My first Opinel

[ateallthepies]

After having a clear out of my large and expensive knives I wanted a small, simple folder for mooching around the woods etc... I don't feel comfortable having a lock/fixed knife on me unless I have permission on the land so an edc it is!

I have seen Opinels before but never really took a shine to them, however my first one, a no. 7 turned up today. I wasn't surprised to find it pretty blunt but have read here that they sharpen to a keen edge? I was not disappointed and with no effort at all I put a hair popping edge on it!

I did regrind the tip to bring it within EDC limits and removed the lock ring. Also after some research here got the Salad Cream out and put some patina on the metal.

The handle is just long enough for my small hands but I have ordered a no. 8 to see if the handle is a bit bigger? I will also re-grind that knife when it arrives?

One small concern is after an afternoon whittling today, the metal collar where it meets the back of the blade, has acquired a small dent? I hope this doesn't get too large but saying that it could be easily fixed if needed? It will be interesting to see how it performs after some use but I am quite liking this no frills value knife!

I have had an idea to make up an EDC folder with a couple of these blades, a saw and a spoon hook knife but that will be another thread.




Steve

 

[crosslandkelly]

Great knife, I have one and they are hard to beat.

 

[Stew]

I love them but just stopped carrying any after getting frustrated with the swelling of the wood in damp conditions limiting the openign of the blade or dry conditions allowing it to drop open too easily.

 

[shaggystu]

...One small concern is after an afternoon whittling today, the metal collar where it meets the back of the blade, has acquired a small dent? I hope this doesn't get too large but saying that it could be easily fixed if needed?.....

I've just spent a couple of minutes trying, unsuccessfully, to get a photo of the dent on the metal collar on my #8. It's a dent that seems to appear the first time you use the knife and then stays pretty much the same throughout the life of the knife. All the opinels I've ever owned have had exactly the same dent, none of them have been affected by it at all.

HTH

Stuart.

 

[ateallthepies]

Ah that's good to hear about the dent Stu, and I will watch out for the wood moisture issues Stew.

Has anyone ever put a Hamon line on a knife using the patina process? Would be like a mini Katana!!

Steve

 

[Macaroon]

They're simply the best all-round cheap do-it-all pocket knife, you can't go wrong....................

Without being rude, ateallthepies, why are there so many question marks in your original post?................

 

[shaggystu]

Ah that's good to hear about the dent Stu, and I will watch out for the wood moisture issues Stew....

No worries

Stew's right about the moisture problem, I got caught out in a real downpour earlier in the year and everything I had on me was soaked through, including the opinel in my pocket. I had to use my teeth to open the blade on my knife, in equal parts dangerous and embarrassing, the latter especially so when you have clients watching

 

[ateallthepies]

Re-read it and yes maybe one or two too many ?? Think I will leave 'em in for posterity?

Steve

 

[ozzy1977]

Had mine for at least 20 years, it was my uncles before that, it must be 40 years old at least. Dont know what I would do if I lost it.

 

[ateallthepies]

This steel is ridiculously easy to sharpen!! I'm gonna have no hair left soon, my left arm is pretty bald and the right is going that way, gonna have to start on me legs

I used a DC3 and with no effort got hair popping sharp. I reckon with a strop near cutthroat sharpness is possible?

Steve

 

[udamiano]

Loverly simple little knives, I've had one for at least 20 years now, and as said above easily kept to a razors edge. when this old one of mine does finally wear out, i will get another one.

 

[Laurentius]

I love them but just stopped carrying any after getting frustrated with the swelling of the wood in damp conditions limiting the openign of the blade or dry conditions allowing it to drop open too easily.

You have not heard of the "coup du savoyard" then, which the instructions tell you about. You bang the bottom end of the thing until it comes loose. It works.

 

[robevs73]

You have made me want to dig out my old no8!

 

[Adze]

I use a #8 as a neck knife in a pouch I made from a bit of an old satchel and some wire - with firesteel sleeve natch.

They're very hard to beat as a food prep knife and chopping onions with one puts a wicked patina on the blade.

They make a very good bird and trout knife too - as said above they're extremely easy to sharpen, right to the tip which makes gutting fish or boning chicken/pheasant a snap. The grind is a very shallow angle though... so the edge isn't as strong as some others, treat it as a tool to make other tools with rather than 'one knife to cut them all' with and it's hard to beat.

 

[ateallthepies]

Looking at your pouch I think I will have to make one for mine. Trouble is I will need 3....



All ground to a drop point and to EDC limits.

Steve

 

[roger-uk]

Are opinels legal? I query it because of the locking collar.

Mine are in the drawer normally for that reason

 

[Mick721]

You can buy them without the locking collar or take the locking collar off to make them legal.

 

[ateallthepies]

Yes I took the rings off these 3 knives and ground them so the overall metal length is 75mm and the cutting edge the same by removing a bit of blade by the collar.
Unfortunately I dropped the middle one in the woods today. Will have a look for it tomorrow, hope it hasn't rusted too badly by then?

Steve

 

[chimpy leon]

I sometimes carry the non-locking as standard No. 5.
I like that is extremely light weight and simple but would not use it on anthing other than the lightest of cutting duties, mainly because of its delicate blade - its only 1mm thick and tapers down to almost paper thickness at the point.

How thick are the No. 6 and 7 carbone blades out of curiosity?

 

[belzeebob23]

Great little knifes. Like other have said very easy to get razor sharp and a great food prep knife when away.
The swelling handle is the only drawback I have come across.
Will need to try what Laurentius suggested for opening next time the handle swells.
Bob