'Razor sharp out of the box'

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Moras are usually pleasantly sharp, albeit with prominent grind lines. I do find it irksome when a much pricier knife comes blunt while a ~£10 Mora can be supplied ready to roll.
 
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It is disappointing to find that a knife's edge is not as was promised. However, I always take a new purchase to the strop on its arrival and stones, if necessary, thereafter. Thankfully, I haven't had to resort to the latter recently.

As has been mentioned earlier, Peltonen's knives seem to arrive remarkably sharp!
 
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I had one, never saw much use, and it wasn’t particularly sharp. They seem designed so the thumb is around the base of the mushroom stem and the blade pulled through into the thumb.Maybe this is the reason, so as not to cut yourself?

Years ago my dad bought me a decent sheath knife in a proper Italian knife shop and it had almost no edge. When we took it to the shop the next day to complain, the Italian managed to explain that you chose your knife and then chose the sort of edge you wanted on it, bevel, convex I suppose. Not that Opinel do this, but it’s possible they supply them a little blunter to allow the user to choose.


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I had one, never saw much use, and it wasn’t particularly sharp. They seem designed so the thumb is around the base of the mushroom stem and the blade pulled through into the thumb.Maybe this is the reason, so as not to cut yourself?

Years ago my dad bought me a decent sheath knife in a proper Italian knife shop and it had almost no edge. When we took it to the shop the next day to complain, the Italian managed to explain that you chose your knife and then chose the sort of edge you wanted on it, bevel, convex I suppose. Not that Opinel do this, but it’s possible they supply them a little blunter to allow the user to choose.


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Thats a rubbish paint brush , and dangerous to use too..

Going to take forever to paint a wall but 'cutting in' will be a dream.. :)
 
Not sure how long the blade on the mushroom knife is, but if it's within UK EDC limits you can just pop the locking ring off. I've done that to carry a No.6

I've had plenty of knives which will shave my hair straight from new. The rest would after a quick strop.
 
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The problem with supplying stuff sharp is the question of how sharp given not all razor edges are equal, but sharpening takes time where commercially time is money to consider what must give to maintain an attractive product price and then of course we do like to sharpen stuff to our own satisfaction to in ways put our mark on the thing for some makers might just provide a good base for that
 
The problem with supplying stuff sharp is the question of how sharp given not all razor edges are equal, but sharpening takes time where commercially time is money to consider what must give to maintain an attractive product price and then of course we do like to sharpen stuff to our own satisfaction to in ways put our mark on the thing for some makers might just provide a good base for that

The ‘razor sharp’ is really only targeted at companies which claim it arrives that way, or knives where people repeatedly claim they arrive that way.

My minimum expectation for any pocket knife out of the box is that it is at least sharpened to the point where it can cut something like an apple, or some packaging. A level of sharpness that separates it from just ‘a piece of metal’.
 
Not sure how long the blade on the mushroom knife is, but if it's within UK EDC limits you can just pop the locking ring off. I've done that to carry a No.6

I've had plenty of knives which will shave my hair straight from new. The rest would after a quick strop.
Just realised it's a No.8 so not going to be EDC without the lock..
 
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Not sure why anyone would want to EDC a mushroom knife, and if it’s being carried with the ‘good reason’ of cutting mushrooms then it’s perfectly legal with the lock.

I’d like to keep it in my car or backpack, so I can use it any time I find a good spot which is often unplanned.

I think I’m going to just carry a brush instead and then use whatever knife I am EDCing though and get rid of the Opinel.
 
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I’d like to keep it in my car or backpack, so I can use it any time I find a good spot which is often unplanned.

I think I’m going to just carry a brush instead and then use whatever knife I am EDCing though and get rid of the Opinel.
I should probably look it up myself but you mentioned the brush before and I'm wondering what needs brushing away?

I put them in a bag then give em a quick wipe on my trousers before throwing them in a pan and frying in butter.

Probably not textbook culinary practice but they taste great.
 
I should probably look it up myself but you mentioned the brush before and I'm wondering what needs brushing away?

I put them in a bag then give em a quick wipe on my trousers before throwing them in a pan and frying in butter.

Probably not textbook culinary practice but they taste great.

Just for brushing off woodland detritus really. It can also be useful for mushrooms you’re wanting to identify without picking, which may be covered in muck/leaves/needles/general guff but whose identifying features are obscured.
 
Just for brushing off woodland detritus really. It can also be useful for mushrooms you’re wanting to identify without picking, which may be covered in muck/leaves/needles/general guff but whose identifying features are obscured.
It looked like such a fine brush I thought it might be for between the gills or something? Or for Morels? I don't know.
 
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All the puukkos made in Finland that I have obtained have been proper sharp out the box, same with any Terava or Mora blade. A quick strop is about all they might want.

So it can be done......

GC
 
’d like to keep it in my car or backpack, so I can use it any time I find a good spot which is often unplanned.

I think I’m going to just carry a brush instead and then use whatever knife I am EDCing though and get rid of the Opinel
Fair point. I always felt the mushroom knife was designed for the French and other continentals, who really do go out to forage Ceps and suchlike in quantity.
 
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It looked like such a fine brush I thought it might be for between the gills or something? Or for Morels? I don't know.
The brush is hard with stiff, thick bristles, it would tear the gills. Many edibles like the Boletes grow in sandy soils, I think it’s less for cleaning for ID and more for quickly getting sand and grit off the surface and chucking in the basket ready for the pan. It’s well designed and purposeful with the upswept handle and hooked blade, I’m not sure us Brits have a use for it unless out for a days picking for the pot, drying or freezing.

I sent mine to @Woody girl, she’s a more dedicated forager than me.
 
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I’d like to keep it in my car or backpack, so I can use it any time I find a good spot which is often unplanned.

I think I’m going to just carry a brush instead and then use whatever knife I am EDCing though and get rid of the Opinel.


EDC friendly
 
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Pretty much every knife I've ever purchased has claimed (and other users have claimed) to be razor sharp out of the box. I think I've only ever had that once or twice, with more expensive knives.

Most recently was a Benchmade folder which was relatively sharp, but certainly not razor sharp.

The biggest letdown of all was the Opinel No. 8 mushroom knife I bought. Not only is it not razor sharp, it's genuinely completely blunt. So not only is it needlessly a locking knife (mushrooms famously not being made of obsidian) and therefore unsuitable for EDC, but it's also arrived useless as a knife of any kind. I just do not see the appeal in Opinel in the slightest if this is the norm for them.

Am I just getting a string of bad luck or is this just what I should be expecting these days?
Not sure what it is about mushroom knives in particular but I have had several gifted to me & none has ever been anywhere close to sharp. I just cut them with a cheap Sheffield pruning blade now, which is easy to keep sharp & wasn’t bad when it arrived either.
 

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