Opinel Knifes

[Neil]

Here's a French modification page - LINKY

Those moded opinals are very nice those guys are really into it.

I know! They're just about as crazy as those SAK Modders

They're all mad, why can't they leave well alone



Neil

[Benner]

There are some lovely modded Opinels out there.

[Gareth]

Here is my modified No8.  Fairly standard mod as far as Opinels go but it does make for a nice knife.

[nuphoria]

Mmmm, SAK sponsored by Chupa chups?

This could be the perfect hybrid 

[ducktapehero]

I always liked the look of the Opinel knives.

[Craig]

The seem great value. My local gun shop carries then I might have to try one.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

The seem great value. My local gun shop carries then I might have to try one.

Get a number 6, and you've got a nice wee edc-able slippie

[Grant Lamontagne]

I love Opinels.  I have had them for years, but I keep losing them.  I used to always have the No2 or 3 in the watch pocket of my jeans, and was always impressed with how sharp that high carbon, super slim blade was.  It's like a harder version of a SAK blade!  And, for the price you can't beat them.

My guess is they aren't more popular because of the stigma of French made products.  To bad really- they are simple and effective, and really, what more could you want?

Def

[Abstraction]

How do you guys sharpen your Opinels?  I can get an 'ok' edge on mine but it doesn't take anything near the kind of edge you can get on a sak, multi or proper blade, i've got no.6 and no.10 carbons and a stainless no.7 and neither type of metal takes a particularly impressive edge.

[nuphoria]

The seem great value. My local gun shop carries then I might have to try one.

Get a number 6, and you've got a nice wee edc-able slippie

Doesn't it have a locking ring? Can you explain how it's legal?! 

[Neil]

How do you guys sharpen your Opinels?  I can get an 'ok' edge on mine but it doesn't take anything near the kind of edge you can get on a sak, multi or proper blade, i've got no.6 and no.10 carbons and a stainless no.7 and neither type of metal takes a particularly impressive edge.

Just with a Sharpmaker, I've had no problems getting exceptionally sharp edges.

The seem great value. My local gun shop carries then I might have to try one.

Get a number 6, and you've got a nice wee edc-able slippie

Doesn't it have a locking ring? Can you explain how it's legal?! 

Anything smaller than a no.6 doesn't lock.  No.6 is available in locking and non-locking. Above six they lock.

Neil

[Abstraction]

How do you guys sharpen your Opinels?  I can get an 'ok' edge on mine but it doesn't take anything near the kind of edge you can get on a sak, multi or proper blade, i've got no.6 and no.10 carbons and a stainless no.7 and neither type of metal takes a particularly impressive edge.

Just with a Sharpmaker, I've had no problems getting exceptionally sharp edges.

Strange, i just cant get a decent edge with my sharpmaker, i'm fine with sharpening everything else in the house but i always assumed opinels just couldnt hold that good an edge as no amount of sharpening seems to give anything better than an okish edge 

[Neil]

That is really weird, I've no explanation I'm afraid

Neil

[nuphoria]

The seem great value. My local gun shop carries then I might have to try one.

Get a number 6, and you've got a nice wee edc-able slippie

Doesn't it have a locking ring? Can you explain how it's legal?! 

Anything smaller than a no.6 doesn't lock.  No.6 is available in locking and non-locking. Above six they lock.

Neil
[/quote]

Thanks Neil, didn't know there was a non-locking No.6.... Hedgekid wants one to play with

[Neil]

Of course its really easy to make any opi non-locking. Just pull off the locking ring or shove some epoxy under it.  Job done

Neil

[nuphoria]

Of course its really easy to make any opi non-locking. Just pull off the locking ring or shove some epoxy under it.  Job done

Neil

Is there much of a snap on it when you do that? Don't want it folding up on her dainty little fingers 

[Neil]

Of course its really easy to make any opi non-locking. Just pull off the locking ring or shove some epoxy under it.  Job done

Neil

Is there much of a snap on it when you do that? Don't want it folding up on her dainty little fingers 

There's no snap on any of the opinels as they don't have backsprings so care is required with the non-locking models.

Neil

[nuphoria]

Hmm... might have to re-evaluate not non-locking idea then!

Don't want her ending up as battered as I am! The poor thing was in a bizarre car incident yesterday... I'll make a thread....

[Gareth]

Essentially they become friction folders.  You can give the pivot pin a bask if it becomes a bit loose.  As with all non-locking knives they are perfectly safe as long as you remember they are non-locking.

