I finaly found the right Opinel!

C

camo kid

Joined
Sep 3, 2002
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I have had an Opinel # 7 in carbon steel for almost a year now and despite trying several times, I can not warm up to the knife. I appreciate the simplicity of the design and the cutting efficiency it has, but it just isn't the knife for me. Last weekend my girl friend gave me two Opinel carbon steel pantry knives. They are the best "kitchen" knives in their size I have used. They were sharp out of the box, and after a quick touch up on a spyderco ceramic stone they were razor sharp. I used one of them while butchering 2 deer for a friend over the weekend and it out preformed my old hickory, and Dexter Russell knives of similar size. They have done great on vegetables and fruit as well as bread and cheese in the kitchen. I am going to add a lanyard hole and make a sheath and use them for my woods belt knives from now on. For the price I don't think the little Opinel's can be beat if you want a traditional little kitchen knife. Joe
 
I have seen the Opinel paring knives that SMKW is selling, and I have been tempted by them. At that price there's not much to lose by trying.
 
Which model did you receive, the 3-3/4" paring knife? I have 3 Victorinox paring knives with the same profile and they are perfect many tasks.
 
I've got a freind who is into the French-Indian war period re-enacting up at Old Fort Frederick. He and some of his buds have made up sheaths for those Opy paring knives and use them as patch knives.

Its interesting to here how they stack up to the Old Hickory and Dexter. Thanks Joe.:thumbup:
 
I just bought one of those Opinel parers from SMKW- and I got free shipping and a tube of polishing past to boot. Unfortunately, they did not have as good an inventory of carbon Opinels as I would have hoped- but they seem to have quite a variety. UNfortunately, the models I was interested in (both stainless and carbon) were sold out.
 
Are the paring and pantry knives pretty much the same thing? Looks like the parers come two to a pack, and are 1/8" shorter overall.

I've got a fillet knife and a few other carbon folders, and find them extremely handy.

-- Sam
 
camo kid said:
I have had an Opinel # 7 in carbon steel for almost a year now and despite trying several times, I can not warm up to the knife. I appreciate the simplicity of the design and the cutting efficiency it has, but it just isn't the knife for me.
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(Have you tried the Opinel Garden Knife and the Efile models? The handle drops down at the butt on these, and the Efile handles are also very narrow, as are the blades.)
 
Efile handles are also very narrow, as are the blades.)
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Smokey Mountain markets those as being folding fisherman's filet knifes. Not sure if I would *want* to use a folder, especially a wood handled folder, for that purpose, but that is what they are marketed for.
 
Smokey Mountain markets as what they think they can sell, not necessarily what the original concept might have been. :) A.G. sells one in its nice leather sheath, and it makes a decent knife for light use -- food prep, fruit slicer, letter opener. A fine picnic basket knife.

Opinels have a bad reputation around water, but if you simply drip a bit of mineral oil around the pivot, they won't take up moisture there, and the action will remain smooth. Some people go to the very little trouble of disassembling their Opinels and soaking the handle in linseed oil.
 
Goldurnit, there is no "right" Opinel.
I have purchased a lot of Opinels, and haven't found the best one.
I'm gonna keep working at it, and if I find the answer, I'll let y'all know.
 
shaldag said:
Goldurnit, there is no "right" Opinel.
I have purchased a lot of Opinels, and haven't found the best one.
I'm gonna keep working at it, and if I find the answer, I'll let y'all know.
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The best thing about not being able to find the right Opinel, is taking some 220 sand paper and making it the right Opinel. Finish with some 500 paper and some 0000 steel wool and stain and varnish to taste.:D
 
I absolutely love opinels....I like'em cause there is very little that can go wrong with them...nice carbon blade, convex grind, no springs even if the ring breaks they still are functional, I live in nyc a coastal city and have edc my opinel #7 all the time and have never had it get stiff...I thought about taking one apart and treating the eood wwith thompsons water sealer...the # 7 is a little big for me but I just ordered 2 # 6's from ragweed forge I'll give a little review when I get them... much like a mora opinels are legit working knives I can't imagine breking one under normal use.... unlike a mora opinels have alot of class.
 
I picked up a #6 a while ago and was surprised to find i liked it better for a light EDC than the #8. It's small enough to forget I'm carrying it, but big enough for most daily use.

Of course, I carry at least one big blade also, but that's for the occasional zombie attack. You can never be too well prepared. Still, anything from 4 to 12 inches of steel is really clumsy for opening a pack of cookies.
 
Opinels have a bad reputation around water, but if you simply drip a bit of mineral oil around the pivot, they won't take up moisture there, and the action will remain smooth. Some people go to the very little trouble of disassembling their Opinels and soaking the handle in linseed oil.
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I was more concerned with having to clean out blood and stuff- that why I *generally* try to avoid using folders at all for cleaning game. I did use my Opinel once while working on a deer, and it cleaned up o-k. I'm probably just a worry-wort.
 
I can understand that. That's why I wonder at people using linerlocks for game. At least with a slipjoint or lockback, the blade channel is clear and can be flushed out easily.
 
Not too mention they spark a fire steel like nobodies buisness...if I could design the perfect opinel it would have a slightly thicker blades stock, and a spear point in carbon steel..cause I always bend the points when drilling...and since I'm in fantasy world anyway an antler handle (looks nice and takes care of the swelling prob
 
Esav Benyamin said:
I picked up a #6 a while ago and was surprised to find i liked it better for a light EDC than the #8. It's small enough to forget I'm carrying it, but big enough for most daily use.

Of course, I carry at least one big blade also, but that's for the occasional zombie attack. You can never be too well prepared. Still, anything from 4 to 12 inches of steel is really clumsy for opening a pack of cookies.
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zombies, cookies, zombies, cookies. :confused: Decisions, decisions. :D
 
RescueRiley said:
Not too mention they spark a fire steel like nobodies buisness...if I could design the perfect opinel it would have a slightly thicker blades stock, and a spear point in carbon steel..cause I always bend the points when drilling...and since I'm in fantasy world anyway an antler handle (looks nice and takes care of the swelling prob
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No stag as far as I know, but I have a long fillet knife in blonde coloured bone that looks really nice. It's the same as the common Opinel (folding ring lock) solid handle of bone and somewhat longer and slimmer.
 
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