The reason i love Opinels, as oposed to like them, is the handle shape. Its easy to carry but feels more like a 'real' knife then a pocket knife. The blade gets sharp in no time on a pocket dimond stone, though for a quick touch up you can 'slice' the bottom of a coffe mug (the unglazed ring at the base) or just stop it across said unglazed rim.
It glides through all the food prep and light cutting i do...mabye its not the best knife in the world, but at the price its the best deal you will EVER get on a decent cutting tool. I used to carry one of those 'husky' box cutter things where you change the blades-the Opinel is easily as sharp, a hell of a lot handier, and i dont feel like a waster throwing those unsharpanbly hard little blades in the trash.
OK, its not a Bowie, (i'll use a hatchet or saw for cutting wood) and its not a fighter (I'd use a dagger or kukuri). On the other hand, how often do you really use either?
An expensive knife is often like an expensive car, all for show- Opinel knives are like Honda's- use them, abuse them, use them some more.
Oh, and finaly, i bought a book "SAS guide to living off the land"- its pretty good with plenty go good illustraions-the knife in the pictures is most times pretty clearly an Opinel.
