Opinel is the best bang for buck work knife I can think of. I like them so much I got a carbon steel one, darkened the blade with cold blueing solution, made the handle grippier and painted it black too. Tactical mushroom picking ๐
I have two I take on every holiday with me for cooking, one I use for veggies, one I use for meat. Whether it's camping or self-catering, I always have sharp cooking knives. Both carbon steel too, for that harder edge.
I use mine for cooking too sometimes. They are perfect for anything that doesn't involve brute force since carbon steel is a bit brittle. The blueing solution stopps them from rusting btw. Oil still doesn't hurt but you don't need to be as careful keeping them dry.
I'm very happy with my classic Wรผsthof. That said, I'll probably buy Victorinox next time I'm out to get a knife - I'm just too darn happy with my Swiss Army knife.
Finland is severely underrepresented here. So. Many. Great. Knife. Makers. Of course I know very little on the subject, I bought a J. Marttiini knife a long time ago and that's been enough. But the industry is there! Long and storied history!
(And does Varusteleka make knives? I thought they're just a retailer.)
I've never specifically thougt about where I source my kitchen knives but I have:
Sabatier Aรฎnรฉ & Perrier1 20 cm chef's knife and a paring knife, carbon steel, olive handles.
Wรผsthof 20 cm chef's knife
Henckels boning knife
Victorinox filleting knife, an insanely dangerous tomato knife, and half a dozen paring knives which get used for everything and are so cheap you'd be mad not to have a few.
So, I guess I've been buying European as long as I've been buying kitchen knives.
Back in the early 19th century, two separate knife makers, both called Sabatier, started making knives in Thiers, France. There weren't any real trademark laws back then and many other โSabatierโ manufacturers appeared. By the 1970s there were as many as 30 different manufacturers all using the Sabatier name. Some of them were really cheap crap. Sabatier Aรฎnรฉ & Perrier are one of the two originals, and I really like their knives.
My frost mora is the best, cheapest, sharpest big boy knife i ever bought. Paid like $20 maybe 15 years ago and it's been an absolute monster. Rarely needs sharpening, and the sharpening is a breeze thanks to the gorgeous saber grind that came with it. Honestly can't talk up morakniv enough.