Opinel x L.L. Bean No. 8 Moosehead Knife

Moosehead Lake, Maine in the early 20th century was a major spot for wood suppliers. And their lumberjacks would use the lake as a means to transport the chopped tree trunks – a process known as sluicing. Inevitably, some of those logs would end up sinking. And, since old-timey logging operations didn’t have the means, there was nothing that could be done but leave them there. Now, however, Opinel and L.L. Bean have teamed up to retrieve said logs and build some limited edition No. 8 camp knives out of the wood.

This maple survived for so long thanks to the low oxygen levels of the water at the bottom of Moosehead Lake. And the “sunken” wood also garnered some benefits from the process – namely a reduction of sap and a more tight and uniform grain patterns. Apart from the century-old underwater wood handle, this knife is still an Opinel through and through. It has a Sandvik steel blade, the brand’s signature Virobloc ring, and was crafted in their factory at the foothills of the Alps. For just $40, you can own one of these beautiful and functional piece of history. [Purchase]