Opinel — Folding Pocket Knives & Tourism Knives

Opinel — French folding knives & kitchen tools since 1890

Opinel was founded by Joseph Opinel in Savoie in 1890. The iconic wooden-handled pocket knives use the Virobloc® safety ring and come in stainless Sandvik 12C27 or traditional high-carbon steel. Today the range also covers kitchen knives, a cult mushroom knife, and clever picnic add-ons.

What to look for

• No.08 Classic: the everyday folding knife with Virobloc® lock (stainless “Inox” or “Carbone”).
• No.08 Outdoor: reinforced blade, partly serrated; 110 dB whistle and shackle key in the handle — built for bad weather.
• Mushroom Knife: curved blade with serrations + natural boar-hair brush for field cleaning.
• Kitchen lines: Parallèle / Les Forgés 1890 — chef, santoku, paring and more.
• Picnic+ kit: fork & spoon inserts that slide onto a No.08 with the Virobloc® ring.

Choosing tips

• Everyday carry: No.08 Inox (12C27) — corrosion-resistant and easy to maintain.
• Foraging: No.08 Mushroom for clean harvesting on trail.
• Camp & cooking: Picnic+ with a No.08 + a compact kitchen knife set.

Care: stainless 12C27 needs simple washing and drying; carbon (XC90) will form a patina — dry after use and oil lightly.