OPINEL N°08 Cosmos Asile – folding pocket knife (8.5 cm blade, stainless steel, Virobloc® locking system)

The balance between day and night, the Sun and Moon

No. 08 Cosmos Asile features two different yet equal characters. There's no duality here, just a duo, a balance. The moon on which they are sitting becomes a gentle meeting place, somewhere between dream and reality. Three birds carry stars around them, as if redrawing a constellation. 

The pocket knife has a PEFC-certified hornbeam handle featuring a design added using the sublimation technique, as well as a 8.5 cmstainless steel blade. Made in France, it comes with its pretty box and apostcard. 
Limited edition of 8,200, numbered blades.

Asile is a French artist and illustrator whose work is an ode to kindness, with a world populated by cheerful individuals and colourful flora and fauna. 

Technical specifications

Martensitic stainless steel

Hardness 55-57 HRC. European origin.
The stainless steel used in OPINEL blades is a grade optimized to guarantee both high corrosion resistance and high mechanical performance. 
The blade offers excellent sharpness and high resistance to abrasion (wear) which allows it to withstand regular contact with hard materials, such as ceramics, before requiring re-sharpening. Stainless steel has the advantage of requiring no special maintenance under ordinary conditions of use, unlike carbon steel. Nevertheless, it can meet its limits when it is put in prolonged contact with an aggressive environment (acid, salt water, detergent ...).

Blade length

8.5 cm

Handle

PEFC-certified hornbeam comes from eco-managed farms in the Jura and Vercors regions. This white wood with few veins is ideal for applying color. The handle is varnished to be protected against moisture and dirt.

Safety ring

Invented by Marcel Opinel in 1955, the Virobloc safety ring is fitted to all folding knives from the N° 06. Cut out of stainless steel, the Virobloc has two sections, one fixed and one sliding. In addition to locking the blade open (safety in use), it is now possible to lock the blade closed (safety in transport).

Handle length

10.9 cm