OPINELNo.09 Stainless Steel Folding Oyster & Shellfish Knife with Padouk Handle

Unlike many great looking oyster knives this one really works -- tip is pointed enough to shuck at the hinge but one side of the blade is also sharpened moderately (just enough for a bit of taper from the tip back along 1/3 of the edge, but not so much that you'll cut yourself). This taper makes it thin enough to also shuck using side-entry technique. Blade is short -- 2 1/2" -- so less appropriate for shucking larger oysters (unless you're left handed perhaps and therefore run the blade down the side closest to the adductor muscle, in which case the moderately sharpened side of the blade makes for an efficient cut).Locking mechanism also inspires confidence as this is based on twisting the ring you see between the blade and the handle to lock the blade open. Same ring also serves to lock the blade shut. My knife came through with zero play in the blade, in fact it's a bit stiff to open as a result (a good thing). Fit/finish on my knife was flawless and the locking mechanism worked smoothly and precisely.The blade and the hinge are also bound in a second ring which sits within the locking ring -- so with the blade extended there are actually two substantial steel rings holding it true and tight -- I'll be surprised if torquing the blade side-to-side as part of shucking poses any problems or loosens things up. All in all, this is a simple but brilliant mechanism, common to many of the Opinel knives, but particularly apropos due to the twisting motion used to open an oyster.The one concern I have is whether there will eventually be any swelling or warping of the wood handle due to moisture in the slot for the blade or around the locking ring -- looks like everything is sealed so hopefully will be ok. And I would not let this get in the way of purchasing a great looking, well-designed oyster knife that is very functional.

As a collector of knives, many which are high end, Opinel is to be appreciated and a must . Yes, not particularly expensive but the have a unique niche. Carbon or Stainless; various wood handle combinations, they're great. I use the various sizes for picnicking and such. A solid knife for such use.With regard to this particular model, the wood handle...nicely finished and beautiful in color. The SS blade is reasonably thick and not ground to sharpness as it is not its purpose to cut, but to unhinge...to separate, as it were.I bought 6 of each, large Cherry Stones and Blue Points to test. It worked effortlessly with the clams, opening them easily. With regard to the oysters, not so much. It became a prying tool which it should never be used for. The blade began to flex at its handle pivot point and I could see that would be pointless to continue. So, clams good, oysters bad...still love these knives.

I’ve been a big fan of Opinel, for years. I’m a chef in New Orleans. So when I saw they offered a folding oyster shucker, I jumped on it. It’s a beautiful shucker, and it would be great for a picnic or small parties - but when you’re shucking 30 dozen or better a day, you may want to look elsewhere.

The quality of the knife is very nice. However, I ended up returning it because it wasn't sharp. Had I done some research, I would've known that oyster knives are designed to be dull, which is fine. Ordered a different knife from the same manufacturer that is sharp, and it's great!

Good product works great

Don’t understand any of the negative reviews. This knife is fantastic. Simple to use. Love the locking ring. Not dangerous at all. It’s not sharp and is designed to pry not cut. Never shucked an oyster before and did 50 tonight in less than 40 minutes with this knife

I bought this oyster knife and have learned to open oysters. Prior to purchasing this opener, I had never opened an oyster. I have found this tool to be fantastic. Since purchasing this opener, I have successfully opened well over 100 oysters. I have not found one oyster that I was unable to open using this It has very sturdy consrtuction and is compact and strong. I highly recommend it!

Really cool, collapsible, and strong. The biggest issue is on several occasions, the collar that locks the blade in place... well, it flicked open and let the blade almost do some major damage. You had one job to do, collar.Luckily I discovered a technique that removes the excessive prying from the equation, but still it's a worrisome feature that I'm sure will eventually cause injury to someone else.(The technique was extending and locking the blade in place, placing the tip of the knife in the right place on the joint, then holding both the oyster and knife, bang the butt of the knife on the countertop, driving the knife tip into the joint. Once the tip of the knife damages the joint enough, prying can occur with fairly moderate force. While doing all of this, I hold the oyster with a rag.)

Très pratique, bonne prise en main et esthétique réussie.Top !!!

quello che cercavo

Ouverture des huîtres avec outils de qualité.

Arrived on time, used immediately. Perfect for the job and very well made, excellent for the price.To those reviewers that complain it's not sharp, 'THAT'S HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.' The knife is not for cutting it's for opening shellfish, the blade doesn't need to be sharp.

Die Auswahl an ästhetisch ansprechenden Modellen ist sehr überschaubar, von klappbaren Versionen ganz abgesehen. Der Austernbrecher von OPINEL überzeugt vom ersten Augenblick an.Der Brecher weißt die gewohnten Qualität auf, wie man sie von Opinel gewohnt ist. Bei der ungeschliffenen Klinge war ich zuerst sehr skeptisch und wollte sie schon mit einem ganz stumpfen, balligen Anschliff versehen, jedoch zeigte sich bereits beim ersten Gebrauch, dass die Klinge für den vorgesehenen Zweck absolut ausreichend ist. Auch ist bei korrekter Verwendung kein Brechen der Klinge zu befürchten, der verwendete Stahl verfügt über eine ausreichende Zähigkeit.Wie alle Klappmesser will auch der Austernbrecher gut gereinigt und etwas gepflegt werden. Dies sollte aber jedem Nutzer eines solchen Werkzeugs ohnehin klar sein!Fazit: Eine absolute Kaufempfehlung für alle, die klassisches Messer-Design schätzen und unterwegs genießen wollen.