It's all Fausto's fault.

J

jackknife

Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Messages
17,618
Yeah, I blame it all on that guy from Sardinia.

And that guy Alfredo is a bit to blame too!

:D

It all started when Fausto showed that nice friction folder from his homeland. It got me to thinking, always a very dangerous situation. As much as I love my peanut, I've had a long going love affair with Opinel's as a larger back up and utility knife. After thinking about Fausto's pattada, I thought about how much I use my Opinel as a friction folder. Well, a while back, I snugged up a number 8 Opinel to where it is a bit stiff to open. I always ran my Opys a bit on the loose side for easy opening. Easy, to the point that once the locking ring was thumbed out of the way, the knife could be just flipped open with what is called the Paris wave. A move popular with the lower social element in the back streets of Paris. Don't ask me how I know that.

So, with a hammer and anvil, I tap down the inner bolster and rivet to where it's a sung consistent pull all the way open. Like what I guess a certain Sardinian friction folder would be like. It's been a while now, maybe a month, month and a half. I've made it a point to use the Opinel for most of most cutting jobs, and not using the locking ring. To tell the truth, for all my cutting, a piece of rope, some twine, breaking down a couple cardboard boxes, and of course some kitchen duty slicing up some sausage and onion for a casserole, opening mail, and a couple of UPS/FEDEX boxes, the dynamics of the cutting keeps it open, like using a slip joint.

So far, the friction folder has been fine. I haven't cut any fingers off, nor have I used the locking ring once. I now really do understand how the Opinel was used until 1955 without the lock ring. Even after soaking in a glass of water to see how I could still open the snugged up knife when the wood swelled by getting very wet. It was stiffer to open, and after a full hour in the water I couldn't quite pull it up out of the handle, but the Savoy Smack worked well. What Opinel calls the bump, or something like that. I'd just tap the bottom of the handle on something hard, counter, tree, shoe heel, and the blade popped out enough to grab and pull out.

I just may become a friction folder convert. I guess I may have to learn Italian.

Carl.
 
Interesting post Carl, and interesting knives :)
 
I know, right?!






(Uh, sorry, just responding to the subject header. What're you going on about, here? Ah, your Opinel. Interesting observations. Carry on. ;))


~ P.
 
lol ^^^ nice one ~P.

Interesting reading Carl,
mmmm didnt figure you for a turn-coat my friend...what will the band of Peanut followers do now with out their leader...have you ever thought of that! - huh?...its not all about you :D:D
 
Don't go pointing fingers at Carl, guys. He still wears the crown.

It's bad pun Friday.
opinel.jpg
 
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Ma, che figura ci fa fare!!*

Carl, Carl, Carl! Soaking your knife in noxious liquids - tsk tsk tsk!! What are we going to do with you??:eek:

:D:D







*Oh, how you make us look in public! (It.)
 
Carl,
thank you for bringing my name up to the title of your thread :p
I think it all comes down to what you're used to, or grown up with. Sometimes, it's nice to see things from a different point of view. I've been through that many times since I'm part of this subforum, and I'm thankful for it; now it's nice to see when someone else manages to see from where I'm standing.
Being the Peanut Prophet, thus sponsoring the great power hidden in small folders, you should probably get down to an Opinel #5 or #4, and just live without the locking ring. Actually, if you PM me with your shipping address, I will send you one and you can give it a try. Take it as a gift from someone who's taking the blame :D
As for friction folders, I really think that the key is friction. The right amount of friction in the opening/closing of a blade can make it absolutely safe when closed, and comfortable enough to open and use. The good thing is that, in most knives, you actually have the chance to adjust the pivot area quite easily, and tune it to your taste.
As a sidenote, and thanks to another member here (I will soon post a "thank you" thread) I was carrying a Peanut today :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
Ah yes. I can already see it: The Friction Peanut.
 
Now don't you all go getting hysterical about me saying nice things about friction folders. I'm never going to abandon my peanut, but an Opinel makes a fine back up for the little thing for the dirty work. I'm just liking the simple reliable build of the friction folder like a nice flame bladed Pattada or what ever they're called. Just as the peanut is a typical American pattern of small jackknife, the European friction folder is interesting to me. Kind of like a pre-sodbuster working knife.

I don't think I would ever have much use for the small number 4 or 5 Opinels, just too close to the peanut and trespasses into their realm, which the cult will not abide. For a 2 inch blade pocket knife, the peanut will be with me till death do us part. But for a picnic knife for the outing that Karen and I go on, something simple and classy to slice a loaf of fresh baked Italian bread, some sausage, and some fruit, a longer blade is nice. I watched the episode that Anthony Bourdain did on the Pattada in Sardinia, and it caught my interest. But I don't think there's anywhere in Maryland for me to get a real Sardinian friction folder.

