Hats off................to Opinel

[Henry Beige]

Let's remember that the Opinel's French cousin the Douk-Douk is another masterpiece of simplicity and utility Plus, that's a spring knife.

You can make an automotive analogy here - probably lost on American members - Citroen is a legendary French car marque and very influential in auto design: Its Traction Avant 1934-57 and DS/ID 1955-75 models were technological innovators, masterpieces of beauty and complexity contrast this to its 2CV Tin Snail 1947-90 a cheap, clever, rugged little car that was fwd and answered the needs of ordinary people for practical, rugged transport across Continental Europe. The Traction & DS are the artisan Laguioles & other patterns from France, the 2CV the Opinels & Doug-Douks two very different sides of the national coin and both worthy of admiration - Gallic genius

The Opinel is a better knife than the 2CV is a car. The 2CV is a better car than the Douk-douk is a knife. That’s what it says here, anyway.

The Citroen DS/ID models are brilliant, and a lot of fun to drive. Any guy or gal with a breast obsession is going to catch a mild buzz every time he steps on the brake.

 

[Blades of Glory]

Have always loved the Opinel lineup. I don’t know if he is still doing these but Matt Henry does an excellent Opinel mod…

View attachment 2166007View attachment 2166008

 

[Jack Black]

Not all of us ... I've always been astonished by the advanced features and design of the ID and DS series, and the little Deux Chevaux is a brilliant implementation of a simple yet versatile concept.

I remember hearing that the 2CV was designed in the early 1980's, to take 2 English social workers, and several macramé bags full of corduroy jackets, Cornish pasty shoes, Benetton pullovers, and Laura Ashley dresses across a car-boot field (humour may be lost in translation)

 

[thepapercut]

Modded

 

[Ace Rimmer]

The Opinel is a better knife than the 2CV is a car. The 2CV is a better car than the Douk-douk is a knife. That’s what it says here, anyway.

The Citroen DS/ID models are brilliant, and a lot of fun to drive. Any guy or gal with a breast obsession is going to catch a mild buzz every time he steps on the brake.

I recall seeing the brake "pedal" being described as resembling half of a rotten grapefruit.

 

[Jolipapa]

I remember hearing that the 2CV was designed in the early 1980's, to take 2 English social workers, and several macramé bags full of corduroy jackets, Cornish pasty shoes, Benetton pullovers, and Laura Ashley dresses across a car-boot field (humour may be lost in translation)

4 wheels under an umbrella! In the original specs it had to carry a farmer and milk tins across a field without spilling a drop.
First proto looked like that :

A Ace Rimmer : only cowards need brakes!
Nevertheless, it is true that the DS saved Big Charles's life during the Petit-Clamart's attack by the OAS. They shot the car and one back wheel got flat, but the driver could escape the turns by accelerating, running on 3 wheels. Any other car would have crashed.

 

[jdswitters]

 

[John A. Larsen]

Ace Rimmer, Like that drawing of the blue 2CV! In 1965 in Saigon, I was standing on the Main Street between Tan Son Nhut and down town Saigon, and a Vietnamese in an identical blue 2CV stopped and gave me a ride. Seats were just a metal frame with some kind of elastic, stretchy type fabric strung between the metal frames, actually was quite comfortable. John

 

[Will Power]

Ace Rimmer, Like that drawing of the blue 2CV! In 1965 in Saigon, I was standing on the Main Street between Ton Son Nhut and down town Saigon, and a Vietnamese in an identical blue 2CV stopped and gave me a ride. Seats were just a metal frame with some kind of elastic, stretchy type fabric strung between the metal frames, actually was quite comfortable. John

Pretty well 'hammock' type seats in early models, very austere like the Douk-Douk but yes comfortable, lot better than a VW Käfer. Legend of style & function like the Opinel.

 

[meako]

I remember hearing that the 2CV was designed in the early 1980's, to take 2 English social workers, and several macramé bags full of corduroy jackets, Cornish pasty shoes, Benetton pullovers, and Laura Ashley dresses across a car-boot field (humour may be lost in translation)

They had to go back for the elbow patches
Vive La Opinel.

 

[SlipjointPolitiburo]

A run of oldies

 

[Jolipapa]

Déjà vu...

 

[Chui]

..........thank you jdswitters a great pic illustrating the evolution and broadening of Opinel's production over the years

 

[dantzk8]

4 wheels under an umbrella! In the original specs it had to carry a farmer and milk tins across a field without spilling a drop.
First proto looked like that :

The 2CV was also, and still is, a sport car...

Dan.

 

[The Zieg]

N°10 Carbone avec mon café pour petit déjeuner. Le bourriteau () est encore au four.

Zieg

 

[MUFC4Benfica1]

Last autumn I took a bit of an activity holiday to learn about Damascus/pattern welded steel: forges, pneumatic hammers, anvils, files, grinders, burnt hands. My efforts and a bit/lot of help yielded a couple of Opinel blades. I went for a simple pattern to make sure I came away with something after four days!

Great fun, but this has to be the most costly No. 8 ever!

 

[jackknife]

The 2CV was also, and still is, a sport car...

Dan.

Its a crying shame I can only like a post once!

Racing the 2CV is brilliant and looks like great fun.

 

[jackknife]

Even though I've backed away from the knife thing, the Opinel is one of the pocket knives I've been unable to leave behind. My number 5 and the Sardinian resolza are my two most carried dedicated cutters that augment my multitools.

 

[Jolipapa]

The 2CV was also, and still is, a sport car...

Dan.

It reminds me of a colleague who had swapped his Dyane's engine for a GS one. He was outpassing everything on the highway until the cops confiscated the car.

The next car sticking to the road like a 2cv was the winged Chaparral (2E/2F) . A slightly higher pace though!

 

[The Zieg]

Last autumn I took a bit of an activity holiday to learn about Damascus/pattern welded steel: forges, pneumatic hammers, anvils, files, grinders, burnt hands. My efforts and a bit/lot of help yielded a couple of Opinel blades. I went for a simple pattern to make sure I came away with something after four days!

Great fun, but this has to be the most costly No. 8 ever!

Well done !

Zieg