Opinel and Peasant knife owners club

[IMR4198]

    The wild turkeys have taken a powder.  Evidently they can tell when Thanksgiving is near.  I do hear the Canada geese flying over after dark.  Evidently, they have night navigational powers of some sort.  Headed south.  Best wishes.  G
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[Barry Rowland]

Same here Gary.  Geese are gone and I've not seen a wild turkey in over a week.  They're no dummies for sure!;

[LoopCutter]

Turkeys are smart, keen eye sight, and the strangest social order I have encountered here in INDIANA.  DnR do several counts through the year by county.

In the early spring, it is common to see a TOM Turkey with multiple hens and some immature birds wandering the fields. Then after mating, the Toms go off on their own. The Hens stay together, and the young Tom’s get chased off from their group and form a bachelor group.

Here in Indiana there is a short spring season for TOMS ONLY.  This after the mating season and intent is to harvest the larger older birds.

After a hen lays and hatches her eggs then she moves off with her brood until late fall.

Then several broods group together, gleam harvested fields by day in glocks of forty to fifty, then go deep into wooded areas at night or during snow and. Old spells.  There they are joined by Tom’s and bachelor flocks.

Safety in numbers.  In some areas they may refer to these large flocks as RAFTERS.

I have only observed these large groups in the winter, on bright sunny days and the group is usually pretty tight on the edge of a wooded area, eating corn from a field not harvested or picking seed from the ground.

I have encountered large flocks in the woods when I assisted marketing trees for winter harvest. These birds do not move, almost dare you to approach.  Strength in numbers.

Where I grew up in Michigan did not encounter Turkeys where I lived.  (50 years ago). In the last 15 years when visiting my mom, it was common to see a Glock of maybe 10 birds moving across the field quickly.  Mom’s house and where I hunted is now all protected lands managed by the Kalamazoo Nature Center.  Lots of wildlife observed.  Mom’s house netted a good price, better because of the view from the Kitchener table to the north.

And that is about awl I know about turkeys from my experience working counts and marking trees.

[Barry Rowland]

That's the way Pennsylvania is too.  We have a huge flock of anywhere from 40-60+ come through our yard every few months.  Their eyesight is incredible!  I love watching them. 

[Farmer X]

No wild turkeys hereabouts, but I did see raccoons at the old place.

[IMR4198]

   It has been a while since I posted an Opinel and a Peasant knife together.  Best wishes.  G
 
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[Barry Rowland]

 

[Farmer X]

 

[IMR4198]

   I like that Svord Peasant knife, but it isn't a very pocket friendly tool.  When it is closed, that full-sized model is rather long.  Also, there isn't anything except some friction from the handle to keep the blade closed.  For me, at least, an Opinel will stay closed in my pocket, but maybe not the Svord.  Our friend B.P. Roberts devised a paracord remedy to keep the blade closed.  There are a number of members here who own Svord Peasants, but I wonder how many actually carry them. 
Best wishes.  G
 

[nate j]

   I like that Svord Peasant knife, but it isn't a very pocket friendly tool.  When it is closed, that full-sized model is rather long.  Also, there isn't anything except some friction from the handle to keep the blade closed.  For me, at least, an Opinel will stay closed in my pocket, but maybe not the Svord.  Our friend B.P. Roberts devised a paracord remedy to keep the blade closed.  There are a number of members here who own Svord Peasants, but I wonder how many actually carry them. 
Best wishes.  G
 

I don’t own one, but a knife accidentally opening in my pocket would get it taken off the carry list permanently.  It’s just not worth the risk when there are so many good alternatives out there.

[IMR4198]

   I suppose anything that can happen, will eventually happen.  The handles are adjustable so you can tighten up the retention some.  I think a lot of people get hurt with knives because they are doing the flick, flick, sling fidget toy thing with them.  The EDC podcast is a good example.  Def told of damaging a finger joint by screwing around with a knife.  Many others could say the same, if they chose to disclose their own carelessness. 
Best wishes,  G
 

[Farmer X]

I'm pretty sure Gary's Svord Peasant is a Farmer X alumnus. While it is a good knife in all other respects, I passed it on because I found it rather obnoxious in a pocket. My considered opinion is that the full-sized Peasant is better suited to belt carry.

