Pocket knives have become surprisingly complicated. It is easy to end up carrying a thick folder with a pocket clip, elaborate hardware, and more knife than you need when most cutting involves opening packages, slicing an apple, cutting string, or preparing lunch at a campsite.
Price: $21
Where to Buy: Amazon
The Opinel No.7 Colorama goes in the other direction. It combines an 80 mm stainless-steel blade with a colored hornbeam handle, leather lanyard, and Opinel’s rotating Virobloc safety ring. There is no assisted opening mechanism or elaborate hardware, just a deliberately straightforward folding-knife design.
For someone who wants a lightweight folder for routine cutting rather than a heavy-duty EDC knife, that restraint may be the main attraction.
Small enough for everyday gear
Opinel lists the Colorama No.7 with an 80 mm blade and 100 mm handle. More importantly for everyday carry, the knife weighs about 38 grams, or roughly 1.3 ounces. That makes it easy to stash in a backpack, picnic kit, camping gear, or pocket without adding noticeable weight.
The Colorama handle is made from hornbeam rather than the beech used for many traditional Opinel models. Opinel selects the light-colored, relatively low-grain wood because it takes color well, then applies water-based color and a clear varnish intended to help protect the handle against moisture and dirt.
A leather lanyard provides another way to retrieve or secure the knife. Those details give the Colorama a noticeably different personality from the natural-wood Opinel most people probably picture. It still looks unmistakably like an Opinel, but the colored handle makes it easier to spot inside a crowded bag or gear pouch.
A blade for routine tasks
The blade is made from martensitic stainless steel with a specified hardness of 55–57 HRC. Opinel says its stainless steel balances corrosion resistance and mechanical performance while requiring little special maintenance during normal use.
The company still recommends avoiding prolonged exposure to aggressive environments, including salt water, acids, and detergents. That guidance is worth keeping in mind if you expect to use the knife around the coast, on a boat, or in a wet work environment.
The blade uses Opinel’s traditional Yatagan-inspired shape, recognizable by its gently rising tip. Its convex profile is intended to provide strength while remaining practical to resharpen.
On paper, those characteristics point to a knife made primarily for straightforward slicing and cutting. Opinel positions the No.7 for uses such as camping and picnics, while its Colorama documentation mentions fruit, small vegetables, simple DIY tasks, and camping.
That is a better indicator of the knife’s purpose than treating it as a miniature hard-use outdoor tool.
A deliberately different lock
The most distinctive mechanical feature is the Virobloc safety ring around the top of the handle.
Rather than using a liner lock or back lock, the No.7 uses a rotating stainless-steel collar. Turn it after opening the blade to help prevent the knife from folding; it can also secure the blade in its closed position for transport.
The Virobloc system was introduced in 1955 and is used on Opinel knives from the No.6 upward. It is a simple and long-running part of the Opinel design, though it operates differently from the locking systems found on many modern folding knives.
That creates a practical tradeoff. Opening an Opinel, rotating the collar, using the knife, unlocking it, and folding it closed is more deliberate than operating many contemporary one-handed folders. If you reach for a knife constantly during the workday, a modern EDC folder may be quicker.
For occasional cutting, however, the extra step is unlikely to be a major obstacle. It also keeps the mechanism uncomplicated and gives the knife some of its enduring charm.
Wood has tradeoffs
The hornbeam handle is one reason the No.7 remains so light, and it gives the knife a warmer character than folders built with metal or synthetic scales.
It also means this is not the knife I would choose for consistently wet or dirty environments. The handle is varnished to help protect it against moisture and dirt, but it remains natural wood. A synthetic-handled folder is the more obvious choice when prolonged exposure to water, mud, or grime is expected.
There is also no pocket clip. Whether that is a drawback depends on how you carry a knife. The leather lanyard offers another attachment point, but anyone used to clipping a folder inside a pocket will find the Opinel a different experience.
As always, check local knife laws and venue rules before carrying it.
Who should buy it?
The No.7 Colorama suits someone who wants a lightweight folder for routine cutting and does not need the faster operation or hard-use construction of a feature-heavy modern EDC knife. At about 38 grams, it provides a useful 80 mm blade without becoming another bulky piece of gear.
It will not be the right choice for demanding outdoor work, frequent one-handed use, or consistently wet conditions. But for picnics, camping kits, backpacks, and light utility tasks, the Colorama adds a playful twist to Opinel’s enduring formula.
Price: $21
Where to Buy: Amazon
If those are the jobs you actually need a pocket knife to perform, the Opinel No.7 Colorama is a persuasive reminder that useful EDC gear does not need to be complicated.
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