The Opinel No.07 My First Opinel is a great little knife. It’s so compact folded, but it has a decent size when you open it, and you can put it anywhere in your storage. Its blade is very sharp, but it has a rounded end instead of a sharp point, so it’s a less aggressive knife to have on the table. We mainly use it for making sandwiches, and for snacks and dips with crackers when we’re parked up, and it’s an absolute go-to in our pack. It’s made in France, weighed 35 g on our scale and cost $30.
What’s in the box
One folding knife on a cardboard card: an 8 cm round-tipped stainless steel blade, a varnished French beech handle and the twist safety ring. Opinel calls it a pocket knife for picnics and small DIY jobs, and the handle wood is PEFC certified.
What we like
- Compact, decent size open
- Very sharp, round tip
- Clever twist-ring lock, open or shut
- Light at 35 g
- Stainless blade, beech handle
What we don’t
- Small 8 cm blade
- No pocket clip
- Wipe dry, not dishwasher safe
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Opinel |
| Material | Stainless steel bladeVarnished beech handle |
| Weight | 35 g |
| Blade Length | 8 cm |
| Lock | Twist safety ring |
| Made in | France |
The twist safety ring
The steel ring at the top of the grip is the lock. To open the knife, just twist the ring and it unlocks the blade, so you can fold it out; twist it back and the blade is locked open, so it can’t fold onto your fingers. Folded, the ring locks the blade shut too. You can even do it with one hand if you want to. Being able to lock the blade once it’s fully folded out is really handy: it’s a smart, clever mechanism that feels really sturdy and simple. There’s no pocket clip, though, so it goes in a pocket, a bag or the storage box rather than on your belt.
Sharp, but with a round tip
This is the My First Opinel, which means the 8 cm blade has a rounded end instead of a point. That makes it less dangerous and a little less aggressive as a knife, but don’t be fooled: the edge is very sharp. It’s just right for making sandwiches, spreading, and cutting cheese and snacks for dips and crackers when we’re parked up and don’t want a big, pointy knife on the table. Wipe it dry before you fold it away, and keep the wooden handle out of the dishwasher.
Compact, but a decent size
Folded, it’s a small, light knife that you can put anywhere: in a pocket, the glovebox or a corner of the storage box. Open, it’s a decent size in your hand, plenty for food and small jobs at camp. It weighed 35 g on our scale, and it’s the round-tip pick in our camping knives guide.
Opinel or Victorinox?
We also use the Victorinox Swiss Classic Picnic Knife, and they suit different jobs. The Victorinox is a bigger kitchen knife with a serrated blade and a handle that goes in the dishwasher, for cooking proper meals. The Opinel is smaller and lighter, with a plain edge and a round tip, our pick for sandwiches and snacks on the table.
This one Opinel No.07 | Kitchen knife Victorinox Picnic | |
|---|---|---|
| Tip | Rounded | Rounded |
| Lock | Twist ring | Push lock |
| Handle | Varnished beech | Polypropylene |
| Cleaning | Wipe dry | Dishwasher safe |
| Made in | France | Switzerland |
| Blade | 8, plain edge | 11, serrated |
| Weight | 35 g | 44 g |
| Price paid | $30 | $40 |
| Our score | 9.1 | 9.1 |
Conclusion: Opinel No.07 My First OpinelConclusion
The Opinel No.07 My First Opinel is a great little knife: compact folded, a decent size open, and very sharp with a round tip that makes it less aggressive on the table. A twist of the ring locks it open or shut, even with one hand, and at 35 g you can put it anywhere. The blade is small, there’s no pocket clip, and the wooden handle wants wiping dry. For sandwiches and snacks when you’re parked up, it’s an absolute go-to and one to put in your pack.
A great little knife that’s an absolute go-to in our pack.
It’s compact, very sharp and round-tipped, so it’s ideal for sandwiches and snacks on the table, and a twist of the ring locks it open or shut. The blade is small, though, and there’s no pocket clip.
- Car campers
- Picnics
- Families
Yes. It cost $30, less than the Victorinox, and it’s a very sharp, safe little knife we reach for at every stop. For bigger kitchen jobs, take a bigger knife.
