Can anyone identify this set I received?

R

Richard Grant

Joined
Feb 24, 2018
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6
My inlaws were about to throw these in the bin and my girlfriend told them I would love them as a Christmas present instead. How can I find out how old they are? Anyone able to help approximate the age? Im thinking around 1985+ onwards but unsure of the exact specifics.

 
Why are you trying to determine their age? Most people would just post a picture with an age question, you really went all out.
 
Ernie1980 said:
Why are you trying to determine their age?
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We used to use Opinel knives when I worked on the fishing boats about 20 or so years ago. Always had one in my pocket in case I got caught up in a rope and hauled over the side. I had never seen these big ones before so went online and found the Opinel site and all the marketing guff about the history of the place got me intrigued.

I use a Leatherman Surge day to day and my girlfriends parents were wondering why I had not taken any of their gift to me out camping. I explained that I would be worried in case I lost one and the set would be incomplete. They got it when my mother-inlaws father died. Its always occurred to me that if I died all my stuff that I personally value would be hawked off for next to nothing and that is a sad thoght. So i want to keep these good and not use them. If however they are really modern and can be easily replaced with like for like than I can use them freely without the same concern about ruining the set. Im in two minds as to whether I should use them or not, Im not the "display" kinda guy, I like to use stuff.
 
Richard Grant said:
My inlaws were about to throw these in the bin and my girlfriend told them I would love them as a Christmas present instead. How can I find out how old they are? Anyone able to help approximate the age? Im thinking around 1985+ onwards but unsure of the exact specifics.
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These sets have been around basically unchanged for many years. You are likely going to find out the closest age through your in laws. Did they tell you when they got them?
 
They got them a couple of years ago when her father died. He was a hoarder and a hunter. He had sheds full of guns, land rovers, freezers full of deer and all that kind of thing. They sold off everything as their whole family lived in the city. This was just a few of the small things they had not got round to and were going to throw in the bin. They know absolutely nothing about it. From what I've read online the locking mechanism, was changed around 2000 so it could be locked in the closed position, so these must be earlier. There are differences in the stamp and logo configuration, but most of the stuff I could see was in French and even with Google translate it was not obvious enough to me.
 
oh and as for the video. Someone posted in a bushcraft facebook group about their favourite knife and that made me post a photo. There was such interest in the fact I got them and they were about to be dumped spurred me on to make a video. Since youtube saw fit to plunder all of us with small channels, its now requiring a bit of effort to get 1000 subscribers. Its a Royal pain, but what else can you do. I love making videos anyway, its something to do! :D
 
There are a lot of Opinel fans around these parts, so you will get some better informed folks soon. Search Opinel Opinions in the search bar until then, a lot of stuff in that thread.
 
I would use them at will.
If one got lost or damaged, replace it if you want to have the complete set.

Unless you are going to sell it.


So your inlaws were going to just throw them away, but later try to make you feel guilty for not using them?o_O
 
I've had a couple of sets of these I gave one away as a prize in a GAW the other one my son commandeered they have been around for awhile and still around. They can readily be found on the SA river site or the big auction site available in both carbon and stainless. Nice little collection I always liked them

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Very nice R Redden.

Your set is a good bit different. The colour is more like an orange on my ones and the logo etc is not the same.

No way am I selling it. I would never sell a present, besides Id like to use them because it looks like they have never been out the presentation case, apart from one of them, the second one I showed in the video. You can see me scratch at some marks with my fingernail.
 
Somewhere, probably here, I saw a chart that would help you date your knife set. Haven’t run across it for a couple of years, though.

Here is the Little I know. The Virobloc locking ring appeared in 1955, so your set is newer than that. The first lockrings and bolsters were carbon steel. Those persisted at least until some time in the ‘70s, when I bought a 7 and a 10 so equipped. I think I had an 8, too, but that one has gone walkabout. I have no idea whether the change to stainless bolsters and lock rings was wholesale or piecemeal.
 
Richard Grant said:
My inlaws were about to throw these in the bin and my girlfriend told them I would love them as a Christmas present instead. How can I find out how old they are? Anyone able to help approximate the age? Im thinking around 1985+ onwards but unsure of the exact specifics.
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Some web site somewhere has a dating chart for Opinel stamps. I remember seeing it a few years ago, but cannot seem to find it. Might have been on the Opinel Museum web site, but I don't see it there now.

There is a forum in France dedicated to Opinel knives. You might try there. You might be able to use Google translate to formulate your question.
le Forum Opinel
http://fpanda.free.fr/punbb/index.php
 
Richard Grant said:
Thanks leghog, exactly what I needed.
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And to solve your problem whether to use them or not, I'd say just buy yourself a new set online and use them to your heart's content :) I'd save the set from your in-laws. Unused knives do not lose value over time and those may someday be a sought after collectible set in "like new" condition.

- Kevin
 
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