Removing the lock from my Op No6

[CAL]

I'm thinking of removing the lock from my Opinel number 6 and reshaping the blade to a spear point and then blackening it, mainly becuase I want to fiddle with a knife but also to make it legal when its packed away in my bag.

As far as I have picked up on the threads here I just need to pop the locking ring off and then tighten the rivet to keep the blade in place. To reshape the tip of the blade I just need to hand file it down so I don't ruin the temper, and soak it in vinegar overnight to blacken the blade.

Am I about to fall into any traps doing this, or have I missed any obvious things out?

Thanks,

Craig.

 

[NatG]

sounds about right to me, ard you planning on taking the blade out of the handle all together? if so practice re rivetting on some scrap wood first, rather than ruin your opi handle.

 

[CAL]

I'm going to try and leave the blade in the handle so that I don't have to re-rivet it.

I think I should be able to support the blade in a soft faced vice to reshape it and still be able to leave the handle on and the thread I read about blackening the blade just suggested wrapping it in a vinegar soaked rag over night. I'm also going to sand and oil the handle anyway as its looking worn so it won't matter too much if I do mark it a little.

I should really stop reading forums becuase I always end up getting ideas way beyond me

 

[dwardo]

If you want to make it "legal" just pop some super glue in the collar so it cant lock. Only issue is the blade can become loose with use making it a bit dangerous. Best just to find your self a nice cheap slippy and keep the opi standard and just tart it up a bit

 

[ArkAngel]

I would second that. I took the locking ring off my Opi by levering it off with a screwdriver. Fortunately without damage as i found it a damn liability without a locking collar and put it back on 2 days later when my finger had stopped bleeding

 

[NatG]

I wouldn't soak the blade in vinegar if you hadn't taken it out of the handle, it will get in the wood and if it doesn't damage it it will still make it look and smell funny, and probbably make it quite hard to apply a finish to that area

also, the oxide layer from the vinegar will impart a taste to any food you cut with it, probbably a quite strong nasty metallic taste.

The tip can be easily reground on a bench grinder or with an angle grinder if yoiu go slowly qand don't overheat it, dip it into a pot of water after every swipe across and if it gets too hot to hold, stop and let it cool.

good luck! i've done 4 or 5 as presents fro friends, they are really nice knives if you just give them a bit of tlc

 

[spamel]

The vinegar will be fine, I haven't had a problem with it. And using a good file will drop that clip off in five minutes or so. It's no big deal.

 

[jojo]

I have just done 2 opinels, a no 8 and a no 10. The safety ring is easy to remove, the easiest is to use circlip pliers, failing that, I used a screwdriver. Hold the closed knife in a vice if possible, with a bit a leather to protect it, put the tip of a screwdriver blade in the gap of the ring and twist it whilst pulling the ring off the knife.

Both the blades were quite tight and didn't need extra riveting. I scraped both handles because the dye goes beyond just the surface, and then sanded them, first with 80, then 120, then 180, then 240. The first one was finished with boiled linsed oil mixed with Stocholm Tar, that darkened the wood a bit. The second I am using Deks Olje no1 first and and I'll finish with Deks Olje no2. No1 is a penetrating oil and the second gives a very smooth and shiny surface, but is not a varnish and does not crack. Using vinegar, the smell dissipate fairly quickly, I used that to stain some leather (with steel wool disolved in it), that smelt for a couple of days but the smell is completely gone now.

What you want to avoid is the wood swelling up and jamming the blade. You could use mustard on the blade to darken it, you can obtain different effects with mustard, and by being careful you should be able to avoid getting it into the wood.

 

[spamel]

Not only mustard, but red sauce, brown sauce, horseradish, anything with an acid content such as vinegar. You can go fancy and put tiger stripes on your blade if you want, or girraffe type patterns. It's good fun!

 

[CAL]

Jojo - Its your original thread about the modded op's that I'm holding responsible for me getting ideas in the first place.

The job you did on those two knives looks great and has given me something to aim for.

Spamel - I like the idea of the tiger stripes but that definitely have to wait until I know what I am doing.

 

[Tadpole]

I'm thinking of removing the lock from my Opinel number 6 and reshaping the blade to a spear point and then blackening it, mainly becuase I want to fiddle with a knife but also to make it legal when its packed away in my bag.

As far as I have picked up on the threads here I just need to pop the locking ring off and then tighten the rivet to keep the blade in place. To reshape the tip of the blade I just need to hand file it down so I don't ruin the temper, and soak it in vinegar overnight to blacken the blade.

Am I about to fall into any traps doing this, or have I missed any obvious things out?

Thanks,

Craig.

To take the ring off, withour damaging the knife is easy.
turn the locking ring all the way (with the knife closed) to the left (locked position)
grip the blade near the nail groove (using the blade as a lever and the rivet as a fulcrum)
lever the blade slightly open
ease off and then lever the blade open slightly again
ease off and then lever the blade open
the locking ring should ping off

keep the locking ring seperate, but handy. as it is so easy to take off and re-apply that you could carry it with you so you can safely use the knive with the blade locked, remove the locking ring and carry your legal knife with you.

 

[spamel]

Spamel - I like the idea of the tiger stripes but that definitely have to wait until I know what I am doing.

How I did it once was to use a normal eating fork. I dipped it into red sauce and dragged it across the blade. I left it a half hour or so and then washed it off, turned it over and did the other side. It ended up like this:

In fact, I think I did that with a paint brush, thinking about it! Same principle though, you just splodge it on!

 

[shaggystu]

well said tadpole, i was just about to post something along the same lines, people seem to be slightly over-complicating things to my mind. it really is very easy to use the blade to just "pop" the locking ring off and even easier to push it back on by just pressing it against a hard surface.
one word of warning though, i wouldn't recommend using just the palm of your hand press the locking ring back on, i've managed to pinch the skin of my palm between the locking ring and the body of the knife on a couple of ocassions. much wailing and gnashing of teeth invariably follows such an action!

cheers

stuart

 

[CAL]

I finally found and hour to modify my knife and its done now.

I've reshaped the blade using a hand file, etched it in white vinegar overnight and sanded the handle and gave it a coat of olive oil. The lock just popped off by opening the blade when it was locked shut - and the ring goes back on easily if I want to turn it back into being a lock knife. There's a few things I could have done better but given its my first attempt and the knife was a little damaged before I started I don't think its turned out too bad.

I'll put some pictures up in a bit. I'm just off to search the archives for how to do it.