Opinel
Intempora Knife Set 3-Pack
The Intempora Knife Set 3-Pack by Opinel is a trio of kitchen knives comprising a No. 218 chef's knife (20 cm blade), No. 220 carving knife (16 cm blade), and No. 225 paring knife (8 cm blade). The knives feature high-carbon Sandvik stainless steel blades with full-length tangs, hand-polished finishes, and fibreglass-reinforced polyoxymethylene handles. Made in France, these knives are intended for everyday food preparation such as chopping, carving, and paring.
- Material
- Sandvik stainless steel blades, polyoxymethylene and fibreglass handles
- Category
- Home & Garden > Kitchen & Dining > Kitchen Tools & Utensils > Kitchen Knives
Specifications
Set of three Opinel kitchen knives: chef's knife, carving knife, and paring knife with Sandvik stainless steel blades, full-length tangs, and ergonomic polyoxymethylene handles reinforced with fibreglass.
Sandvik stainless steel blades for smooth cutting and corrosion resistance; full-length tangs for balance; polyoxymethylene handles reinforced with fibreglass for durability; hand polished; made in France.
- Material
- Sandvik stainless steel blades, polyoxymethylene and fibreglass handles
- Secondary
- plastic
- Gender
- unisex
- Age Group
- adult
- Condition
- new
- Category
- Home & Garden > Kitchen & Dining > Kitchen Tools & Utensils > Kitchen Knives
Additional Attributes
- high-carbon stainless steel blades
- full-length tangs
- hand polished
- made in France
- corrosion-resistant
- polyoxymethylene handles
- fibreglass reinforced
- curved handle
- 3-piece set
Product Insights
The Opinel Intempora Knife Set 3-Pack, at 280 CAD, offers a unified design with protruding pinky rest and full-tang 3mm Sandvik 12C27M steel blades (57 HRC, 15° edge) that resist flex and balance near the bolster, providing knuckle clearance and easy sharpening. Chosen by Alain Ducasse and Institut Paul Bocuse after testing and used in their workshops, the set covers common tasks with chef's, carving, and paring knives. However, inconsistent quality control has resulted in units with bent blades, and at this price point, alternative brands like Robert Herder or Zwilling are recommended as more reliable, despite the included free sharpening service.
Verified claims
- Design
- Handle has a protruding pinky rest, consistent shape across all knives, and a velvety hand-polished surface.
- Professional validation
- Chosen as standard workshop equipment by the Alain Ducasse Cooking School and Paul Bocuse Institute after testing; the schools purchased the knives as an operational selection, not a paid endorsement.
- Professional adoption
- Exact knives used in Alain Ducasse and Institut Paul Bocuse workshops.
- Value
- At 280 CAD, it's mid-range between Opinel's Parallèle (€52) and Les Forgés (€256).
- Blade steel
- Sandvik 12C27M stainless steel — a modified alloy with molybdenum, tempered to 57 HRC for easy sharpening and chipping resistance.
- Quality control
- One reviewer reported major quality issues with a knife and returned it, so quality control may be inconsistent despite the professional endorsements.
- Rigidity and balance
- Full-tang 3 mm spine blade resists flex and provides neutral balance.
- Edge performance
- 15° edge per side cuts efficiently; high-carbon Sandvik 12C27M stainless steel resists chipping and is easy to sharpen.
- Knuckle clearance
- 4.5cm blade height provides knuckle clearance for safe claw-grip cutting.
- Care
- Hand wash recommended; after washing, lightly oiling the handle restores the fiberglass finish if white streaks appear.
- Full-tang rigidity
- Full-tang 3mm 12C27 steel resists flex for responsive cutting.
- Grip
- Protruding handle end hooks the pinky to automatically form a pinch grip.
- Ergonomics
- Identical pinky-guiding handles with full-tang balance provide a uniform grip across the set.
- Task coverage
- The 20 cm chef's, 16 cm carving, and 8 cm paring knives cover common kitchen tasks in a system designed by Big-Game and used by Alain Ducasse's school.
- Sharpening service
- Opinel provides a free sharpening service for Intempora knives.
- Hardness
- The Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel blades are tempered to 57 HRC, with some sources listing a range of 57–59 HRC.
- Corrosion and edge retention
- The Sandvik 12C27M steel contains about 14.5% chromium for stain resistance and about 0.60% molybdenum to improve wear resistance and edge retention without becoming brittle.
