Opinel No. 8 Carbon Knife

Recommended care from Opinel: The carbon blade has an unparalleled cutting quality and sharpens very easily. However, it must be regularly greased and dried with a dry cloth after each use to prevent the formation of rust. Avoid leaving it in damp environments for too long. Hand wash and completely dry immediately afterwards. The handle is made of wood and may expand and contract with extreme humidity (or lack of).

Humidity, atmospheric condition and the wood used for the handle can all affect the folding mechanism of your Opinel. As wood contracts and expands due to humidity it will hold the blade tighter or looser, this is why the function of your Opinel is not always consistent. If your knife is hard to open due to the above keep it in a cool dry place for a couple of days to give the wood a chance to dry. Some people will place the knife in a ziplock bag with a little uncooked rice overnight. The dry rice will "pull" the moisture out of the wood fairly quickly.

Same reasons as above cause your blade to be loose. If your blade is very loose you must try to bring some humidity back to the wood. Simply leave your knife in a very humid area for a couple of days and the wood will expand again and contract the blade area under the ring mechanism. Please do not immerse you knife in water.

To Sharpen: Use a Diamond Whetstone or other fine-grain natural stone on a dry, degreased blade. As if you wanted to cut the stone, move the blade from the base towards the tip, at an angle of 18/20 degrees. A wide angle will thicken the cutting edge: it will be more resistant but less sharp. A small angle will thin the cutting edge: it will be less resistant but sharper. A burr forms on the opposite side of the blade. Remove this by passing this side over the stone, without pressing. To finish off, pass both sides over the stone, twice.