N°08 Carbon Steel Pocket Knife

The No.08 Carbon Steel pocket knife is the knife that started it all. Joseph Opinel first designed and patented the knife in 1890. Originally distributed as a knife for farmers and train conductors, keeping the knife high quality, simply designed and affordable has always been the goal of Opinel. It’s no wonder why we’ve produced and sold over 30 million units of this very knife in our 130-year heritage.

Specification:

Blade length: 8.5 cm

Material:

• Blade: Carbon steel XC90: Our carbon steel is extremely hard, thereby guaranteeing excellent cutting quality, good wear resistance, and easy regrinding. Carbon can corrode easily. We advise you to avoid damp locations and to wipe and grease the blade after use.
• Handle: Beechwood – most commonly used wood for the manufacture of Opinel handles. From France, our beech is hard, durable, and easy to work. With a homogeneous appearance, its light color varies from yellow to pink. It is characterized by the presence of numerous small, dark dashes.

Safety: This Knife features the Virobloc Safety rings.
Invented by Marcel Opinel in 1955, the Virobloc safety ring is fitted to all folding knives sizes No6 through No12. Cut out of stainless steel, the Virobloc has two sections, one fixed and one sliding. In addition to locking the blade open (safety while in use), it is now possible to lock the blade closed (safety on the go).

Care:

The blade requires maintenance.

1. Taking care of your blade:
   The Opinel blades are renowned for their exceptional cutting power. To protect this cutting quality, it is important to regularly sharpen the blade when dull and to choose suitable supports to prevent premature damage.
2. Cutting food with your Opinel:
   To preserve and protect the cutting quality of your blade, working on hard surfaces is not recommended (glass, marble, ceramic, etc.). Use softer supports such as wooden or food-grade plastic cutting board as often as possible.
3. Sharpening your Opinel:
   – When using a whetstone for sharpening the blade, the latter must be dry and cleaned of all traces of lubricant. Slightly wet the natural stone.
   – Sharpen the cutting edge by pressing hard on the stone and going back and forth along the blade (the stone is at a 20° angle with the blade). Start from the base of the blade moving towards the tip of the blade in an alternating and regular movement.
   – Steel burr forms on the opposite side of the blade which prevents it from cutting. This burr must therefore be removed. This is the second stage of the sharpening process.
   – Cut the burr with the stone by using a back and forth movement (the stone is at a 20° angle with the blade). Start from the base of the blade moving towards the tip of the blade in an alternating regular movement but with less pressure than the first time.
   – Finally, lightly pass the stone on each side of the cutting edge (twice).
   
4. In case of oxidation stains:
   Wipe the blade with the back of a sponge, then, wash the blade with a damp warm sponge and washing-up liquid. Wipe the blade with a dry and soft tea cloth. Finally, lubricate the blade with cooking oil. We recommend you store your OPINEL in a dry environment with the blade closed.

Made in France