Antonini Old Bear Knife, Small

I'm holding a Small "Old Bear" and an Opinel #6, so it's easy to compare the two. Size: The blades are exactly the same length, and almost identical in shape, but the Old Bear's handle is significantly bigger. The Old Bear's ferrule (the metal part that surrounds the hinge) is about 1 millimeter bigger, and, more importantly, the Old Bear's handle is about a half-inch (1 centimeter) longer. So the Old Bear will sit a little bigger in your pocket. The Opinel is invisible in my pocket, so I'm not sure this matters much. Folks with big hands may prefer the larger Old Bear handle. Both weigh almost nothing. Blade lock: The Old Bear's is much easier to use, but sticks out more from the body of the knife. In real life, I don't think this matters much, either. A slight edge in ease-of use versus a slight edge in slimness. A tie. Finish: No question, the Opinel is finished better. The handle is smoother, and is finished with some kind of varnish or shellac. The Old Bear's handle doesn't seem to have any finish at all, just sanded wood. Taking the Old Bear out of the box and handling it as you would in use, it has more rough edges, both on the wood and the metal parts, than the Opinel. Do I care? No. I took care of the wood with 3 minutes of sanding with 400 sandpaper. The metal parts have some slight flash, but it would come off with another 3 minutes of sandpaper, or a year of use. If you wanted to, you could easily take care of the extra centimeter on the handle with a file, and more sandpaper work. I'm refinishing some furniture at the moment, so I think I might put some dark walnut stain and a little tung oil on the handle. Sharpness: As they come out of the box, neither of these will shave the hair on your arm, but both will cut 20lb copy paper easily. So, both are perfectly fine for opening envelopes, or Amazon boxes, or cutting twine. You can sharpen them if you're looking for razor sharpness. So overall a tie. The Opinel is a little better finished, the Old Bear may be a little easier to use and a little more comfortable for people with larger hands. If you want a finished inexpensive knife to throw in your pocket out of the box, get the Opinel. If you'd like a slightly larger handle, or an easier blade lock, or would like to do a little customization, get the Old Bear. And they both get five stars, taking price in to account. You can get a nicer knife for $75, but then you'll be sadder when you lose it.

This knife is great. Affordable and functions well. Been the same style for 125yrs. Don't get worried about the low price. It has upgraded wood and a sturdy collar mechanism. I have two and now gift them to friends.

Knife looks and feels great. The combination between the blade, brass, and wood give this little knife a sophisticated look. My blade was dull, but that can be overlooked because the aesthetics far outweigh a little sharpening. Great buy.

I saw a YT video raving about this pocket knife and how it's 100x better than my favorite Opinel, so I brought this to give it a try. Unfortunately, I can't agree with the video is saying. The wood feels light and flimsy, blade metal doesn't look the best (I know that a lot of people say you can sharpen/polish it and such), and the shape is not that different from an Opinel. However, I gotta say, I do like the Brass Detail and Locking Mechanism, otherwise I don't think I'll carry this or even collect them like Opinels.

If you like Opinel knives, this Antonini Old Bear will probably appeal to you. Like an Opinel, the Old Bear is a friction folder, with a wood handle, a metal bolster, and a lock ring tha will prevent the blade from closing or opening. The handle is walnut, the bolster is brass, and the lock ring rides inside the bolster instead of outside. It is available in small, medium, and large sizes. My first one was the medium, about the same size as a No. 8 Opinel, and a bit larger than I like to carry. The small Old Bear is about the same size as the Opinel 7. My preference for pocket carry is the 6. Out of the box, the Antoninis carry a bit better than Opinels, because the pommel lacks the Opinels’ signature flared profile that makes them a bit of a lump in the pocket. You could still slim the handle with sandpaper, but this knife does not cry out for it the way an Opinel does. The internal lock ring is a nifty variation, as is can be operated with the thumb alone, where the Opinel ring takes two fingers. The blade is stainless, and comes pretty sharp out of the box. You will probably want to sharpen it yourself, or else buy it from Baryonyx Knife Co., and pay a couple of bucks for their Special Grade blade treatment. Unfortunately, last time I looked, Baryonyx carried only the two larger sizes. I had to look elsewhere to find the small size.

As other reviewers have stated you do need to sand, stain, oil, and sharpen this but it is quite nice and has a sturdy mechanism.

Excellent for the money , if you like opinels , you should like this even more , easier to use lock , does not come real sharp , but that's an easy fix , very unique lock , locks open and closed with a simple push of the thumb