Opinel No 8 Carbone || Sometimes Simple is All You Need

Opinel knives have been making their way into French farmers' pockets since 1890. The Opinel No. 8 caught my eye a few months ago with its classic, timeless look, simple design, and cheap price. I was able to purchase the knife online with a shipping cost of $13.00.



Simple in design, a knife is a tool with a job to do, cutting that is. Looking for a knife to take on a bikepacking, touring, or backpacking trip? This might be your knife.

My Opinel No. 8 has a beechwood handle and a carbon blade. The No. 8 comes either in carbon or stainless steel. You ask what the difference is between the different types of steel. The carbon blade is easy to sharpen. As you can see, I had a couple of nicks in the blade right out of the box. With a DMT sharpener and about 5 minutes, I was able to get the nicks out of the blade and get it shaving sharp. The carbon blade will rust or patina with use. The stainless steel is harder to sharpen, but it will not rust.

Is it a knife to take on a weekend bikepacking, touring, or backpacking trip? Time will tell, but right now, I would say it would be a great knife to take on an outing to cut cheese and summer sausage and wash it off with a beer. Since I like to use it on food items and it has a carbon blade that will rust, I use Ballistol to oil the knife after use. So far, this has worked on keeping the knife like you see in the first picture of this post.