area of France – have produced a commemorative ‘Special Edition’ No 8 size Opinel, with design work by Mathieu Gazaiz.

The artwork on the handle reflects the Opinel values of “simplicity and expertise”, while retaining the instantly recognisable shape and strong functional design that has led to Opinel’s success over the past 125 years. The commemorative Special Edition No 8 Opinel comes in a gift box and features – under the artwork – a hornbeam handle and, as well as the rotating locking ring that locks the blade open or closed, a Sandvik 12C27 modified stainless steel blade that comes shaving sharp. The Anniversary No 8 Opinel Knife costs around £24.95 and looks both very attractive and effective for outdoor use.

3 Some

Coinciding with the launch of the Anniversary Knife, Opinel have also launched a Limited Edition Knife ‘Les 3 Continents’ (The Three Continents) with a handle made from diagonally laid bonded layers of the finest black ebony from Africa, blond boxwood from Europe and glowing rosewood from the Americas, all handfinished for a superior shine and feel. The mirror polished Sandvik 12C27 modified stainless steel blade comes razor sharp and bears not only the usual Opinel stamps, but is also engraved with its own number.

This Special Edition is limited to 4000 knives and this one is number 0687. As well as the distinctive handle and blade, the Limited Edition No 8 Opinel Knife features the rotating locking ring to lock the blade open or closed, and comes with a velvety slip cover in a gift box with a description card. Despite being a collector’s item, which will increase in value if left immaculate in its box for years, the Limited Edition No 8 Knife is fully practical and will serve well as a very smart, very usable field knife.

At around £89.95, most of these knives will probably sit in drawers or displays for most of their lives, which I think a bit of a shame, as they cry out to be used and shown off!