Day 21 [ Quoting of attachment images from other messages is not allowed ]
Day 20It seems lots of people like the Opinel No. 08 Outdoor.I want to like it too.It’s a nice lightweight and comfortable carry. The quality and sharpness one would expect from an Opinel are there.I’ve long felt that the wooden handles are the Achilles heel of traditional Opinels, and I like that they have at least a few offerings with more robust modern materials.So, while I think the concept has great potential, I can’t help but feel Opinel missed the mark with this design…The handle is too small, and the shape doesn’t feel quite right. Several times, I’ve come close to putting my index finger on the edge when gripping the knife. I’m wondering if trade-offs were made here for the (gimmicky IMO) addition of a whistle. I do believe a whistle is a good thing to have outdoors, and I usually have one or two with me. But they weigh next to nothing and take up almost no space in a pocket or pack, so I really just need my knife handle to be a good knife handle; no whistles or other tricks required.A properly designed lanyard attachment point is a nice feature. But with the short handle and lanyard attachment point on top, I had to remove the little fob, as it would have created a nasty hot spot on my palm. This is a shame, as the fob would have been handy for pulling the knife from a pocket.At 3.25”, this blade is on the small side for an outdoors knife. I’d prefer about a 4” blade. This knife should have been based on the No. 10, not the No. 08.A shackle key seems like an odd and kind of niche choice. If it were going to be included, it should have been in a way that allowed the shackle key to be used as a thumb hole to OHO the knife, a la Myerchin. Instead, it’s too far toward the point and too far down in the handle (when closed) for this to work well. I am able to OHO this knife, but only awkwardly and not quickly. So, having no real need for a shackle key and not being able to use it as a convenient thumb hole, to me it’s pretty much a useless hole in the blade that tends to collect debris from whatever I’ve been cutting with it.
I have a feeling that they chose the No. 8 platform because it has been their best selling, and that’s about the size of it. (See what I did there? )
Day 22I’m a fan of the knife but also agree with some of your thoughts Gary I don’t find the handle too bad, maybe a little small but that depends what you’re using it for, which in my case is mainly food prep, so not really a problem. Of course, that wasn't me who shared thoughts on my Opinel No.8 Outdoors. I don't have one. I am just the kid with his nose pressed up against the window outside the Opinel store. Greasy fingerprints all over the glass. Wide eyes staring at the pretty colored knives inside. Bobby told me that he was getting one for Christmas. One with a whistle in the handle. A REAL whistle. Jeepers. If I had one, I would put it in my bed with me at night and look at it under the covers with my Batman flashlight. [ Quoting of attachment images from other messages is not allowed ]
I always thought that a whistle is a silly addition to a hiking kit until I learned that the sound of a whistle carries a longer distance than a shout.
I've been bad at posting this week, my kid has been sick running a 101 fever since Thursday night, so little sleep has been had.
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