Heads up for Opinel fans

Sylvrfalcn

Sylvrfalcn

Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
3,930
Opinel has a new knife out, they call it a "Couteau de Jardin" (garden knife), and the literature that came in the box with mine states that it's for; "weeding and cutting salad vegetables and dandelions". Okay, I can see that. Looks to me like it would also do fine for gutting fish or cutting up stuff for the stewpot. :D
The handle has a nice shape, comfortable, and it's got a lanyard hole (good deal, won't lose this one). The blade and fittings are stainless (one web site claims the blade to be 12C27 Sandvik, but I've not confirmed that yet). The blade is 3 1/4" long, and the handle is 4 1/4".
Good little knife, like all "Opies" it's light, handy, and sharp. I'm going to have fun field testing this one. Can't complain about the price either, got mine for under six bucks. :D

gyby_1916_17331479


Sarge
 
i've been carrying a couteau de jardin for quite some time now. they are great knives, as are all opis. :thumbup: i picked several up in europe for a reasonable price and thought i got a good deal. then i got back to the states and found them at smoky mtn knife works for us$5.95, which is less than other opis of comparable size (the couteau de jardin is a no.8, btw). what's more, i don't have to spend time modding and hot rodding becuz opinel already did it for me. :D
 
Sweet. You introduced me to that brand Sarge, and I likeit! I guess I don't even need to ask where you got it. (Ragnar?)
 
Where do you guys buy Opinel? I never see them anywhere. I saw one once in a Williams Sonoma but I've never come across them anywhere I usually buy knives. Same with Moras.
 
It's a good knife, I gave mine to my ex-girlfriend as a gift and she loves it.

I haven't found anywhere around here selling Opinels either. I've traded for all mine.
 
danged french people...why don't they just name it "garden knife"?

;)
 
Friend of mine just did 2 month safari across Sahara, giving Opinals to both the guides & nomads they met.

They valued them far in excess of thier cost & her holiday was much cheaper etc.

Opinals work.

Spiral
 
You bin hangin' out wid dem coons back at the dumpsta an' gittin' a hankerin' fer shiny tings? gittin' one o 'dem "sammich twelf cee twunny sevun staynless blaids?!

Truth be known, I've heard the same thing about those being made of the 12C27 stainless, and that suits me fine. I have a true, true, affinity for that stuff, more so than I do for alot of the new "super" steels infact.

Love my Opinels. They've always been scary razor sharp and taken more of a beating than anyone could ever ask of 'em. I've pried with 'em, hammered on them (with a framing hammer! really!) and they just keep on cuttin' and workin' while my Benchmades, Spyderco's, and Microtechs sit quivering in the bottom of my knife drawer.

Nice find! I may pick one up to take up on the slope some day. (right now, incidentally my Douk Douk is becoming very popular with my colleagues) Could have something to do with them seeing me shaving my beard with it.:D
 
More spear-pointed than the standard opinel, and with the nice down-turned handle. Thanks for the tip, sarge!
 
Ragnar has them, too. They're about $2.00 more. I'm going to buy a couple from him, in spite of that. He's a good guy.
 
Aardvark said:
Ragnar has them, too. They're about $2.00 more. I'm going to buy a couple from him, in spite of that. He's a good guy.
Click to expand...

Dang tootin', can't go wrong dealing with Ragnar. While you're there, check out some of the new scandi knives he's added to his inventory. Where does that rascal find all them purty things?

Sarge

p.s.: shame on me :o bought mine from Blade Matrix, I was on their site ordering another one of those unbelievably priced ($19.99) Grohmann knife kits, and snagged the garden knife out of curiosity
 
Sarge the blade shape looks robust . The curvature of the handle while proabably for ergonomics gives it a nice look .
 
I read a book on the French Foreign Legion, and the Legion issues Opinel knives to the Legionaires. You can't argue with that!
The only problem I have ever had with mine was moisture. If it gets really wet the wood swells and you need pliers to get the blade open. Outside of that, it is a fantastic knife.
 
Sarge, Say it ain't so! You're not using a knife with...gulp...chromium in the steel?!;)

Just kidding. :) Looks like a neat knife!

Steve
 
As they arrive Opinels are a real bearcat when they get wet. The best solution I've found for mine was removing the locking collar, pushing out the blade pin and lightly sanding/ filing some material from the pivot area. (inside the handles) I would have thought this would result in alot of blade play, but surprisingly it's resulted in none. I think the collar tightens it up just enough when it's locked.

I can leave my Opinels in a jar of water over night and open it with ease the next morning, and the blade is still as secure as can be. Not bad for five minutes worth of work, and less than $10:D
 
Yesterday I bought this Opinel, and a Hen and Rooster hardwood handled Sodbuster from SMKW. Can't wait.
 
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