Coming back to Opinel!

L

lonestar1979

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Mar 2, 2014
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After changing many different edc knives,I came back to my Opinel inox no9,and opinel paring knife despite of wood swelling problem with folding Opinels.Can not think of any better folding knife for food prep and basic cutting tasks than these knives,plus the quality,geometry and price are all decent.Geometry on these is just perfect,and would recomment these to anyone!Any similar experiences are welcome!
 
My main food knives are Opinel Slim models #10, I have plans...(read dreams) of taking the two blades and combining them into one handle, and I am looking for some deer antler tine to try and fit them into, using the parts from one of the Opinels, that would alleviate any problems of the wood swelling and also make it pretty unique !

Opi_Slims.jpg~original


G2
 
I typically don't use pocket knives for food prep. I am big fan of the Opinel pocket knives. I had an Opinel paring knife that I used in the kitchen but the cutlery rivets became loose after a while. I'll put new handles on it eventually.
 
Just melt some wax into the blade slot and you won't have to worry about the wood swelling. Hard floor wax works great. Opinels are superb cutters. Love my #8 Carbon.
 
Gary your pics of the Slim Opinels always intrigues me. Why did you go with a #10 over the #8s?
 
Opinel or bust! I've been carrying mine daily with my slipjoint for the past..year and a half? It's been through motorcycle rides in the rain, campfires, food prep and everything in between~
 
Good question, as I had a nice family of #8 slims, came down to reach, where the #10's blade would slice through Subway sandwiches without getting the pivot all full of sandwich fixings, and the handle isn't too large, it's not the same when you compare a standard Opinel to the Slim's, the #10 is about ideal !
G2
 
Yeah, I've been bouncing on and off the bandwagon since 1982! I have a long relationship with them, and sometimes in years past I'd get a bit put off by the finicky nature of them. But I got over it and just came to think of them as a the knife equivalent of a 1960's VW bug. Yeah, the took some tinkering compared to more modern cars, but it was worth it. The Opinel cuts like the dicken's to the point that it's one of the bet slicers and dicers I've got. And tinkering with them can become a hobby unto itself!:eek:

Some sandpaper, some wax or grease, maybe a wood rasp, and some time, and you have your own knife, unlike any other Opinel out there. It becomes your personal knife because of the tinkering. Sort of a bonding process, like sharpening a brand new knife and breaking some of the sharp edge with a bit of ScotchBrite.

You could make a whole new collection out of just Opinel's that you've modded!:thumbup:
 
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The plastic handles are immune to warping though they don't have as classic an appearance.... they have a whistle though so you can whistle while you work. ;) I haven't picked one up yet but the junior version of the outdoor knife may be useful for situations in which the knife will get wet. It is a plain edge spey blade. For food prep, I'd still choose a fixed kitchen knife. The Opinel "Intempora" looks like a nice upgrade to the basic paring knife that I used. It's a bit more expensive though.
 
Just got a brand new #8 I'm thinking of using un-modded (if I can control myself)☺
I drilled a lanyard hole and tossed it into a narrow jar of mineral oil in my basement where it will reside for a few weeks.
 
I got this Opinel #6 in stainless recently. I also have a carbon #8, but I like the size of the #6 better. It's better for pocket carry. And I've been carrying it every day lately! Love it!




Alex
 
I have bought several and given them away to friends and family. I have a 6,7,9 in carbon and a garden 8. All are great in any role I use them for. The 6 and 7 are pocket carry with a slight preference to the 6 for me.
 
6, 8, 9 (needs rebuilding--over modded the handle and wrecked it), 10 (my go-to edc) and 12 (big monster) are all in the collection. Prefer carbon to stainless. Wood over plastic. Natural patina over forced. Love them all, though.

Zieg
 
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My oldest Opinels are from the late '70s, I think, a 7 and a 10 in carbon, with carbon steel bolsters and lock rings as well. I never carried them much, in part because of the bulk. It never occurred to modify them until recently.

With the handles trimmed down, I find that my more recent No.8 and a current No.6 ride quite comfortably in the pocket, and I carry them frequently. Now I almost always have an Opinel in my pocket along with whatever else suits my fancy. A No.8 garden knife and a No.10 Slim also get carried, but not as often.

My No.8 is currently undergoing conversion to a drop point. I have similar plans for the 10 Slim. Thank you Mr. Graley. It should be pointed out that I don't have an original bone in my body, and have taken inspiration from these pages for all of my modifications.
 
I cooked breakfast once with my #8 when I first got it. It was cutting potatoes so well that it went all the way through the potato and nicked a BB sized chunk of the tip of my thumb off! I barely noticed it though, just a mild sting and that was it... at least until I SAW the cut, then it hurt a lot!!! :eek:

So, cutting potatoes with a pocket knife isn't the best idea. The short blade and fat target somehow lends itself to bad form. But besides that it's hands down the best cutting pocket knife I've ever used, better than most fixed blades and even kitchen knifes too. Honestly if it were longer I'd say it could easily hold it's own against my chef-brother's Wusthof! No joke! My $13 Rapala fillet knife is still the crowned cutter of my collection though.
 
I recently purchased my first Opinel (a No. 7, carbon) and can't believe I'd made it so long without one. What a great slicer! It's basically lived in the kitchen even since, although I enjoy carrying it from time to time.
 
boy&hisdogs said:
I cooked breakfast once with my #8 when I first got it. It was cutting potatoes so well that it went all the way through the potato and nicked a BB sized chunk of the tip of my thumb off! I barely noticed it though, just a mild sting and that was it... at least until I SAW the cut, then it hurt a lot!!! :eek:

So, cutting potatoes with a pocket knife isn't the best idea. The short blade and fat target somehow lends itself to bad form. But besides that it's hands down the best cutting pocket knife I've ever used, better than most fixed blades and even kitchen knifes too. Honestly if it were longer I'd say it could easily hold it's own against my chef-brother's Wusthof! No joke! My $13 Rapala fillet knife is still the crowned cutter of my collection though.
Click to expand...

Don't feel too bad, bud, my number 8 lives in a kitchen drawer and is used almost every night.

Three or four years ago, the better half and I went on a semi vegetarian diet. I say semi because while she is a 100% except on rare occasions, I fall off the wagon now and then. Living in Texas, there's just too much good BBQ around to be a veggie! Anyways, I have this big family size wok, and I make a lot of stir fry meals Japanese style. Working on the cutting board, I haven't found another knife that zips through bell peppers, zucchini, cabbage, onion, shrimp, bok choy, and anything else that is going into the wok. Slicing raw fish fillets into thin strips for the wok is a piece if cake.
 
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