Help putting an edge on an Opinel Oyster knife.

[machineage]

Hello. I really like the looks on the Opinel oyster knife but have no need for an oyster knife. I was wondering how hard it would be to put a nice edge on it? They are Inox stainless steel. I'm no sharpening wizard, that's for sure. I have a work sharp field rig and various wet/dry sand paper that I do most of my work. I just think it would be a really cool knife with the right edge. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[G. Scott H.]

From pics it doesn't look like the knife has any bevels ground into it, it's just stamped out and left the same thickness from spine to "edge." If that's the case, the only way to make it a decent cutter would be to put a really wide secondary bevel on it, covering half the blade's width (like a Scandinavian grind, essentially), or to put a full flat grind on it. You could just sharpen a regular secondary bevel onto it, of course, but it would be really, really thick behind the edge and wouldn't cut particularly well.

 

[machineage]

From pics it doesn't look like the knife has any bevels ground into it, it's just stamped out and left the same thickness from spine to "edge." If that's the case, the only way to make it a decent cutter would be to put a really wide secondary bevel on it, covering half the blade's width (like a Scandinavian grind, essentially), or to put a full flat grind on it. You could just sharpen a regular secondary bevel onto it, of course, but it would be really, really thick behind the edge and wouldn't cut particularly well.

Oh yea, That make sense. ( about being to obtuse). If it would require a full regrind,that is beyond my skill level. A scandi or convex would make for a nice blade on that knife. Thank you.

 

[Sosa]

An oyster knife needs to be very corrosion resistant and isn't meant to be sharpened. All inox means is stainless. Therefore I doubt the steel employed is even capable of holding any kind of edge at all.

 

[Bigfattyt]

If it is the same steel they use with their stainless knives, heat treated the same, it would hold a dandy edge. But that might be a question only Opinel can answer. I can say, in my use their Inox (stainless) steel holds an edge better than their carbon steel.

 

[palmerdl]

Why would you pay more for an oyster knife when you can just buy a No. 9 and shape it any way you want?

 

[G. Scott H.]

I assume they use the same stainless as their others (12C27M, afaik), but I have no idea on the heat treat. It would indeed be easier to mod a regular #9, though the bubinga handle of the oyster knife is not an option on the regular #9s. I don't know if that's a consideration for machineage or not.

 

[machineage]

Why would you pay more for an oyster knife when you can just buy a No. 9 and shape it any way you want?

I thought it would be easier to sharpen the small blade on the oyster than to re-profile a #9.Also, it would be a fun project and a nice option for the O knife. If I had the right stones to re-profile, the # 9 would be the way to go. Anyway, thanks all for the responses.

 

[cbwx34]

Pictures look like it has a bevel to me.... at least one review I found said the owner sharpened it and carried it as a regular knife. For the price I don’t really see a downside... make a nice little project if nothing else.

 

[PirateSeulb]

I think I share G. Scott H. view that I am not concerned terribly about the type of steel but about the HT which would mean a world of difference. If you want to go the extra mile you could see about disassembling to have the blade heat treated before putting the final edge on it to get a reliable blade.

 

[cbwx34]

Oops.... gotta correct myself.... I watched a short video, and when the guy rotated it... there isn’t a bevel cut into it (if this is the right knife)...

... still looks like it could be sharpened though... good project knife.

 

[machineage]

Oops.... gotta correct myself.... I watched a short video, and when the guy rotated it... there isn’t a bevel cut into it (if this is the right knife)...

... still looks like it could be sharpened though... good project knife.

I think you could use a rough diamond stone to establish a bevel, then stop the hell out of it to make it somewhat convex. It wouldn't be ideal, but it would work. I might just give try.

 

[COPE412]

I did it. Roughed a Scandi on it, and will finish it on the belt sander/wet-stone/strop. Here are some images in regards;

The order goes; Opinel No. 9 "Oyster", Svord Peasant Mini, and Opinel No. 6. The two Opinels have Bubinga wood, except the custom Oyster Knife handle was taken to the grind stone which "lightly burns" the material-finished with boiled Linseed Oil.