[nuphoria]

Essentially they become friction folders.  You can give the pivot pin a bask if it becomes a bit loose.  As with all non-locking knives they are perfectly safe as long as you remember they are non-locking.

I didn't realise you could tighten them up - that might help save a few plasters 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Spooky coincidence, these listed today

http://www.heinnie.com/product.asp?s=cppztd1502137&strParents=&CAT_ID=469&P_ID=4069

[jzmtl]

Essentially they become friction folders.  You can give the pivot pin a bask if it becomes a bit loose.  As with all non-locking knives they are perfectly safe as long as you remember they are non-locking.

I didn't realise you could tighten them up - that might help save a few plasters 

I did that with mine, turned it into a nail breaker, took a lot of work to made it loose again. 

Spooky coincidence, these listed today

http://www.heinnie.com/product.asp?s=cppztd1502137&strParents=&CAT_ID=469&P_ID=4069

Interesting, the blade marking is different. Handle is same as mine but blade stamping on mine has the finger crown horizontal on the left and OPINEL FRANCE on right.

[Gareth]

Essentially they become friction folders.  You can give the pivot pin a bask if it becomes a bit loose.  As with all non-locking knives they are perfectly safe as long as you remember they are non-locking.

I didn't realise you could tighten them up - that might help save a few plasters 

I did that with mine, turned it into a nail breaker, took a lot of work to made it loose again. 

Yes, just a very little bask bash would do it.

[Gareth]

Essentially they become friction folders.  You can give the pivot pin a bask if it becomes a bit loose.  As with all non-locking knives they are perfectly safe as long as you remember they are non-locking.

I didn't realise you could tighten them up - that might help save a few plasters 

I did that with mine, turned it into a nail breaker, took a lot of work to made it loose again. 

Yes, just a very little bask bash would do it.

I believe the "traditional" way of opening the knife is to tap the heel of the knife against something (your shoe I think) making the blade come clear of the handle.  Then you have a lot more to grip rather than just using the nail nick.

[jzmtl]

I tried that before, either I suck at it or it's not very effective. If the blade is lose enough to come out, it won't be any effort to pull it out via nailpick to begin with. If it's a nailbreaker it won't come out no matter how hard I smack it.

[Gareth]

I think your right actually.  I can do it with my two, but both are loose enough that I don't need to.    Back to the drawing board.

[Craig]

The seem great value. My local gun shop carries then I might have to try one.

Get a number 6, and you've got a nice wee edc-able slippie

Ta, I'll have a look next time I'm in there

[Sean]

Blade Forums had a thread on this knife recently.  Here it is.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=425239

[Hedge Kid]

Of course its really easy to make any opi non-locking. Just pull off the locking ring or shove some epoxy under it.  Job done

Neil

Is there much of a snap on it when you do that? Don't want it folding up on her dainty little fingers 

A non locking opinel  good god no!  Those rings are there for a purpose. Opinels are great knives but they are lethal when they decide to fold up on you! Son of Hedge Kid nearly took the end of his finger off with one of those forgetting to put the lock on. Doh!

Essentially they become friction folders.  You can give the pivot pin a bask if it becomes a bit loose.  As with all non-locking knives they are perfectly safe as long as you remember they are non-locking.

I didn't realise you could tighten them up - that might help save a few plasters 

I did that with mine, turned it into a nail breaker, took a lot of work to made it loose again. 

Yes, just a very little bask bash would do it.

I believe the "traditional" way of opening the knife is to tap the heel of the knife against something (your shoe I think) making the blade come clear of the handle.  Then you have a lot more to grip rather than just using the nail nick.

We used to use opinels all the time on the farm and when they get cacked up with mud and other detrius they refuse to open. In addition to Gareth's explanation above - tap it hard on a hard surface (wood) if that doesn't work, spray some WD40 into the pivot joint, rest the tapping point on the bench and gently tap the back of the tapping point with a hammer. You can interpret "gently" anyway you like depending on the age of the knife and your frustration levels They can take a fair whack. If you value your handle, put a piece of wood between the tapping point and the hammer as your frustration increases.!

[BenH]

Dead good knives Got a stainless No.8 from the last time I was in France. Etched the blade and carved the grip a little. They're supposed to seize up a little if they get damp, but I waterproofed the top with Vaseline (spread it on to the top liberally, gently heat with a lighter until it gets thin enough to sink in, wipe off excess) so I've never found that a problem. They take really good edges with little effort, even the stainless ones.