
Opinel
Parallèle No. 119 Santoku Knife
The Opinel Parallèle No. 119 is a Santoku-style kitchen knife with a 17 cm stainless steel blade and a varnished beech wood handle, designed for cutting, dicing, and slicing. Its straight silhouette and corrosion-resistant blade suit everyday kitchen prep, including rock chopping herbs; reviews note good edge retention and ease of sharpening, though out-of-box sharpness can vary.
- Material
- stainless steel blade, varnished beech wood handle
- Category
- Home & Garden > Kitchen & Dining > Kitchen Tools & Utensils > Kitchen Knives
Color
Size
Specifications
Santoku knife from French brand Opinel with 17 cm stainless steel blade and varnished beech wood handle, designed for cutting, dicing, and slicing.
High corrosion resistance, straight silhouette for precise cutting, varnished beech wood handle.
- Material
- stainless steel blade, varnished beech wood handle
- Secondary
- wood
- Gender
- unisex
- Age Group
- adult
- Condition
- new
- Category
- Home & Garden > Kitchen & Dining > Kitchen Tools & Utensils > Kitchen Knives
Additional Attributes
- stainless steel blade
- high corrosion resistance
- high-quality cutting
- varnished beech wood handle
- 17 cm blade
- versatile
- straight silhouette
- smooth and precise cutting movement
- French brand
Product Insights
Opinels Parallèle No. 119 Santoku knife combines over 130 years of French cutlery heritage with a lifetime warranty, featuring X50CrMoV15 stainless steel shared by premium brands, a bolsterless 17 cm continuous edge for simplified sharpening, and a 145g weight that enables effortless cutting with a pinch grip, though buyers may encounter inconsistent out-of-box sharpness and the blade is optimized for push-cutting rather than rocking, despite some users adapting it for rock chopping herbs; its beechwood handle from PEFC-certified French forests and corrosion resistance add durability, making it a compelling value in the sub-$100 Santoku category.
Verified claims
- Heritage
- Crowned Hand emblem (1909) and 1911 gold medal heritage, applied via Opinel's cutlery expertise.
- Sharpening
- Opinel recommends sharpening at a 20° angle on a steel rod, 6-8 strokes per side.
- Warranty
- Lifetime warranty from Opinel.
- Assurance
- Opinel offers a lifetime warranty and over 130 years of French knifemaking heritage.
- Cutting performance
- Bolsterless design gives a full 17 cm continuous edge for easier sharpening and efficient rock-chopping.
- Care
- Dense beech hardwood with two steel rivets resists cracking and loosening.
- Sourcing
- Beech wood sourced from PEFC-certified French forests.
- Out-of-box sharpness
- Some units arrive razor sharp; others require immediate sharpening.
- Cutting technique
- Designed for push-cutting and up-down chopping, not for rocking.
- Rock chopping adaptability
- Buyers report using it for rock chopping herbs.
- Heel design
- Continuous edge to heel without a bolster; easier sharpening, no finger guard.
- Corrosion resistance
- Resists rust and staining from acidic foods without special care.
- Cutting feel
- Pinch grip uses 145 g weight to cut with no hand force.
- Value
- Rare lifetime warranty in sub-$100 Santoku category lowers total cost of ownership at 81 CAD.
- Edge design
- The 17 cm blade edge runs continuously to the heel with no bolster.
- Steel
- Stainless steel is X50CrMoV15, used by Wüsthof and Zwilling.
- Edge quality
- Fine grain from vanadium yields a non-toothy edge that cuts cleanly through soft herbs and tomatoes.
- Edge durability
- X50CrMoV15 edge resists corrosion from acidic foods and chipping from bone.
Product record
- Title
- Parallèle No. 119 Santoku Knife
- Brand
- Opinel
- Price
- 81 CAD
- Availability
- In stock
Image Analysis
2 images- 01

Product
Front-facing santoku-style knife shown upright with stainless blade above and a straight wooden handle below; blade has small vertical printed text near the spine and two circular metal fasteners visible on the handle.
- Overall orientationKnife shown vertically centered with tip upward and handle downward, photographed on a plain white background.
- Blade shape and profileSingle-piece flat stainless blade with a gently curved cutting edge and a slightly angled rounded tip typical of a santoku profile; blade spine is straight and tapers slightly toward the tip.
1 region
x 0.20 · y 0.02 · w 0.60 · h 0.58 (high) - Blade surface finishSmooth reflective metallic finish with subtle horizontal texture visible across the blade surface.
1 region
x 0.28 · y 0.06 · w 0.44 · h 0.50 (medium) - Printed blade text and markShort vertical block of printed text and a small logo or mark located near the spine on the right half of the blade.
1 region
x 0.55 · y 0.26 · w 0.15 · h 0.28 (medium) - Legible blade text“OPINEL”
1 region
x 0.57 · y 0.30 · w 0.07 · h 0.16 (high) - Handle shapeStraight wooden handle with a squared-off rectangular profile and a gently contoured upper heel where it meets the blade.
1 region
x 0.36 · y 0.60 · w 0.28 · h 0.36 (high) - Handle fastenersTwo round metal rivets fasten the handle to the tang, both visible on the handle face.
2 regions
x 0.54 · y 0.66 · w 0.06 · h 0.06 (high); x 0.54 · y 0.78 · w 0.06 · h 0.06 (high)
Other
Plain white studio background with even lighting; product centered and fully visible; no props or packaging present.
- Background and lightingUniform white background with soft, even lighting and minimal visible shadowing.
- Shot compositionKnife vertically centered in frame, full product visible from tip to handle end with slight margin from image edges.
