Antonini Old Bear Walnut Stainless Folding Knife 18

A while back, I bought my very first Opinel - a #8... because everyone needs an Opinel, right? Well, I saw some review videos of the 'Old Bear' and decided to buy one. I bought the medium size. The Old Bear is a BEAUTIFUL knife! The locking mechanism is Far superior to the opinel, being able to be operated using the 'knife hand' and is much more secure than the one on the Opinel. The blade appears to be very slightly thicker and of a far nicer profile - the cutting edge flowing smoothly into the bend... unlike the Opinel. The handle of the Old Bear is very nicely shaped and the American Walnut, along with the brass ferrul holding the locking bar, looks Amazing. It is also very comfortable in the hand, again, unlike the Opinel. Conclusion: The Old Bear has replaced the Opinel as my EDC pocket knife

A good solid knife with a robust locking system for both open and closed. The blade arrived sharp and has a nice "slicey" geometry

Beautiful piece of work and delivered promptly many thanks.

I’m regularly cutting rope for Tag lines in Lifting ops. This is perfect for that. Fits in pockets and sharp enough to fo the job quickly. Very pleased with this knife.

I've owned one of these for a few years now, it lives in the kitchen drawer and I use it almost daily. It's got a lovely feel to it, and the handle darkens over time giving it extra character. The blade sharpens easily and being thin is great for slicing which is why I use it for small fruit and veg, I prefer it to my small chefs knife. The locking mechanism is very simple and a little on the rough side. For some reason or other I really love this knife, it's just a pleasure to handle and use. The proportions are ideal for my hands. If I lost or broke mine I'd definitely buy another.

I touched up the edge and I must say that it is now very sharp for 420 steel. Been using it around the house and it does perfom very well. Like the Opinel, it has a thin stock blade (actually a little bit thinner than the Opinel) so it makes for a good slicer. I added one star as a result.

I have curious to see for myself how this rather obvious competitor of the Opinel perfoms. I purchased the XL model in stainless, which is almost exactly the same size as the Opinel #10. The blade shape is almost exactly the same as well (the main visual difference is the nail nick and the obvious Old Bear markings). The blade: overall built quality on my knife was close to Opinel but a notch below. The edge had burr, asymetrical grind, and is ever so slightly bent (or maybe it is the grind). I had one Opinel with a poor edge I had to touch up prior to use before, but I also had many more Opis and they all came with better finished blades. I cannot comment on sharpness because the Old Bear is not sharp out of the box and I have not touched up the edge yet. I will say a big advantage to Opinel. The handle: here the Old Bear does better. It seems that Fantonini listed the main gripes people have against Opi handles: sides are flat so it does not roll all the time, the butt is rounded so it does not dig in your palm if you have bigger hands. Plus there is this kind of choil near the ring, which allows for a very secure choking grip. Advantage to Old Bear. Finally, the locking mechanism. It is essentially a Viroblock that is inside the handle rather than outside like on the Opi. It does work. It is easy to use and the tab is unobtrusive in the pocket. That part of the knife is actually better built than the blade! Potentially it looks like is would be less subject to get dirt in (I once dropped my Opinel in sand and it took me forever to get rid of the sand grain stuck in the Viroblock). However, in terms of functionality, it does not bring much more since it is possible to lock or unlock an Opi one-handed (and opening or closing the blade is still a two-hand job). Opi system is so simple and tested that I would give novelty kudos to Old Bear but the win to Opinel. Then, there is the price; talking about the standard knives, they are supposed to be users and I think Opinels are better value for money in that regard. However, the Old Bear is a good knife for the price range, and they make interesting options (coloured handles, all-black models, various woods, etc.)

Just received the small version the other day at a cost of £14.95. The knife locks in the closed position but requires a lot of force due to poor quality and it does not lock fully when the knife is open because nothing seems to line up correctly. The locking slide bar is too thick to enter the slot on the opposing side of the handle. This is due to the knife sitting too high when extended so it does not allow enough clearance for the lock to move over the knife and enter the slot on the opposing side of the handle. I would not recommend this knife based on my experience.

Nice alternative to an Opinel, very similar construction and locking mechanism, handle came up nice after a few coats of tru oil (was a bit dry out of the box).