After 70 Years, an Icon of EDC Finally Gets a Redesign

A legendary family-owned French everyday carry brand swaps out its signature patented mechanism for something new.

Published 13 hours ago

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Opinel’s Virobloc safety ring is one of the most significant, important and recognizable locking mechanisms in all of EDC history. And for 70 years, it’s been virtually the only lock the family-owned and -operated French brand has employed.

However, after seven decades, that has officially changed. The brand’s newest innovation, the Opinel Opiflex (introduced via its Néo6 EDC folder), could usher in a new wave of offerings.

Opinel Néo6 Folding Tool — The Néo6 EDC folder, seen here, is the vessel through which the Opiflex has been introduced.

Give ’em the slip

The brand’s original lock, the Virobloc, is magnificent in its simplicity. Essentially, it’s a C-shaped piece of metal attached to the pocket knife’s pivot point. With the blade either opened or closed, this safety ring can be rotated to “lock” the blade in either position.

If this seems familiar, it’s probably because it sounds a lot like a slipjoint mechanism.

That said, it’s not the most elegant mechanism and can be clunky. With the Opiflex (what the brand calls a “blade retention system”), it seeks to offer a much simpler, more intuitive option.

According to Opinel, this new mechanism operates via an “innovative ferrule with an indexing notch via a tab acting as a spring.”

In layman’s terms, the Opiflex has a spring inside it that applies pressure to the blade when opened, preventing it from accidentally swinging shut.

Opinel Opiflex EDC Everyday Carry opening and closing — The Opiflex is incredibly intuitive, and it probably seems very familiar to some.

If this seems familiar, it’s probably because it sounds a lot like a slipjoint mechanism. While functionally different enough that Opinel has a pending patent, the idea is roughly the same.

To the brand’s credit, they’re correct in saying that this is an elegant, streamlined, intuitive mechanism. And it’s a pretty big departure from anything the brand has done before.

Opinel Néo6 Folding Tool folded in hand — For the first time since 1955, Opinel is offering a novel locking mechanism.

Why now?

It might seem odd that Opinel would decide to make such a significant change this late in the game, but there are a couple of reasonable explanations. The first is related to the EDC world’s ever-changing landscape.

As iconic and classic as the brand’s offerings are, there’s reason to suggest they’re a bit old hat. After all, the brand has been using the same lock tech and materials for at least 70 years.

Sure, they’ve offered special editions here and there, but the core catalog has remained essentially unchanged.

Opinel Néo6 Folding Tool completely folded in hand — The Néo6 is available in three handle woods: olive, walnut and ebony.

This has set the brand back a bit in a world where tech and innovations are constantly in flux. It’s still respected and beloved, but Opinel and innovation have not been close bedfellows for generations.

The other reason is legal. Knife laws vary widely, especially in the EU. In some countries, like Denmark and even the brand’s home country of France, there are serious restrictions, especially regarding locks.

Adding a non-locking mechanism to the brand’s catalog frees it up to sell more widely and legally. Thus, the launch is twofold: to offer a novel, appropriate urban EDC tool while addressing regulations in the process.