How do you loosen up a sticky Opinel

Fish30114 · Jun 8, 2014

I've got a couple of my Opinels that the blade is very tough to fold in and out. I am wondering what the recommended method for loosening them up is? There are versions in the plain (regular) wood and also a sticky one that is Bubinga.

Thanks for any advice, previous experiences.

Svashtar · Jun 8, 2014

I have a bunch of Opinels, including 3 of the discontinued Cold Steel twist locks with the same tight mechanism. My problem is the locking sleeve gets frozen and tight to turn, as well as the blades getting stiff as you describe. I use an oil with a lot of lubricity like Tri-Flow that has a Teflon base, and squirt a little down under the locking ring and into the blade joint, then work both the ring and blade back and forth a few times. Seems to work for me.

I'm sure a similar lube would work just as well, but you have to get something down into the joint and slip ring and work out the tightness.

I.N.F.K · Jun 8, 2014

I would recommend mineral oil, for it is safe around food.

Fish30114 · Jun 8, 2014

Good info folks, I was thinking along those lines---will probably try a little nano-lube tonight.

Obsessed with Edges · Jun 8, 2014

Fish30114 said:
I've got a couple of my Opinels that the blade is very tough to fold in and out. I am wondering what the recommended method for loosening them up is? There are versions in the plain (regular) wood and also a sticky one that is Bubinga.

Thanks for any advice, previous experiences.

If it's tough to open/close, it may just be swelling of the wood, due to moisture. If you're in Georgia, I'm assuming it's pretty humid(?).

To test this, you might use a blow dryer, or just place the knife in the oven on lowest heat ('warm'), with the door open for a while (2-4 hours). If the opening/closing gets easier after this, the evaporation of moisture from the wood pivot was likely the fix (the wood shrinks as it dries). If so, drying it thoroughly and then sealing the wood with something might help in the long run.

I think others have gone further, and disassembled the knife, removing the blade and subsequently replacing the pivot pin. While the blade is out, the blade channel in the handle's pivot can be (very gently) sanded to widen it just a hair.

Another possibility is some obstruction in the pivot. I've occasionally had little fibers of pocket lint get into the pivot, and get the same symptom. Had to look with a good magnifier to see the fiber stuck in there, and I removed it with some tweezers. If the knife has been used for cutting fruit, the juice can be pretty sticky as well, if the knife isn't cleaned sufficiently (I saw this also, in one of mine

).

David

Fish30114 · Jun 9, 2014

Obsessed, that is good info, I actually have used them to cut a lot of fruit, specifically grapefruit. Giving them a thorough cleaning in addition to lubing them is probably in order. And yes you are right, the humidity is pretty darn high here--If it is still sticky after cleaning and lubing, I'll try out the hairdryer-oven thing.

Thanks--Don

Obsessed with Edges · Jun 9, 2014

Fish30114 said:
Obsessed, that is good info, I actually have used them to cut a lot of fruit, specifically grapefruit. Giving them a thorough cleaning in addition to lubing them is probably in order. And yes you are right, the humidity is pretty darn high here--If it is still sticky after cleaning and lubing, I'll try out the hairdryer-oven thing.

Thanks--Don

I ran into this after 'testing' my newly thinned & sharpened edge by slicing grapes. Mine was a walnut-handled No. 08, and the grape juice oozed into the pivot and felt like it cured like epoxy in there. Opening/closing got really stiff after that. As I recall, I think I flushed it out with isopropyl alcohol; this avoided the inevitable swelling that would otherwise come with using water or soap & water to clean it out.

David

Squashfan · Jun 9, 2014

When you have the knife taken down but before you sand the pivot, try opening the inner ring a tiny bit. You don't have to worry about sanding off to much and having the blade flopping around completely loose.

P.S. I had to use a slightly over sized punch when I started driving the pivot out. The correctly sized punch was just mushrooming the pivot.

hunter s thompson · Jun 9, 2014

Obsessed with Edges said:
As I recall, I think I flushed it out with isopropyl alcohol David

I usually do this on my Opi's then throw them into a bath of mineral oil for a day or wipe the handles off and use a pipe cleaner covered in petroleum jelly (or Carmex lip balm to coat the pivot and the sides of the handles that surround the pivot. Then when I think of it ( every other month or so) I repeat the petroleum jelly trick. never have a problem with the opening and closing of the Opi's afterward

Fish30114 · Jun 9, 2014

Learning as we go folks, thanks for the continuing info!

jackknife · Jun 10, 2014

No, don't go taking the knife apart yet. That's way over thinking it. This is an Opinel, keep it simple. Just take a large screw driver and gently pry open the inner bolster a bit. You do it in front of the blade pivot and just in back of it. Works like a charm. That will also give you a bit more space for wet weather swelling. I've had the blade on an Opinel so that it can be flipped open in what the French call the "Paris wave" after how the street criminals in France do it. Apparently the Opinel is the knife of choice for the bad guys because it's so cheap it can be ditched with no great loss.

Just twist gently until it give a bit, then try the knife. Easy does it.

Fish30114 · Jun 10, 2014

Jackknife, great simple and straightforward advice as usual. Thanks--Don

jackknife · Jun 10, 2014

There's one more thing to do. Once you have the knife loosened up, lay it on the dash of your car on a nice sunny day for a few hours. Really warm the sucker up and dry it out. then take it in the house, remove the locking ring, and set the pivot end of the knife down in a shot glass of mineral oil. Let it soak in for an hour or so, then set it on some paper towels to drain off the excess. The mineral oil will keep the moisture from swelling the end too much. Oil it once in a while with a pipe cleaner end wet with mineral oil to keep it well lubed. With the simple wood to metal construction of the Opinel, you don't have to worry about pocket lint or dirt crudding it up.

I've got an Opinel to stand in a glass of water for over 30 minutes with almost no swelling, just a little stiffer to open.

After 30 minutes, it pulled open pretty easy.

With just a little preventive maintenance, Opinels don't have to be afraid of water!

pjackst · Jul 10, 2014

jackknife said:
No, don't go taking the knife apart yet. That's way over thinking it. This is an Opinel, keep it simple. Just take a large screw driver and gently pry open the inner bolster a bit. You do it in front of the blade pivot and just in back of it. Works like a charm. That will also give you a bit more space for wet weather swelling. I've had the blade on an Opinel so that it can be flipped open in what the French call the "Paris wave" after how the street criminals in France do it. Apparently the Opinel is the knife of choice for the bad guys because it's so cheap it can be ditched with no great loss.

Just twist gently until it give a bit, then try the knife. Easy does it.

Mind Blown. No more Viro-Bloc shrapnel flying across the room. Thank you!