A friction peanut? Hmmm, it would solve the problem of people not liking half stops!

Carl.
 
I love the pattada that Fausto gave me and enjoy carrying/using it. In some ways it almost feels safer because there is no spring involved. It won't bite you on a sloppy close. And mine's lovely. Light, too. I could easily convert. I have an Opinel 7 that I like a lot, too. Fancy springs and bolsters are nice, but a friction folder is pretty much THE traditional knife. It should be lauded.
 
LKJW said:
I love the pattada that Fausto gave me and enjoy carrying/using it. In some ways it almost feels safer because there is no spring involved. It won't bite you on a sloppy close. And mine's lovely. Light, too. I could easily convert. I have an Opinel 7 that I like a lot, too. Fancy springs and bolsters are nice, but a friction folder is pretty much THE traditional knife. It should be lauded.
Click to expand...

That's kind of where I'm coming from. Even my peanut has bit me a few times when I was careless closing it up. But the Opinel as the friction folder has been so nice, so predictable, that I have come to think that maybe our European cousins have a better way figured out a long time ago. With a friction folder, you have to manually push the blade closed, no matter how far past the 90 degree point you get. No spring will snap it shut on you, but the action of cutting will keep it open. If the back of the blade gets bumped, even a strong bump, it won't close or cause the blade to close.

And it certainly is traditional, with a history that goes back before slip joints. I saw some old penny knives in a museum that dated back to the late 1600's.

Carl.
 
quattromori said:
Carl,

As for friction folders, I really think that the key is friction. The right amount of friction in the opening/closing of a blade can make it absolutely safe when closed, and comfortable enough to open and use. The good thing is that, in most knives, you actually have the chance to adjust the pivot area quite easily, and tune it to your taste.
As a sidenote, and thanks to another member here (I will soon post a "thank you" thread) I was carrying a Peanut today :)

Fausto
:cool:
Click to expand...

Fausto, on a 1 to 10 scale, how is the pull on a Pattada style of knife, and how hard is it to adjust? If it's like snugging up the Opinel with a few hammer taps, then no problem. Does the horn swell any when wet, making it harder to open the knife?

Carl.
 
I can answer to part of this. The pull feels a little tighter than an Opinel, but in actuality, I think the blade is harder to pinch. The horn has just gotten prettier. I have soaked it in mineral oil a few times, it is a deeper color now. Water doesn't seem to be an issue at all.

jackknife said:
Fausto, on a 1 to 10 scale, how is the pull on a Pattada style of knife, and how hard is it to adjust? If it's like snugging up the Opinel with a few hammer taps, then no problem. Does the horn swell any when wet, making it harder to open the knife?

Carl.
Click to expand...
 
Carl-I wonder if you are aware of the peanut sized opinel?
I bought a couple in UK last year but I'm sure they're widely available.
a perfect miniature opinel about an inch long.
cheers.
 
Just bought an Opinel #4 for a ten spot. I've got plans for it...gonna be customize. Thanks a lot, Carl. ;)
 
The problem with a friction Opinel is that you can only stab the blade through the door of a FRENCH car. Not tactical at all. :D

-- Mark
 
This is how I have been carrying my modified no 8 au carbon.
I thinned out/flattened/re shaped the handle to my hand,removed the locking ring permanently, peened the pivot to a nice tight action(comparible with my Sodbuster jr only without the spring)
I keep it in a poach not because of fear of opening(won't happen) but to prevent rolling around in my pocket.
The sheath came with a Spyderco Kiwi jigged bone and fits like a charm.
Here are some lap top pics:

image201302090002_zpsbb260475.jpg


image201302090003_zpsb1c55e60.jpg
 
mnblade said:
The problem with a friction Opinel is that you can only stab the blade through the door of a FRENCH car. Not tactical at all. :D

-- Mark
Click to expand...

Now I find that distressing. As a boy, I was attacked by a vicious Ford that got out of it's yard. Never quite got over it, and would never knowingly carry a knife that can stab only French cars. Thank you for the heads up, Mark. :thumbup:
:D

Carl.
 
spydutch said:
This is how I have been carrying my modified no 8 au carbon.
I thinned out/flattened/re shaped the handle to my hand,removed the locking ring permanently, peened the pivot to a nice tight action(comparible with my Sodbuster jr only without the spring)
I keep it in a poach not because of fear of opening(won't happen) but to prevent rolling around in my pocket.
The sheath came with a Spyderco Kiwi jigged bone and fits like a charm.
Here are some lap top pics:

image201302090002_zpsbb260475.jpg


image201302090003_zpsb1c55e60.jpg
Click to expand...

Very very nice work!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Love the lines of it, combined with the simpler looks from no locking ring. Ya done real good there son!

Carl.
 
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