[IMR4198]

Yes, it's a Bloopinel.  No Svord today.  I wonder if Svord means sword in Danish or something?  Best wishes.  G
 
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[Barry Rowland]

I don't know but that looks good Gary!

[IMR4198]

   You know, Barry, I started out with carbon steel on these things, but after I got a couple of stainless Opis I don't know.  I might turn into a stainless Opinel lover.  After the Toolbox challenge is through, I might just switch back to my pretty yellow No. 9.  I like that one a lot.  I can't carry it since it is a multi tool.  I would have to penalize myself for breach of protocol, and I couldn't stand to hear myself whining about how unfair that would be.  Best wishes.  G
 

[LoopCutter]

Funny, I almost gripped my YELLOW DIY Opinel the other day because the screw driver option.

Then thought, “What would GARY do?”

Then grabbed my Husky 6n1, putting in my pocket handle end first.

[IMR4198]

   I think Gary might make a trip to W-Mart tomorrow and look at some flashlights.  It doesn't look like I will find my lost one anytime soon, and to tell the truth it wasn't much punkin' to begin with.  Might have to look and see what kind of knife gift boxes they have on sale this year.  And buy some more toothpaste.  I bought a tube of Crest and when I gave it a squeeze, I found out it was half air.  Then, guess what, I was dumb enough to buy another of the same kind thinking the first one just slipped through manufacturing.  Nope.  Second one was just the same.  Good sized tube, almost no filler.  Some vermin at the factory figured out how to gyp customers out of a little paste.  The polecats at Crest lost a customer to save a half penny's worth of goop.  I saw where other companies are using a big, long box and putting in a tiny little tube that only half fills the box. 
Best wishes.  Gary
 

[Farmer X]

The polecats at Crest lost a customer to save a half penny's worth of goop.

Arm & Hammer is good. Tom's of Maine tastes very odd. And I haven't heard the term "polecat" in a while.

In seriousness, great photo of the Opinel! I like their carbon and stainless blades equally well.

[Barry Rowland]

I have a few stainless Opinels and I think they cut just as good as the carbon models. 

[Antti Lammi]

I have now 2 Opinels in my collection, other shows patina and its quite old (it was gift few years ago)  other is like new and gotted it from EU gaw box on first round. I should try to carry these more, now they are mostly on my drawer collecting dust.

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[Barry Rowland]

I could probably get away with carrying just an Opinel.  Most of my uses involve just cutting something open.  Typically, though, when I carry just a knife is when I need a pair of pliers or a screwdriver.

[LoopCutter]

I have now 2 Opinels in my collection, other shows patina and its quite old (it was gift few years ago)  other is like new and gotted it from EU gaw box on first round. I should try to carry these more, now they are mostly on my drawer collecting dust.

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A No8 and a No9, both in Carbon, very nice!

The Patina on the handle just tells a story that can not be duplicated.

The No9 is the size that fits my hand the best, yet a No7
and No6 ride in the pocket of neck sheath most ideally.

[Farmer X]

I should try to carry these more...

Indeed you should. The No. 8 has fantastic patina!

[IMR4198]

   I am getting close to post number 5000.  Might go over this week.  Another Opi outdoors.  Best wishes.  G
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[Barry Rowland]

Way to go Gary!

[AzteCypher]

   I am getting close to post number 5000.  Might go over this week.  Another Opi outdoors.  Best wishes.  G
 

[Farmer X]

I am getting close to post number 5000.  Might go over this week.

I'm betting early in the week. The blue No. 8 is looking good, as always!

[IMR4198]

    The ToolBox challenge is finito, but I still haven't touched a multi.  Today was an Opinel.  Yestiddy was the cute Buck trapper.  My poor friend Terry had to go in for detox now and then.  Then he would come out feeling better, clean, and sober.  For about 10 minutes.  This freedom from multi-toxicity has lasted me for a couple of days now.  Now if I could only find an Opinel cure?  Best wishes.  G
 
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[LoopCutter]

I do not believe there is a cure, if you use a CARBON Version, those are just so mesmerizing.

[IMR4198]

Whew!  For a minute there, I thought you were going to say the cure was to buy some more of them.  It is fairly damp here, so the woodies opened fairly hard.  I packed the joint with beeswax lip balm a couple of times, and they open easily now.  Best wishes.  Gary