which Opinel

sam_acw

Native
Sep 2, 2005
1,081
10
42
Tyneside
Depends how big your hand is. A nice handy knife will be as long in the handle as your hand is across the palm.
 

demographic

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Apr 15, 2005
4,762
786
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As a kid I had several No 8's and now more recently I picked up my mates number eight and its kind of tiny, now admittedly I have fairly big hands but its still small.

I would like one with a bigger handle but am not bothered about a bigger blade.
 

Rothley Bill

Forager
Aug 11, 2008
134
0
Rothley, Leicestershire
Hi all

Yes most most handy knive is the one you have, I agree Tommy.


Woodstock I was looking at a No 8 this evening, but as I could only look at pictures, it was difficult to judge sizes. The handle on the No 6 is only just big enough for me, but it is ideal for my daughter to whom it now belongs.
I digress, I think I will have to look at the No 8 in the flesh so to speak, along with a no 10 to judge the sizes.

I want one for a general camp/pack knife they seem to fit the bill quite nicely.

Thanks for the replys
 

Rothley Bill

Forager
Aug 11, 2008
134
0
Rothley, Leicestershire
demographic my concern exactly, I dont need a large blade for what I want to do with the knife, and I really want a folder. In lots of ways the No 6 is the right size of blade but I think its too small a knife for my hands.

I need to do the touchy feely thing with a selection of them, to see which is the one. I will only know which one once I have picked it up.
 

tommy the cat

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 6, 2007
2,138
1
55
SHROPSHIRE UK
Yeah sorry wasn't being funny, just trying to be!
Any tool should be fit for the purpose and in this case fit your hand, but we can get a little obsessed with kit (i am) I think that we should all use the kit we have then after a while an informed choice is alot easier to whether it is not fit for the purpose.
Dave
Sorry about that I sound like a knob
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,891
2,143
Mercia
I like the eff range of opinels - I prefer both blade and handle shapes - not saying they are better - just an alternative.

My favourite is the eff 8 - shown here with the eff 12 which I use as a folding filet knife

481703282_bc6fbca04b_o.jpg


Red
 

Intertidal

Forager
Jan 26, 2008
123
0
Cornwall
I've got a No. 9, Mrs has a No. 8. We agree that each knife is the right size for our hands.
My hand span is 9 inches, hers 8 inches. Dunno if thats coincidence - are the sizes meant to correspond to hand span?
Lovely knives - so simple, and the carbon steel ones take a really mean edge.
 
B

bosknurft

Guest
Of course, it's easy to modify the handle so that it fits your hands better. My main beef with my Opinel is that it's nearly impossible to open if it has been wet, or hasn't been oiled for a while.

To the point that I sort of question their value for outdoors use, certainly for kids. A rustproof SAK clone can fall into a puddle, be picked up, be put into the pocket of a damp raincoat which is then thrown into the washing machine, and finally end up in a drawer for several years--and it'll still open and have some semblance of sharpness.

Of course, Opinels ooze character out of every pore, whereas SAKs don't--really. And maybe Opinels are a good instrument for teaching children how to handle and maintain knives.

But I recently discovered my old, long-lost first swiss army knife in the kind of condition described above, and I can't help thinking that if my 'old friend' had been an Opinel, it would've been a clump of rust-stained wood.
 

Tadpole

Full Member
Nov 12, 2005
2,842
21
60
Bristol
As an everyday pocket knife, you'd have to go a long way to beat a No6, I carry one everywhere I go, (the locking ring.. lives in my laptop bag when I am not using the knife say on the way to and from work, and at the bottom of my responce pac (when I am out and about) and when I am not using the knife. As a camp knife I'd say (for me) the slightly larger No8 is a must
SAK v Opinel you can get lazy with an SAK care wise, It's my opinion that's not the way to learn. but other than opening the occational letter I've hardly used my SAK's blade, the Opinel on the whole is a much better(more useful) everyday knife, despite what the law say.
 

Kerne

Maker
Dec 16, 2007
1,766
21
Gloucestershire
Tadpole said:
(the locking ring.. lives in my laptop bag when I am not using the knife say on the way to and from work, and at the bottom of my responce pac (when I am out and about) and when I am not using the knife.

I like the sound of this idea - would this make the Opinel a "legal" EDC? (Assuming a blade length of less than 3")

I have often thought that a separate locking device that could be fitted over/onto a decent folder would be a good idea, if you are concerned about the boys in blue. Especially since, on its own, it would be difficult to discern its purpose.

Any thoughts?
 

Kepis

Full Member
Jul 17, 2005
6,854
2,753
Sussex
I use a No8 all the time, just right for my hand size, in fact ive only just put it away after prepping a load of Pigeons up that i shot today.
 

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