Has the vibrobloc on your opinel ever or broke?

How on earth could that collar break? Unless of course you intended it to.....;)
 
The only breakage I've had with an Opinel was when one of the two fingers of wood that the blade and bolster is anchored to, cracked and rendered the whole knife fit for the trash can. It was a number 8, and the wood right where the pivot pen went through cracked apart.

In France these are viewed as semi disposable tools that get tossed and replaced. I don't think many people try to fix them. If they want a nice knife, they buy a Laguiole.
 
I've always been impressed at the strong & springy temper of the Opinel Virobloc ring. Always seems to holds it's shape and strength, in spite of how much flex is applied when taking it off and putting it back on. I'd think one would have to make a deliberate effort to break it, way beyond the stresses that might be considered 'normal' for it.

I'd be curious though, to see or hear of a broken one and how it happened.
 
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jackknife said:
The only breakage I've had with an Opinel was when one of the two fingers of wood that the blade and bolster is anchored to, cracked and rendered the whole knife fit for the trash can. It was a number 8, and the wood right where the pivot pen went through cracked apart.

In France these are viewed as semi disposable tools that get tossed and replaced. I don't think many people try to fix them. If they want a nice knife, they buy a Laguiole.
Click to expand...
Oui et non... They are cheap, but in the valley where they build them, a cent is a cent, they hate throw money through the windows!
Once upon a time a woman wanted to name her newborn child Gaston, hubby said let's name him Ton, to save the gas...:eek::rolleyes::D
 
Jolipapa said:
Oui et non... They are cheap, but in the valley where they build them, a cent is a cent, they hate throw money through the windows!
Once upon a time a woman wanted to name her newborn child Gaston, hubby said let's name him Ton, to save the gas...:eek::rolleyes::D
Click to expand...

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

That's funny!

I guess working folk are the same all over the world. Look at all those old pocket knives with the blades sharpened down to toothpicks. Hard working folks won't toss it until it's worn down to nothing. A penny is a penny. My relatives down on Maryland's eastern shore work their butts off harvesting crabs in summer and oysters in winter, would never think of buying another pocket knife as long as then in their pocket was still serviceable.
 
I've never heard of the lock ring getting worn out or breaking before, either.
Temporarily misplaced when it was removed maybe, but never broken.
 
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In the process of prying one off my grandson’s No.7, I launched it into the tall grass, where it remains unfound after two years. The steel is pretty tough, hard even to scratch with hand tools. It is pretty springy, too, although it is possible to adjust the fit by crimping it or spreading it enough to take a set.

In any event, the Virobloc has to be regarded as a newfangled innovation. Nos.3, 4 and 5 still come without a lock ring. There is no reason why the bigger ones can’t work well as pure friction folders too.
 
I have one that came cracked. I have never gotten around to getting a new one. I had an email that said to order another knife. And a note that they should include a new ring. Can't remember the name I was supposed to use.
 
I broke one - I took it off while trying to fix mine up and was trying to slip it back onto the knife when it cracked. I set the lock ring in place and just pushed it with the palm of my hand. That said, I've taken off several and re-installed them with no problems, I'm guessing it was a temper issue.

I took @mykel m up on his offer for a free one for a No7 from the thread above - posted about it here:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/big-belated-thanks-to-mykel-m.1342060/

I just took that one out of my backpack and carried it the other day, actually :)
 
Yes, someone told me the virobloc is a relatively new addition and before that, opinels were just non-locking knives. And some HAVE lost their locking rings. I reckon I'll just wrap some copper wire around the collar and it will make a nice fixed blade on my desk.

I don't know why they bother to sell opinels on the bay. Selling price is less than half the shipping cost.
 
pop mine off all the time for fun, have not broken it yet. it used to be my package opening knife actually
 
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