Colors
metallic silver· blade#DDDDDBlight beech wood· handle#D3B196matte silver· handle rivets- 02

Product
A santoku-style chef knife displayed on its packaging: a broad stainless blade with a rounded tip and a straight cutting edge, and a light natural wood full tang handle with two visible metal rivets.
- Blade shapeBroad stainless steel santoku-style blade with a gently rounded tip and a near-straight cutting edge; blade shows a uniform matte metallic finish.
1 region
x 0.27 · y 0.08 · w 0.46 · h 0.50 (high) - Handle constructionLight natural wood handle with a rectangular profile that tapers slightly toward the bolster area, showing two circular metal rivets set flush in the handle face.
1 region
x 0.33 · y 0.56 · w 0.34 · h 0.30 (high) - Blade surface marking“Small vertical text printed near the ricasso area on the blade face, legible as a brief brand mark.”Partial
1 region
x 0.44 · y 0.40 · w 0.08 · h 0.14 (medium) - Fine-print blockNarrow block of small text on the lower blade area that is too small to read at this resolution.Partial
1 region
x 0.49 · y 0.45 · w 0.11 · h 0.18 (medium)
Packaging
Knife is mounted on a tall kraft cardboard backing and covered by a clear plastic blister; packaging includes printed dark blue branding and product name near the blade and a die-cut hang slot at the top.
- Backing materialRectangular kraft brown cardboard backing visible behind the blade and handle.
1 region
x 0.34 · y 0.03 · w 0.32 · h 0.94 (high) - Clear blisterTransparent plastic blister covers the blade area and overlays the cardboard backing, visible by reflections and slight edge outlines.
1 region
x 0.26 · y 0.05 · w 0.48 · h 0.52 (high) - Top hang slotDie-cut hang slot near the top center of the cardboard backing with a circular reinforcement hole to the left.
1 region
x 0.42 · y 0.01 · w 0.16 · h 0.07 (high) - Brand wordmark“OPINEL”
1 region
x 0.40 · y 0.06 · w 0.20 · h 0.06 (high) - Brand location text“SAVOIE FRANCE”
1 region
x 0.42 · y 0.11 · w 0.16 · h 0.03 (high) - Decorative logoSmall hand-and-crown pictogram to the right of the brand wordmark, printed in the same dark blue ink.
1 region
x 0.60 · y 0.06 · w 0.06 · h 0.07 (high) - Product line text“PARALLELE”
1 region
x 0.33 · y 0.25 · w 0.34 · h 0.10 (high) - Product number“N°119”
1 region
x 0.34 · y 0.33 · w 0.30 · h 0.11 (high) - Product description bilingual“COUTEAU SANTOKU”
1 region
x 0.34 · y 0.41 · w 0.30 · h 0.05 (high) - Product description English“SANTOKU KNIFE”
1 region
x 0.34 · y 0.44 · w 0.30 · h 0.04 (high) - Metal strapThin metal strap or clip holds the handle to the backing near the bottom, visible as a small horizontal metal band with slight blue tint.
1 region
x 0.39 · y 0.80 · w 0.22 · h 0.05 (high)
Other
Studio-style product shot with a clean white background, even frontal lighting, and minimal shadows; image is vertically centered and tightly cropped around the packaging.
- BackgroundPlain white studio background occupying the entire image outside the product and packaging.
- Lighting and reflectionsEven frontal lighting with soft reflections on the blade and subtle highlights on the clear plastic blister.
- Image crop and orientationPortrait-oriented image with the packaged knife centered vertically and horizontally in the frame.
Colors
matte steel silver· blade#C5C5C5light beech wood· handle#DBB493kraft brown· cardboard backingPackaging#C49C7Cnavy blue print· printed text and logoPackaging- Blade shapeBroad stainless steel santoku-style blade with a gently rounded tip and a near-straight cutting edge; blade shows a uniform matte metallic finish.
Documents & Data
Customer Reviews
1 total1 reviews · out of 5
Excellent substitut
Je voulais un couteau japonais de qualité, mais je ne voulais pas payer 300$. Ce couteau Opinel est de très grande qualité et le prix me convenait mieux. Je l'utilise à tous les jours et je fais attention de le laver à la main.
Reddit Insights
3 threads · r/chefknives, r/OpinelThe Opinel Parallele Santoku is viewed as a solid, affordable kitchen knife with good edge retention and ease of sharpening, but suffers from inconsistent out-of-box sharpness and a stainless steel that leaves carbon enthusiasts wanting.
Positive feedback highlights sharpness and durability, while reports of dull edges and a preference for carbon steel create a mixed overall sentiment.
Themes
Use Cases
- Rock chopping herbs and general kitchen prep
- Everyday home kitchen tasks
Watch Out For
Source Threads
Opinel Parallele as a first chef knife
My first chef knife was an Opinel Parallele. I enjoyed it before moving onto some higher end knives. It sharpens easily enough and holds an edge fairly well. I really appreciate the minimal bolster on the Parallele when it comes to sharpening. I still reach for it when I'm mincing herbs as I like rock chopping herbs.
u/a_r_dr/chefknivesView thread →
Skepticism about stainless steel in Parallele Santoku
Thanks! I had seen that one, but unfortunately, it's stainless steel - I specifically like carbon steel Opinels, not the stainless steel ones. I doubt that this would take the same edge with the same ease
u/failarmywormr/chefknivesView thread →
Positive experience with Parallele santoku sharpness
I have the Parallele santoku and paring, and both were razor sharp out of the box. I touch them up periodically and they've been great. The steel holds an edge really well. I'm no chef, but they've been way better than the wedding set I've been using for 15 years lol.
u/neverbunt84r/OpinelView thread →