I really like it. :)

[bflying]

Melt some floor wax into the blade slot to seal the wood and keep it from swelling and binding the blade.

On darkening your slip sheath. Warm pure neatsfoot oil (not the compound). I use a dedicated crockpot but I do this a lot. Ya could use a little jar in a pot of water on the stove. Ya want your oil warm but not hot. Brush on a light even coat. Be careful it is very easy to over do and your slip will be soggy, just a light coat. Then set it out in the sun for a bit. The uv rays will darken the leather. Remember to flip your slip over so that each side gets an equal amount of sun.

After oiling, the slip might be a little mottled in color. This is normal and the color will even out over time, this is referred to as the oil setting. Did I mention use a light coat? I would not use Sno Seal for what you are trying to accomplish with your slip.

Oil it up as described and it'll get softer and darker and you will love the patina life will give it.

I love my opinel, the only knife I have that cuts better is my Northfields #73 in cocobolo. The ring lock is also such a neat mechanism too.

Idk if anyone else has said it, but avoid getting it wet. The wood can swell and make opening the knife impossible.

After reading these I wondered if it would be a good idea to add whatever wax/conditioner/cream to the wood also. If absorbed, would it prematurely swell the wood, or just protect it from future water exposure? I've never carried an Opinel for more than a day or two at a time. But have always been intrigued by them.

Some day I would like to try whittling on an Opinel handle. Maybe with this year's Traditional Forum Knife. But I would probably need a "paint-by-numbers" format for beginning whittlers. .

 

[Winch]

Not an expert, but I melted some wax on the pivot end to minimize moisture and swelling. Oops.... dupe comment.

 

[Petunia D. Feeble]

Hey guys! ^_^

So I scored this in the mail yesterday:

Which is neat because I totally forgot I even got it. I heard Opinel was a really great company and I loved the Beechwood handle. It is so light! Amazing, and the Virobloc lock is so simple. I really like it. Plus, my bunny Pablo Picasso approves, which is cool. ^_~ I didn't realize it wasn't beveled. I mean, that's fine. Just an observation. And I can carry the No. 8 legally in Denver! Yusssss :] ♡

Anyways, how are you guys doing this morning? What are your thoughts on Opinel? I hope everybody has a great day!

~ Sparkly

PS: How would I go about softening/darkening the little pouch I got? It is really super stiff and lightly colored in kind of an unnatural strange way. I heard you can oil it; how do I do that/what kind of oil would I use? I only have mineral oil at the moment...

Haven't seen that variant before. I like it! Bunnies are awesome... until they panic and scratch up your arm.

Be sure to use the Opi the next time you peel potatoes. There are few things in life more enjoyable than peeling a potatoe with an Opi. Its just so slicey!

 

[Velitrius]

Be sure to use the Opi the next time you peel potatoes. There are few things in life more enjoyable than peeling a potatoe with an Opi. Its just so slicey!

YES! I'll add that once you've peeled and sliced the potatoes, the Opinel goes right to work on the onion, and then slices the kielbasa into very thin pieces before the whole mess goes into the cast iron skillet.

It will also whittle a quick spatula for stirring said ingredients, if you forgot to throw one into the camping box.

 

[Mossyhorn]

I've got a couple of Opinel paring knives. They out perform the others that I have.
For leather, I like Lexol. It won't darken or discolor.

 

[Petunia D. Feeble]

YES! I'll add that once you've peeled and sliced the potatoes, the Opinel goes right to work on the onion, and then slices the kielbasa into very thin pieces before the whole mess goes into the cast iron skillet.

It will also whittle a quick spatula for stirring said ingredients, if you forgot to throw one into the camping box.

That's funny. I've actually made that very meal, though I cubed the kielbasa, with an opi #10 and a "spatula".

 

[Fixall]

Hey guys! ^_^

So I scored this in the mail yesterday:

Which is neat because I totally forgot I even got it. I heard Opinel was a really great company and I loved the Beechwood handle. It is so light! Amazing, and the Virobloc lock is so simple. I really like it. Plus, my bunny Pablo Picasso approves, which is cool. ^_~ I didn't realize it wasn't beveled. I mean, that's fine. Just an observation. And I can carry the No. 8 legally in Denver! Yusssss :] ♡

Anyways, how are you guys doing this morning? What are your thoughts on Opinel? I hope everybody has a great day!

~ Sparkly

PS: How would I go about softening/darkening the little pouch I got? It is really super stiff and lightly colored in kind of an unnatural strange way. I heard you can oil it; how do I do that/what kind of oil would I use? I only have mineral oil at the moment...

That's beautiful! I really like Opinels a lot. My favorite things about them are how easy they are to get SHARP and how easy it is to make them "your own".

I don't have any woodworking experience (other than high school woodshop and some construction work), but in a few hours, I took a standard Opinel No. 7 Carbon in beech (notoriously hard to stain) from this:



To this:



I sanded down the blade to make it more of a drop point, flattened the sides of the handle, reshaped the butt, stained it with mahogany leather dye and then added a few coats of a tung oil finish. I did the forced patina on the blade with petroleum jelly and lemon juice. The original plan was to do a uniform dark patina on the blade, but my 4 year old niece was in town and wanted "horse stripes" so that's what she got! It's not perfect and I still have some work to do on it, but it's been a LOT of fun to work on so far, so no complaints there.

Also... As @Comeuppance said... I think you should check out Svord Peasant knives out too! They're made in New Zealand and their design has been around for over a century. They look a little crazy but are actually very ergonomic and very easy to open with one hand. I picked up the mini version in purple (mauve actually) for about $11.



I would also check out MAM knives! They're made in Portugal and have been in operation since 1870! They are VERY similar to Opinel and can be had for about the same price... In fact, it seems that some of the oldest knives by both companies were based on a shared design. I have my heart set on a liner lock sheepsfoot myself.