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Pros: Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Overall Quality, Weight
Cons: None
Office carry perfection
This is an odd knife, so this will likely be the oddest review of a knife I have yet written. I've carried a No. 6 for over a decade - I like the No. 8 for around the house, but the No. 6 is perfect for EDC - it's so lightweight it just disappears in slacks, but large enough for office duty and still locks. I've recently begun work in a new office that has a very strict "No Weapons" policy. So clipped knives are right out, and even a regular No. 6 is suspect with its lock and very pointy tip. So this has given me the perfect opportunity to try the Neo6, which is my new portable butter knife. The new Optiflex collar is attractive with its crosshatch pattern, even if it doesn't do anything as far as grip. I saw other reviews that said it was stiff - mine is not, even the opposite, the detents closed and open are quite soft. Mine has what looks like a dab of white grease where the tang and collar interface, so perhaps Opinel listened to customer feedback? The detent in the open position is strong enough to be safe if used properly, like a normal slipjoint. The best part is, the rear of the spine has a different profile; on a normal Opinel in the closed position, the rear of the spine sits proud and presents a rather sharp right angle in the pocket. This one sits near flush. Awesome improvement. The lack of a tip is weird, but the edge still performs the same. Perhaps the blunt end will end up making itself useful in niche situations I haven't found yet. Edge came sharp, but not razor sharp. Few strokes on ceramic to hone and a strop brought it to when it should be. Walnut handle is beautiful. I could take or leave the lanyard, but the steel grommet is a nice touch (I have a No. 7 that came with a lanyard hole drilled factory, but no grommet). Now here's probably the only time you'll ever hear this complaint: the packaging is too elaborate, haha. A sizable folding box with a slip cover. That's nice and all, but a plain little cardboard box - or no box at all, just a polybag - like they usually come in, is just fine. I take it they are quite proud with this new innovation, however, it doesn't really match the ethos of the knife and perhaps adds to the cost. Maybe they will make plain beechwood versions, or even offer carbon blades, to bring the price in line with a regular model. I'd also like to see these Optiflex collars on Nos. 2-5, which have no locks at all.