First Opinel

Grateful

Grateful

Joined
Oct 5, 2002
Messages
4,523
I received my first Opinel yesterday. A number 7 and I am so far impressed with it. It opens and closes smoothly and the lock ring also works smoothly. I guess I was expecting it to be a little rough at first. It even came fairly sharp.
I am concerned about the wood swelling and causing the blade to be hard to open and close. Seems like I read some where to use Vaseline in the pivot area to avoid this. Can anyone confirm this for me? Have any other tips for a new Opinel owner? Can anyone tell me how to properly pronounce Opinel? Thanks.
Jim
 
Grateful said:
I am concerned about the wood swelling and causing the blade to be hard to open and close.
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Congrats on your Opinel purchase. I love mine. Given your Kansas location, I wouldn't worry too much. I think it's more of an issue for guys who live in really humid environments. I live in a land-locked country (though I do live quite close to the river), and I've had ZERO problems with my untreated no. 8 swelling. Not saying you shouldn't treat yours -- just that it's not super urgent.

-- Mark
 
Congrats on your first, they are awesome knives! Mine is the sharpest knife I own. Excellent slicer. One thing I did learn very quickly about that knife is that the shape of the handle makes it hard to blindly know where my fingers are on the handle, compared to other knives. I didn't think much on this, until I decided to close my knife the way I normally do when I only have one free hand. I ran the back of the blade across the outside of my thigh to close it... unaware that my finger was between the knife and the handle. It didn't even slow down. That sharp little booger lopped the tip of my finger off with out even slowing down. I almost did this again but it caught my finger nail... luckily. I've never done that with any of my other folders. I might just be complacent and clumsy but its worth noting, if it'll save ya the tip of your finger :D

I have noticed that it tends to swell a little depending on the temperature and moisture in the air. It hasn't ever been too bad, just a noticeable difference. I haven't heard of the Vaseline trick but that seems that it would attract all sorts of debris and gum everything up. I could be wrong though... first time I've heard of doing that.
 
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Don't grease the pivot! When it sticks, use the traditional method they use in Savoie, France (where Opinels are made): hold it by the virobloc (bolster ring), knock the corner of the handle against a hard surface, voila. :D



[youtube]73U1PhWMzEM[/youtube]
 
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I love using my #6, especially in the kitchen. I just ordered a #8 to see if I like the larger size.
 
I had a 6 in the past and an 8 now. I much prefer the 8. I wouldn't have thought that it would make such a difference, but it really does.
 
I love the light weight of Opinels, but the No. 8 is a little bulky for what I like to carry in my pocket. No. 6 is great, but can't cut all the way through the center of an apple.
 
Grateful said:
I received my first Opinel yesterday. A number 7 and I am so far impressed with it. It opens and closes smoothly and the lock ring also works smoothly. I guess I was expecting it to be a little rough at first. It even came fairly sharp.
I am concerned about the wood swelling and causing the blade to be hard to open and close. Seems like I read some where to use Vaseline in the pivot area to avoid this. Can anyone confirm this for me? Have any other tips for a new Opinel owner? Can anyone tell me how to properly pronounce Opinel? Thanks.
Jim
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Good going on the Opinel, they are great knives. I used to grease them a bit with some Vasoline in the pivot and then hit it with the better halfs blow drier. It makes them more water resistant. But I think Magnaminous is right, the water won't really hurt them. They do get stiff, depending on how wet they get, and the Savoy smack as I call it does work. But being an avid canoe and kayaker I wanted to know that my Opy will stand up well to extreme wet. I found that after a Vasoline treatment I could leave my Opinel submerged in a glass of water for 20 to 30 minutes and it would still open pretty easy. Now I haven't tried that with a raw stock Opinel, so YMMV. It would be a good comparison test for me or someone could do.

