"It seems that perfection is attained not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to remove." -- Antoine de Saint Exupery
Ok, I broke my New Year's resolution to avoid buying another knife. It started it's life as an Opinel #9, but in the spirit of Exupery, I took away some stuff. It's now a drop point and the handle has been reduced.
Opinel #9 Drop Point by Pinnah, on Flickr
Some more details on this...
I've had an Ulster BSA/Camper knife since I was 8. Somewhere along the line, I fell out of the practice of carrying a knife on a daily basis but several years ago, I got a used Opinel #8 and have been carrying an EDC knive ever since. The Opinel #8 is crazy light and sharpens up crazy sharp, but the blade profile is too skinny for me. My fondness for the old Camper spear point makes me prefer the wider front part of the blade. I wanted more blade.
I've had a Buck 110 since high school. Great knife. Glad I own it. Don't carry it outside of hunting season though. One, it's a monster and two, the thin front part of the clip blade isn't something that I've ever warmed up to for EDC use.
I got a (new to me) Buck 500 for Christmas. It's a great knife too. Nice thin handle. Blade is about the right length. But, the tip of the drop point is still a bit too narrow and overall the blade could be a bit longer.
Dissatisfaction paces nervously in my mind. What to do. I want something light, like my Opinen #8. I want a longer blade more like the 110. But, I want a full belly to the front of the blade, more like my Camper's spear point. I want a lock and I want a thin, easily pocketable handle.
I got to lay hands on an Opinel #9 this past summer and was impressed with how wide the blade was. That was the seed of the idea. Seeing threads of modified Opinels allowed the idea to take root. So, I got a #9 with hopes of making something of it.
First impression was that I had made a mistake. The handle was bigger than a broom handle. But first, I needed to deal with the blade. I knocked of the hump in the middle of the spine and the upturn at the tip. This shortened the blade a bit but gave me the profile I was more or less looking for. The blade is a bit shorter than the 110, definitely longer than the 500 and a lot wider than my old #8. Here they are side by each.
Lockers by Pinnah, on Flickr
Next, I needed to go after the huge handle. First step was to flatten the side and thin it out. I used a sanding block and took the sides down flush with lock ring in the front and about as much as I dare at the heel. It's not quite as thin as my 500, but definitely thinner than my 110.
locker-handles by Pinnah, on Flickr
Final steps of the reshaping involved shorting the handle and deepening the curve towards the end to give a quasi-easy open profile. The blade can now be opened without using the nick. I also reduced the size of the "toe" that sticks up at the end of the handle. I would take that down further, but it give some purchase for my pinkie finger when holding the knife.
Opinel #9 Drop Point Handle by Pinnah, on Flickr
I sanded the handle down to 2000 grit, put on several coats of plain boiled linseed oil and then put on a coat of tung oil/varnish finish to seal it up (will get a few more coats over the next few days). The beech sands out incredibly smooth.
I should mention my preference for pocketing the Opinels. The rounded heel of the handle goes in first and the lock ring last. This allows it to slide in easy while the lock ring helps prevent it from working its way out when I'm sitting. My 500 is rounded on both ends and more apt to end up under my desk or between couch cushions.
The Buck 500 and this new #9 Drop Point are the top dogs of the EDC pile. Different feeling knives. The bolsters and polished stainless blade on the 500 is all blinding bling. It's also a much sturdier feeling knife. The #9 is no wimp though. And no knife I've yet owned as as much blade for such a small handle and light carry. It still surprises me when I open it. It's a lot of blade with almost no weight.
Ok, I broke my New Year's resolution to avoid buying another knife. It started it's life as an Opinel #9, but in the spirit of Exupery, I took away some stuff. It's now a drop point and the handle has been reduced.
Opinel #9 Drop Point by Pinnah, on Flickr
Some more details on this...
I've had an Ulster BSA/Camper knife since I was 8. Somewhere along the line, I fell out of the practice of carrying a knife on a daily basis but several years ago, I got a used Opinel #8 and have been carrying an EDC knive ever since. The Opinel #8 is crazy light and sharpens up crazy sharp, but the blade profile is too skinny for me. My fondness for the old Camper spear point makes me prefer the wider front part of the blade. I wanted more blade.
I've had a Buck 110 since high school. Great knife. Glad I own it. Don't carry it outside of hunting season though. One, it's a monster and two, the thin front part of the clip blade isn't something that I've ever warmed up to for EDC use.
I got a (new to me) Buck 500 for Christmas. It's a great knife too. Nice thin handle. Blade is about the right length. But, the tip of the drop point is still a bit too narrow and overall the blade could be a bit longer.
Dissatisfaction paces nervously in my mind. What to do. I want something light, like my Opinen #8. I want a longer blade more like the 110. But, I want a full belly to the front of the blade, more like my Camper's spear point. I want a lock and I want a thin, easily pocketable handle.
I got to lay hands on an Opinel #9 this past summer and was impressed with how wide the blade was. That was the seed of the idea. Seeing threads of modified Opinels allowed the idea to take root. So, I got a #9 with hopes of making something of it.
First impression was that I had made a mistake. The handle was bigger than a broom handle. But first, I needed to deal with the blade. I knocked of the hump in the middle of the spine and the upturn at the tip. This shortened the blade a bit but gave me the profile I was more or less looking for. The blade is a bit shorter than the 110, definitely longer than the 500 and a lot wider than my old #8. Here they are side by each.
Lockers by Pinnah, on Flickr
Next, I needed to go after the huge handle. First step was to flatten the side and thin it out. I used a sanding block and took the sides down flush with lock ring in the front and about as much as I dare at the heel. It's not quite as thin as my 500, but definitely thinner than my 110.
locker-handles by Pinnah, on Flickr
Final steps of the reshaping involved shorting the handle and deepening the curve towards the end to give a quasi-easy open profile. The blade can now be opened without using the nick. I also reduced the size of the "toe" that sticks up at the end of the handle. I would take that down further, but it give some purchase for my pinkie finger when holding the knife.
Opinel #9 Drop Point Handle by Pinnah, on Flickr
I sanded the handle down to 2000 grit, put on several coats of plain boiled linseed oil and then put on a coat of tung oil/varnish finish to seal it up (will get a few more coats over the next few days). The beech sands out incredibly smooth.
I should mention my preference for pocketing the Opinels. The rounded heel of the handle goes in first and the lock ring last. This allows it to slide in easy while the lock ring helps prevent it from working its way out when I'm sitting. My 500 is rounded on both ends and more apt to end up under my desk or between couch cushions.
The Buck 500 and this new #9 Drop Point are the top dogs of the EDC pile. Different feeling knives. The bolsters and polished stainless blade on the 500 is all blinding bling. It's also a much sturdier feeling knife. The #9 is no wimp though. And no knife I've yet owned as as much blade for such a small handle and light carry. It still surprises me when I open it. It's a lot of blade with almost no weight.