I have a number of Opinel knives ranging in size from 4 to 7, some of which are carbon and others that are stainless steel. They all function well, keep their edge, and are simple to sharpen. Their sharp blades are unbeatable for most cutting jobs. They work much better than the thicker bladed super knives that are so popular these days for cutting cardboard, opening boxes, slicing through envelopes, garden chores, cutting foam insulation, slicing a tomato, cutting string, cleaning a fish, and a ton of other jobs, in my opinion.

I'd heard excellent things about Opinel and how useful style No. 7 can be, so I decided to test it. When folded, it's about the size of a car key. I like how basic the design is and how well it fits my small hands. The hinge is tight, which is ideal for throwing in my purse, but I'm hoping it will loosen just enough over time to make it easier to open. It was razor-sharp right out of the box, and I was able to open packages very immediately. I'm excited to purchase more so I can give them as gifts - it doesn't hurt that the box it arrives in makes it easy to tie a ribbon on it and go :-)

The blade has a twist lock and a lovely purple handle. It isn't intended to do any tricks or have fancy G10 handles or unusual wood inlays, therefore it doesn't. It will also be difficult to locate a cop who would term this a weapon. Despite the narrower blade, this knife seems robust. When it's locked open, it's very elegant. Also, the purple is fantastic.