Couple Opinel Questions

Joe58

Joe58

Joined
Nov 11, 2002
Messages
1,969
Was browsing a couple knife vendor sites today and was looking at the Opinels. I've never owned one. Now and then when I see forum member posts about these, they tend to be favorable. And I'm assuming they'd classify as a traditional design. I believe they have been around for quite a long time.

I was thinking of getting one for pocket carry, with the stainless blade steel. For those of you with the stainless blade, how it it? Comparable to say, SAK stainless, in the 440 neighborhood?

And I was curious if they make a higher end version perhaps. With fancier handle materials and better steel. Just curious. I didn't see any on the vendor site. At their price point, a guy can't hardly go wrong.

Thanks guys! Joe
 
The stainless gets extremely sharp. I like it just as much as the carbon opinels, minus the patina. Even then, they finish them nicely.

They make horn handle models, custom wood design models, ebony and more.
 
Opinel stainless holds an edge quite a bit better than SAK. Rather, it is closer to Buck 420HC. The three alloys are similar, but Buck and Opinel both run their blades at a higher hardness.
 
I've been very happy with my stainless Opinel. They really take a great edge. As Knarfeng said the edge holding seems better than a SAK.
It is worth looking at Opinel's website to see handle variations. They have a great aesthetic and design focus.
 
I have about 5-6 carbon steel models, and one in their stainless. The stainless is fantastic. It gets even sharper than the carbon (which is super easy to get hair jumping, hair whittling sharp). The satinless also holds the sharp edge longer than the carbon steel.

I will be ordering more Opinel's in the stainless (The 8 is a good pocket size, but the 10 gets a lot of carry because it is still light, and a great full hand grip with the ability to whittle with more force, and it is the perfect length to cut muffing, and apples etc at work).

You can't go wrong, for the price.

One of my regrets, was missing the #8's in ebony.
 
Thanks for the info guys, helps out.

Rich stag - did you mod that handle in the pic yourself? Looks nice!
 
Yes, and it was a gift from a friend on here, avoidspam (Sam)

If BigT says its better than the carbon I would listen. I didn't use mine enough to do a fair comparison, I just know it was just as good. BigT knows how to sharpen.

Joe58 said:
Thanks for the info guys, helps out.

Rich stag - did you mod that handle in the pic yourself? Looks nice!
Click to expand...
 
Joe is looking for feedback on the higher end handles.

All I have is ebony.

When new with mirror polished stainless.





After blade swap to carbon.



Great knife, much heavier than standard wood. I prefer my featherweight cherry wood 1890.
 
richstag said:
Yes, and it was a gift from a friend on here, avoidspam (Sam)

If BigT says its better than the carbon I would listen. I didn't use mine enough to do a fair comparison, I just know it was just as good. BigT knows how to sharpen.
Click to expand...

When I use them together I just seem to keep a shaving edge on the stainless longer. Don't get me wrong, I love the carbon too. But if I was going to have to choose, it would be the Stainless.

They get sharpened the same, with maintenance on a strop, and the Inox is just great.

I don't have a hardness tester, but I would bet a dollar that the Inox is a bit harder too, but it it is no harder to sharpen, and keep sharp.




Unfortunately, I don't have any of the nicer handles, but they sure look great. That Ebony is the Bees Knees!

I missed out on those, but they sure look dressy!




This on just came out of my pocket for a visit.

An "easy open" #8 in INOX. ( I just counted, and I have 7 carbons and only 1 INOX).




I need to get a checkering tool, because your checkered walnut looks fantastic. (I think it is walnut).
 
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I agree, with those who say the Opinel stainless blades get sharper and are better at edge keeping than the carbon ones. I have several of both all modified for whittlin' and used a lot and that is my experience.

Here are a couple of my carbon ones:
001_zps751332e3.jpg~original
[/IMG]

014_zps58ae83ea.jpg~original
[/IMG]
 
About the pics in my previous post:

The top one is almost always in my pocket and I use it to whittle fan birds, flowers and angels.

