Opinel N°09 pocket knife blade length 9 cm

Opinel knives are available with a stainless steel or high-alloy XC90 carbon steel blade. The one-piece handle is made of hardwood (beech), which is protected from moisture by a special coating. Naturally, it also features the unique Virobloc system, which allows the blade to be locked at lightning speed. To lock the blade, simply turn the locking ring.

Handle
Beech is the most commonly used wood for the manufacture of Opinel knife handles. The beech wood comes from France, is hard, resistant and easy to work with. It has a homogeneous appearance and the light color varies from yellowish to pinkish. You can recognize the wood by the many dark, small strokes. The handle has been varnished to provide better protection against moisture and dirt.

Safety ring
The Virobloc safety ring is cut from stainless steel and consists of two parts: a fixed part and a sliding part. In addition to locking the blade in the open position (safe use), it is now also possible to lock the blade in the closed position (safe transportation).

Stainless steel version
The stainless steel used for Opinel blades is an optimized grade that guarantees both high corrosion resistance and high mechanical performance. The blade has excellent sharpness and high abrasion resistance (wear resistance), which allows it to withstand regular contact with hard materials such as ceramics before needing to be sharpened. Stainless steel has the advantage that, unlike carbon steel, it requires no special maintenance under normal conditions of use. Nevertheless, it can reach its limits if it comes into contact with an aggressive environment (acid, salt water, detergent, etc.) over a long period of time.

Carbon steel version
The carbon steel used by Opinel is an unalloyed steel with a high carbon content, which achieves excellent durability after thermal treatment. This ensures perfect stability of sharpness, as well as high resistance to wear and easy resharpening. Nevertheless, carbon steel has a low resistance to corrosion caused by moisture. Therefore, certain precautions must be taken: never store your knife in damp places, especially not in the dishwasher. Clean the blade with a greased cloth after use and grease the blade and joints regularly.