Opinel - N°118 Parallèle Chef Knife – Premium Multi-Purpose Full-Scale Kitchen Knife

Opinel - N°118 Parallèle Chef Knife – Premium Multi-Purpose Full-Scale Kitchen Knife

The Opinel N°118 Parallèle Chef Knife is the definitive cornerstone of modern food preparation, beautifully merging the timeless heritage of French toolmaking with high-performance culinary geometry. As the flagship anchor of the contemporary Parallèle kitchen collection, this multi-purpose chef knife is expertly engineered to handle the heavy rotation of daily meal prep. Forged from high-grade European stainless steel and outfitted with a beautifully contoured timber handle, it delivers a flawless balance of weight, rigidity, and cutting control that makes it an indispensable powerhouse for both passionate home cooks and professional chefs.

Best For Home chefs, culinary students, and dedicated meal-preppers seeking a heavy-duty, highly versatile 20 cm primary kitchen knife that anchors their cutlery collection and masters large-scale ingredient processing.

Key Features

• Premium X50CrMoV15 Stainless Steel: Forged from an elite, single piece of high-carbon European steel, enriched with chrome to deliver outstanding corrosion resistance and professional-grade structural integrity.

• Optimal Cutting Edge Hardness: Hardened to an impressive **58 HRC** on the Rockwell Scale, providing a razor-sharp, smooth-gliding edge that boasts exceptional retention while remaining straightforward to hone and maintain.

• Ergonomic Parallèle Handle: Features soft, fluidly elegant lines crafted from premium French beechwood, providing an incredibly comfortable, non-slip grip and an excellent tactile experience during long chopping sessions.

• Perfect Balance & Full-Scale Leverage: Designed with a generous 20 cm blade profile paired with a robust 12.8 cm handle, establishing a highly stable pivot point for a smooth, effortless rocking motion on any cutting board.

Specifications

• Blade Length: 20 cm

• Handle Length: 12.8 cm

• Overall Length: 32.8 cm

• Blade Material: Premium X50CrMoV15 Stainless Steel

• Blade Hardness: ~58 HRC

• Handle Material: Traditional French Beechwood

• Blade Profile: Classic Western Chef Knife / Wide Belly Curved Spine

• Available Colour: Beech

Ideal For (Uses)

• Heavy Vegetable & Root Crop Prep: Effortlessly halving, dicing, and slicing dense ingredients like pumpkins, sweet potatoes, turnips, cabbages, and large brown onions.

• Protein Portioning & Slicing: Cleanly trimming and carving through raw or cooked briskets, whole chickens, thick pork loins, and delicate fish fillets without tearing the meat fibres.

• Rhythmic Herb Mincing & Spice Prep: Utilizing the generous curvature of the blade belly to rapidly rock back and forth to mince fresh rosemary, parsley, or garlic, while the wide blade face is perfect for flattening garlic cloves and crushing peppercorns.

Pro Tip: A high-quality 20 cm chef knife is the most important tool in any kitchen, handling roughly 80% of all cutting tasks. To preserve the original structural integrity, smooth grain, and beautiful finish of the authentic beechwood handle, please avoid the dishwasher and never leave the knife soaking in a wet sink. Simply hand-wash the steel blade with warm, soapy water after use, wipe it completely dry immediately, and store it safely in a knife block or magnetic strip. An occasional light wipe of food-safe mineral oil on the handle will keep your kitchen workhorse looking stunning for decades!