- Handle construction
- The handle is molded as a single block of fiberglass-reinforced POM around the full tang, with no screws, rivets, or glued scales to loosen.
- Heat tolerance
- The polymer handle is heat-resistant, so incidental contact with a warm pan or stove grate should not melt or blister the surface.
- Drop resistance
- The fiberglass-reinforced polymer handle is described as shockproof and should survive drops onto tile without shattering.
Product record
- Title
- Intempora Knife Set 3-Pack
- Brand
- Opinel
- Price
- 280 CAD
- Availability
- In stock
Buying Guide
1 comparison · 10 sourcesUses
Everyday meal prep with three essential kitchen knives
Cover daily cooking tasks with this three-knife set: an 8 inch chef's knife for chopping, a 6.25 inch carving knife, and a 3.25 inch paring knife for smaller work. The Sandvik stainless steel blades offer corrosion resistance with no special maintenance, and the contoured, fibreglass-reinforced handles are shaped for a secure, comfortable grip. The Intempora range is described as suited to both home cooks and professionals, and equips cooking schools such as Alain Ducasse's.[2,6]
A knife set in the line cooking schools chose
For shoppers building a knife set for serious home cooking or workshop-style practice, this 3-pack comes from Opinel's Intempora range. Opinel states the Intempora knives were selected by the Alain Ducasse Cooking School and the Lyfe Institute's Gourmet School (formerly Institut Paul Bocuse) to equip their cooking workshops.[2,3,4]
Product comparison
Compared within this brand.
| Intempora Knife Set 3-Pack: Choose this if you want a three-knife starter set covering everyday prep: an 8 inch chef's knife, a 6.25 inch carving knife, and a 3.25 inch paring knife. The full-tang Sandvik stainless blades are described as corrosion-resistant and needing no special maintenance, and the fibreglass-reinforced polymer handles are rated for wear, impact, and water resistance with a contoured shape designed for a secure grip. The range is billed as suited to both amateurs and professionals and is reportedly used in the Alain Ducasse and Paul Bocuse cooking schools' workshops; note that at least one reviewer was unsure about the unusual handle shape and wanted to hold the knives first.[1,2,3,5,6] | Parallèle Trio Beech Wood Box Set 3-Knife Set: Choose this if you're starting out in the kitchen or want a gift-ready box set covering the basics: a 20 cm multipurpose chef's knife, a 16 cm carving knife, and an 8 cm paring knife. The Sandvik stainless steel blades and varnished beech wood handles are dishwasher safe for easy care, and one Reddit commenter found the Parallèle line sharpens easily and holds an edge fairly well, with a minimal bolster that makes sharpening simpler. Reviewers via a reviews analysis specifically recommend it for those just beginning to acquire kitchen tools, though one longtime owner described enjoying it before eventually moving on to higher-end knives.[7,8] | Parallèle Bread Beech Wood Block Set Of 5 Knives: Choose this if you want a complete kitchen starter set: five Parallèle knives covering daily prep, including a 20 cm multipurpose chef's knife, 17 cm Santoku, 16 cm carving knife, 8 cm paring knife, and 21 cm bread knife, with stainless steel blades and varnished beech wood handles. It suits shoppers who prefer countertop storage in a matching beech wood block with vertical slots, through slots for easy cleaning, and silicone pads, all in a design inspired by the lines of Opinel pocket knife handles.[9,10] |
Image Analysis
1 images- 01
Product
Three knives (small paring, medium carving, large chef) shown blade-up inside a windowed box; stainless steel blades with stamped brand text and smooth dark navy contoured handles with slightly flared ends.
- Knife count and arrangementThree knives displayed vertically side-by-side with blades pointing upward and handles downward; smallest knife at left, medium in center, largest at right.
1 region
x 0.12 · y 0.18 · w 0.76 · h 0.69 (high) - Blade material and finishBlades appear metallic silver with a satin finish and visible flat faces reflecting light.
1 region
x 0.24 · y 0.15 · w 0.58 · h 0.45 (high) - Blade text stamping“OPINEL appears stamped on at least two blades near the handle area.”
1 region
x 0.43 · y 0.28 · w 0.22 · h 0.29 (medium) - Handle shapeHandles are smooth, gently curved and contoured for grip with a slight flare at the butt end.
