Opinel no.10 with broken off tip, WWYD?

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Dai

Member
Jun 7, 2020
17
13
Wales
image

Having seen that others have personalised their Opinel knives in various ways including re-profiling the blades, I got thinking about the knife above. I've had it 20 years+ and used it very little in the last 10 or so (I have a no.8 carbone and a cheap mora that I prefer). My options as I see them are:

1. Do nothing (the damage was done about 20 years ago so this option has precedence)
2.. Round off the damaged area to create a blunt tip 'safe' knife.
3. Re-profile to give it a new point (more rounded than the original but a point none the less)

Wondering what your thoughts would be...
 

slowworm

Full Member
May 8, 2008
1,982
934
Devon
I'd round it off and use it myself. I very rarely us the point of a knife and I've pricked myself more times than I care to remember.
 
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Duggie Bravo

Settler
Jul 27, 2013
532
124
Dewsbury
I did similar damage with one of mine, I took it to a cobblers to get it reground to a point.
Cost me a couple of quid to get done.
Funny not funny was the conversation,
Me, “be careful it’s sharp”
Cobbler, “ it will be when I, ow f*** “

On the other hand I had the point ground off my rescue knife for kayaking.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
3,186
1,801
82
Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
This is another way of defining "survival knife" as a a knife that can survive. Opinels and Moras can both be so described. They are like he fabled grandfather's axe that had been passed down with only one head and two hafts replaced since the day he bought it.

Because they are cheap and easy to replace they can be treated in a way that would never be attempted on a high-end expensive hand-made job. Therefore they can be repaired, re-handled, modified and re-purposed with confidence. And they get used and not kept in a drawer as part of a collection never to see the light of day for fear of loss or damage. They become old friends with individual quirks resulting from what they have been through: just like their owners!
 

Dai

Member
Jun 7, 2020
17
13
Wales
Thanks for the input, and sorry for not returning sooner - it's report writing time :banghead2:. I used it as is with my class today, the children got on quite well with it, and it seems a little easier to use for light work than the mora safe (maybe the thinner blade?). So I think for now I will leave it as is, the children don't need pointed knives yet, plus its better for the head's heart if we stick to blunt tips.
 

Billy-o

Native
Apr 19, 2018
1,981
975
Canada
Yes .. shape the spine to make it a spear point

Draw a new outline on it with a skinny marker pen and file it down, low-tech like. Don't even need a vice. Just put the file on your knee and rub the blade on it. Won't take five minutes.
 
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