If you know me, you know that I am  Francophile in all things except slugs.

I’ve done lots of things in my short life, each one of them needing a specific cache of tools. One thing I’ve never been without – though I admit to recently losing my latest acquisition – is my French-made Opinel knife. I don’t know enough about materials science to wax eloquent about the steel, but these things take an edge. Just a few swipes across a common whetstone, and you’re good to go. 

The kind folks who manufacture these gems added a locking mechanism around the middle of the last century and, because of that, it was the first knife I gave to my boy. I’m guessing that the sharp blade collapsed on some garcon’s fingers while he was stealing pears, and well, we can’t have that.

Opinels come in a flurry of sizes and uses. I’ve always used the carbon-steel blade, beech wood handled Number 08. It’s small, light, cheap, and I’ve never needed to hack a jungle trail with my pocket knife. If I do, though, I have my eye on the new garden pruner. I oddly go through Coronas as fast as I can buy them, and I’m interested to know if French innovation will cure this for me.

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Go here to see the #08 on Amazon. Take care: if you buy one, you will be hooked.

For the entire shebang, go to the Opinel website here.

Enjoy!

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