1 region
x 0.28 · y 0.52 · w 0.52 · h 0.42 (high) - Handle colorHandles are a uniform dark navy color with a matte finish.
1 region
x 0.28 · y 0.56 · w 0.52 · h 0.36 (high)
Packaging
Rectangular retail box with a die-cut front window showing the knives, dark blue outer border, white patterned backing, a purple product band across the blades, and brand text at top and bottom.
- Outer box shape and windowTall rectangular box with a large front window cutout showing the knives and an integrated hang tab at the top center.
1 region
x 0.06 · y 0.02 · w 0.88 · h 0.96 (high) - Top brand panel“OPINEL appears printed in white on the dark blue panel near the top accompanied by a small hand-and-crown logo; Savoie France printed beneath OPINEL.”
1 region
x 0.33 · y 0.05 · w 0.34 · h 0.08 (high) - Purple product band textPurple horizontal band across the blades with white text listing the set type and knife types in English and French.
1 region
x 0.18 · y 0.48 · w 0.64 · h 0.12 (high) - Purple band transcription“TRIO OFFICE / COUTEAU A DECOUPER / CHEF PARING KNIFE / CARVING KNIFE / CHEF'S KNIFE”Partial
1 region
x 0.21 · y 0.50 · w 0.60 · h 0.08 (medium) - Bottom branding“INTEMPORA printed in white on the dark blue lower border of the box.”
1 region
x 0.36 · y 0.88 · w 0.28 · h 0.07 (high) - Backing patternWhite backing panel visible through the window with an angular navy line pattern of varying stripe directions.
1 region
x 0.14 · y 0.14 · w 0.72 · h 0.74 (high)
Other
Product shot on a plain white background with top-lit, even studio lighting and minimal shadow; image is centered and cropped to show the full box.
- Shot compositionCentered, frontal studio product photograph showing full front face of the boxed product.
- Lighting and shadowsEven diffuse lighting with soft shadows visible beneath the lower edge of the box and subtle highlights on the blades.
Colors
metallic silver· blades#C3C3C3dark navy· handles#1C253Adeep navy blue· outer borderPackaging#1C3A5Cvivid purple· purple product bandPackaging#532C95white with navy pattern· backing panelPackaging#D3D3D4- Knife count and arrangementThree knives displayed vertically side-by-side with blades pointing upward and handles downward; smallest knife at left, medium in center, largest at right.
Brand PDP Lookup
- Brand
- Opinel
Trio Box 3 Intempora knives
Documents & Data
Reddit Insights
2 threads · r/TrueChefKnives, r/OpinelReddit mentions of the Opinel Intempora kitchen line are mixed, with a detailed negative review citing severe quality control defects, while others find the design visually appealing but lack hands-on experience.
One detailed review reported a bent blade, poor balance, and sharp choil points on an Intempora No. 217, leading to a return; another user thinks the line looks pretty but is unsure about handle comfort, and one user expressed satisfaction with an Opinel Santoku (likely Intempora). Overall leaning negative due to the severity of the reported issues.
Themes
Use Cases
- Kitchen food preparation
Watch Out For
Compared To
vs Robert Herder santoku
Suggested as a better alternative at a similar price point.
vs Zwilling
Recommended as a more reliable beater option instead of Victorinox.
Source Threads
Review of Opinel Intempora No. 217 knife
Out of the box, the knife is bent. If you want to cut round corners, this is your tool. The blade is bent, and the tang as it runs through the handle is bent, and the handle has been machined around the bent steel. I didn’t measure it, but the spine is I’d guess a bit thinner than a hatchet, which is really handy for ensuring the blade can even wedge in a tomato, which is really novel. The way the steel is ground creates two genuinely sharp little points halfway down the choil, right where you’d touch it in a pinch grip - but it’s okay because you won’t want to, because the point of balance is like two or three inches back from there thanks to the full tang wiggly slab of iron running all the way to the end of the handle. Both the design and manufacturing have come together to create something truly special with this knife, and by special I mean I’ve already returned it.
u/GrippyEdr/TrueChefKnivesView thread →
First impression of Intempora line handle shape
They look pretty. I am not sure about the handle shape. I would want to hold them.
u/ExcaliburZSHr/OpinelView thread →