Opinel N°116 Parallèle Olive Bread Knife (300+ Words)
Elevate your kitchen experience with the Opinel Parallèle Olive Bread Knife (N°116), a piece that beautifully combines French heritage with Mediterranean elegance. This knife is much more than a tool; it is a meticulously crafted essential designed for perfect slicing every time.
Unmatched Cutting Precision
The heart of this bread knife is its 21 cm (8.25 inches) curved, serrated blade. This specific shape is engineered to improve the cutting motion, giving you better leverage on dense, tough crusts—particularly important for sourdough or rustic loaves. The blade’s razor-sharp edge glides effortlessly through all types of bread. It produces straight, clean slices without crushing or tearing soft baked goods like brioche or burger buns.
The blade material is premium X50CrMoV15 stainless steel. This high-performance alloy has exceptional resistance to corrosion, thanks to its high chromium content, ensuring your knife remains sharp and rust-resilient for years of daily use. With a hardness rating of 56-57 HRC, this 2mm thick blade is strong, durable, and holds its edge brilliantly.
The Beauty of Olive Wood
The handle transports the knife from a purely functional object to a piece of art. It is crafted from premium Italian olive wood, known as the “mythical tree of the Mediterranean”. This hard wood is immediately recognizable by its warm, yellow-to-orange appearance and unique, dense, and tortuous grain pattern. Since olive wood is naturally veined, every handle has a unique, inimitable finish. The wood is varnished for protection against moisture and dirt, but remains soft and smooth to the touch.
The handle’s simple, ergonomic design from the Parallèle series ensures a comfortable, secure grip, making the knife lightweight and balanced for effortless cutting. The entire knife measures approximately 33.3 cm long and weighs about 107 grams.
Opinel draws on over 130 years of cutlery expertise, originating in the Savoie region of France in 1890. While the knife is designed in France, some manufacturing occurs in Portugal. With a limited lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, this Opinel Bread Knife is built to be a reliable, long-term essential in any kitchen that appreciates quality and timeless style.
