Opinel No.10 Effilé Stainless Steel Slim Folding Knife – Ebony Handle

This is the most elegant folding knife I own. The ebony handle is dark and silky, almost piano-black with subtle grain, and the slim Effilé blade slices tomatoes and citrus paper-thin. I carry it for picnics and cheese boards and it always draws comments. Locking ring works smoothly.

The blade is wonderfully thin and great for filleting small fish at the lake. My only caution: the slim profile means it's not a pry bar, it's a slicer. Ebony finish is gorgeous. Docked one star because the blade needed a touch of stropping out of the box.

I grew up with Opinels in the glovebox. This one elevates the tradition — the ebony makes it feel like an heirloom. Slip joint with the Virobloc lock is secure and reassuring. Slices apples for the grandkids every weekend.

Out of the box the blade was very hard to open, almost needed two hands and a thumb guard. After a week of use it loosened up and now opens fine. The ebony is beautiful and the cut is clean. Just expect some break-in.

I use this for cheese and charcuterie service at my bistro. Guests constantly ask about it. Holds an edge through a busy weekend, wipes clean, and the slim blade doesn't crush soft cheeses.

Not a workhorse, but a scalpel for fruit, salami, and sandwich tomatoes. The slim grind is the whole point. Fits discreetly in a pocket though the handle is a bit long for very tight jeans.

Fifty-four percent off felt suspicious but the knife arrived flawless. The grain on the ebony is unique to my piece, which I love. Sharpened it once in three months. If you hesitated, don't.

Disappointed — my ebony handle had a small crack near the bolster on arrival. Customer service handled the exchange quickly and the replacement is perfect, hence two stars instead of one, but QC on the wood needs attention.