Hey Mag, can you leave it in a glass of water for say, 20 minutes and see how it does? Now I'm curious, but I don't feel like buying a new Opy to test. At the very least, it will just be like a stiff friction folder, and to be honest, I've snugged up my Opinel to be a bit stiffer, so I don't bother using the lock ring on some easy cutting jobs. I just treat the knife like a Sardinian Pattada. :thumbup:

But the one thing I do is, file the locking ring a bit more on the curve, so it rotates farther around for a more secure lockup for "heavy use." There, I've been wanting to use that phrase for a while now! LOL.

Carl.
 
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Here's my modified #8, a wonderful knife, scary sharp. Congrats on your first Opie.

Best regards

Robin
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I will add that the 8 is a tad bulky for front pocket carry (for me at least). It rides nicely in my back pocket next to my wallet. I really like that extra blade length when it comes to food prep (which it excels at!).
 
You've made a purchase, that I really doubt you'll regret. The Opinels while simplistic and straightforward are very hard to put down once you warm up to them, which took me a great deal of time. Now I cary mine (typically an 06 in carbon) nearly every day. The 07 is a good size for general EDC use. I just picked up an 07 in Inox with a blue handle. Their Inox (12C27 Sandvik) is nothing to sneeze at , and the more a use it the more I'm beginning to like it.
 
I have used a little bit of Vaseline in the pivots of mine (No. 08s; one each in stainless and 'carbone'). The swelling hasn't been a huge issue, though it will vary a little bit with humidity changes. I see mine go from 'snug' at 30%+ relative humidity, to 'loose' at 10% or less. The one thing I didn't like so much about using the Vaseline, it tends to collect a lot of pocket lint, and THAT contributes to a sticky pivot at times, when the lint fibers get mixed into it. I've had to dig some lint out from in between the back of the blade's pivot and the inside of the handle, when the pivot occasionally binds up upon opening/closing.

BTW, I know Kansas can get serious muggy at times. Both of my parents grew up in Kansas. Used to visit my Grandmother when she lived up there (Dodge City/Newton), and it was impossible to 'dry off' after a shower. As land-locked as it is, it can definitely feel like a swamp in the summer. :)

From Opinel's own FAQ page ( http://www.opinel-usa.com/opinel_faq.asp ):
"How do you pronounce Opinel?
So many people called and ask this question that we felt the need to add it to our FAQs. Opinel is pronounced: [oh-peen-el]."
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(and I now see that bvik posted this earlier...)

David
 
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Thanks for all the replies and great info. I spent a couple of minutes with a sharpening stone and my Opinel was like a razor. I dropped it in my pocket and headed to work. It carries really well and the apple I cut up for lunch all but fell apart. I feel alot better about the whole moisture/swelling thing and am going to skip any kind of lube/water proofing and just do as they do in France. Thanks for the video Magnaminous_G.
Jim
 
I've got a No 6 on order, should be here tomorrow! Feels like Christmas eve all over again :D
 
I just ordered my first one last night a carbon #7. I want to try sanding the handle down to round the corners off and do a little reshaping then put a darker stain on it and a forced patina on the blade. I paid $11.95 shipped so if I mess up I'll just buy another lol. I would like to try a #6 and #8 to leave in my truck glove box also.

I was stationed at Ft. Riley, Kansas and my god can it get hot and humid there! Most miserable few years of my life to be honest and the reason I didn't re-enlist lol. We went to the field there in the middle of the summer and I found out I'm allergic to Chiggers, which I had never even heard of before I went to KS, and I had over 20 ticks on me! Getting the tick out of my nipple and nut bag was the most fun and I had to have a doctor remove one out of the inside of my ear canal. Good times! :)
 
Grateful,

Wellcome to the O-pee-nel fan club. If it happens you are concerned by the wood swelling this is the way i've treated the numerous opinels i've owned: put it for some hours in a mixture of linseed oil and turpentine (about 50/50). Wipe it, let dry. You will never have to lube the pivot after that.

dantzk.
 
Opis rock!

I only buy the carbon steel ones and they get very sharp.

I treated one knife with gunstock oil and that works fine.

You cant have only one Opi - buy some more of the dirt cheap knives and then mod them all!

These are model 12s.

Opi4.jpg


Opi6.jpg


Opi3.jpg


Opi5.jpg
 
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