The second one is a fairly radical rebuild. It is an old #8 that my daughter found in about 1985. It had been abused, because when, 25 years after she found it, I took it apart and found that the pin was bent. Anyway, I replaced the pin with a brass one, and made a new walnut handle as shown. I reground the blade to the same shape as the one in the first pic. It is a good whittler now, and actually quite comfortable to use.
 
I like both carbon and stainless in the Opinels but any new ones I buy will be stainless and particularly the Garden Knife!!! Love the Garden Knife!!

The Garden (top) and the Opinel Slim No8 in Bubinga.
Opiecomp2_zps48a98183.jpg


Both stainless.
 
Excellent replies, and pics as well!

The higher end handle end materials seem out at the time, so I'm thinking of the No. 6. One in Olive Wood, and one in Oak. Web site says that's the smallest size that will still have the newer designed ring on it. And in Inox.

And the closed length is just right where I prefer it for in the pocket.

Thanks again! Jor
 
You won't regret it. I use Opinel No 8 stainless (regular and garden knife) all the time. Edge holding is decent, and the blade geometry makes them better slicers than anything else you will every have in your pocket (at least factory production). And for the price, you can get a few and if you lose or break one you won't cry about it.
 
Bigfattyt said:
I have about 5-6 carbon steel models, and one in their stainless. The stainless is fantastic. It gets even sharper than the carbon (which is super easy to get hair jumping, hair whittling sharp). The satinless also holds the sharp edge longer than the carbon steel.

I will be ordering more Opinel's in the stainless (The 8 is a good pocket size, but the 10 gets a lot of carry because it is still light, and a great full hand grip with the ability to whittle with more force, and it is the perfect length to cut muffing, and apples etc at work).

You can't go wrong, for the price.

One of my regrets, was missing the #8's in ebony.
Click to expand...

just had a look on [a web site] and they have #8 ebony Opinel there, not sure if that is any use to you but if i can help pm me..
 
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Opinels are insanely good for the money, and a good knife period. And this is coming from a guy who isn't the biggest fan of them, I just can't knock them because there are a few personal things I dislike about them as they really do work that good.

I only own the #6 carbon and I put it through it's paces slicing up cardboard and it sliced up more cardboard and I had an easier time doing that than any knife I own. I've broken down a large recycling bin full of the stuff and quite a few of the boxes had to be shredded by hand using that little Opinel so you couldn't even see what the box was for (we had people on a regular basis looking through recycling bins for cans/bottles before the truck arrives to pick it up and don't want people to see a box for some tools). I probably touched up the knife on a honing steel 2-3 times over the course of using it very heavily for several hours and probably did it more than it needed, but usually I just did a quick strop on the cardboard every now and than which kept me going for a very long time.
 
I went ahead and ordered a couple of the #6's. One in bubinga, the other in oak. Both in stainless blades. Looking forward to them getting here actually. Always fun getting a new toy. :)
 
Thanks, and yes its walnut. I just used a single file :)

Bigfattyt said:
When I use them together I just seem to keep a shaving edge on the stainless longer. Don't get me wrong, I love the carbon too. But if I was going to have to choose, it would be the Stainless.

They get sharpened the same, with maintenance on a strop, and the Inox is just great.

I don't have a hardness tester, but I would bet a dollar that the Inox is a bit harder too, but it it is no harder to sharpen, and keep sharp.




Unfortunately, I don't have any of the nicer handles, but they sure look great. That Ebony is the Bees Knees!

I missed out on those, but they sure look dressy!




This on just came out of my pocket for a visit.

An "easy open" #8 in INOX. ( I just counted, and I have 7 carbons and only 1 INOX).




I need to get a checkering tool, because your checkered walnut looks fantastic. (I think it is walnut).
Click to expand...
 
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