3 months with just an Opinel.

Macchina said:
Coming to Italy has forced me back to the fundamentals: and that is what an Opinel is. This knife is simply a thin blade made only for cutting and a handle to hold while you do that cutting. All excess is removed from the Opinel and what is left is actually more useable than the knives I carry at home. A month at home would have me using 20 knives for 30 minutes total. In Italy I now use one knife in that month for 300 minutes.
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Love this ;) And I share your notion of love for the stripped down, almost flimsy peasant blade that is actually marvelously capable
 
Macchina said:
For how much paperwork the government requires, and how I yet to see a person carrying a pocket knife, and many other things I don't understand... You have a beautiful country Fausto! I visited Maniago on (I believe) your recommendation elsewhere and was not disappointed. When you are driving through the country (in between round-a-bouts) you could almost feel like you're driving through the cornfields of Southern Michigan. Then when the Dolomiti come into view you realize you're in an amazing place!

I do think that carrying a pocket knife would just be strange to the people in this area. I don't push it on them and I don't do it because they wouldn't like that.
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As for government paperwork...you could think we're the biggest paper producer in the world, and the government wants to support local industry. You would be wrong though :D
As for people carrying knives, there are big regional differences here (somehow I assume it's the same in the US). Rural areas of Southern Italy (and Sardinia, of course) are different from the industrial NorthEast...and as wonderful the Dolomiti can be, I really hope you will have the chance to visit other areas of the country...and see more knives around :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
quattromori said:
As for government paperwork...you could think we're the biggest paper producer in the world, and the government wants to support local industry. You would be wrong though :D
As for people carrying knives, there are big regional differences here (somehow I assume it's the same in the US). Rural areas of Southern Italy (and Sardinia, of course) are different from the industrial NorthEast...and as wonderful the Dolomiti can be, I really hope you will have the chance to visit other areas of the country...and see more knives around :)

Fausto
:cool:
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Fausto, you have yet to lead me astray! We are actually headed to Rome on an unknown weekend when the inlaws come to visit us. We plan to see as much of Southern Italy at that time... Any advice?
 
Very interesting thread, with beautiful pictures and lots of food for thought! I was on vacation and apparently missed the thread when it started, so I'm glad it was recently resurrected. Best wishes, Macchina, as you and your wife continue your "adventure".

-GT
 
Macchina said:
Coming to Italy has forced me back to the fundamentals: and that is what an Opinel is. This knife is simply a thin blade made only for cutting and a handle to hold while you do that cutting. All excess is removed from the Opinel and what is left is actually more useable than the knives I carry at home. A month at home would have me using 20 knives for 30 minutes total. In Italy I now use one knife in that month for 300 minutes.

A modern folder is completely out-of-place here and would probably be offensive to my colleagues. In some ways do regret not bringing an additional traditional (Case or Queen Trapper), but in others I am very happy to be forced to use just my Opinel. At home I carry my knives because of many reasons. Here, I keep this knife near because I NEED to.
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Macchina, because of the truth of this is brought to your attention by you're circumstances, you've discovered a basic truth that most knife knuts would never have faced.
 
Title of this thread should exclude, 'just'.

Opinel's are about the most ergonomic, lightweight, simple, fail proof knives out there. I challenge folks to cut as WELL as an opinel with most knives out there.

A sharp apex is a sharp apex, but that thin main grind following behind sets the opinel apart. Just enough beef not to flex like a razor blade and not too much to cause material separation degradation to cutting performance.

If I was smart I would sell all of my knives but my one 1890 opinel and never look back. Im not smart though and I love all different type way too much.
 
Macchina, If you get around to it, there's a lovely little knife shop in Bolzano. They contract their knives from a manufacturer in Maniago, and make a good barehead jack.
 
Nice photos!!!! I am now considering trying one knife for a few months now myself. but then again the SAK does need a work out, and it would be a shame to waste that other opinel, and I will need a knife with a different blade shpe for wood working. And whittling needs a wharnclifee so...:D
 
richstag said:
Title of this thread should exclude, 'just'.
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You caught me ;).
When I started the thread I had not visited the Dolomiti (where I bring the SAK) and did not yet buy the Italian-made LionSteel Opera. The Opinel is still my only knife at work and since I mostly cut food with my knife in the mountains, I may just bring the Opinel next time anyway... The Opera has a stubby 1/8" thick blade: no match for the Opinel's razor-thin edge...

Opinel's are about the most ergonomic, lightweight, simple, fail proof knives out there. I challenge folks to cut as WELL as an opinel with most knives out there.

A sharp apex is a sharp apex, but that thin main grind following behind sets the opinel apart. Just enough beef not to flex like a razor blade and not too much to cause material separation degradation to cutting performance.
Click to expand...

This is exactly how I feel too... Yet I still desire other knives: an enigma.
 
I had an amazing opportunity to race in the St. Marco Regatta this weekend in between the islands of Venice! My coworker and Friend has a traditional Venitian Sail Boat, built in the early 60's and one of the last boats built by a traditional Master Boat Builder before he died.

The boat has an awesome past story: It was used for everyday travel for decades being so small it was able to be docked in a small spot on the canals that few other boats could. The boat fell out of use for while and a drunk man fell into it one night and put a hole in it. The boat filled with water and some people saw an opportunity: if a space is left empty on the canals, they can ask for it to be transferred to them. So they cut the boat loose and it drifted then sank in the canals that night. A sunken boat is obviously a concern to everyone, so when the police found the boat they raised it and impounded it. The fees to get it back were worth more than the rotten boat was but my friend knew he could restore so he purchased it and went to it. He finally found the right boat builder to guide him through the restoration and it is now very sea worthy and looks great. It was the oldest boat in the race (80 sailboats total) and is dwarfed by many there. We were in the "Participation Class" because we didn't stand a chance but the Regatta club really likes this boat to be a part of the race.

Venetian boats are very different than any other boats, and are purpose-built for this area. The tides cause many underwater obsticles to sit just beneath the surface so the boats must run high in the water. These sailboats all don't have keels (just a rudder) and many don't even have a ballast weight. The boat we sailed is weighted (by the front man) on either side to form a type of keel with the edge of the boat to prevent drifting. Even still: with the flat bottom you expieience a ton of drift while you make headway: It was so much fun!

(I don't know anything about sailing, so forgive my many mistakes).





This last picture shows (at an extreme angle) just how much you want to lean the boat away from the wind to create that keel. The picture plays up this effect and is very funny to me because it appears we are sinking and I could care less:


A little Closer:
 
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