Just finished my first modded Opinel - show us yours!

[Corso]

Corso, I always enjoy your pics of your twofer Opie :thumbup:

Thanks I'm trying to sort one with a modded no12 saw at the moment

 

[Halfneck]

Avoidspam - Do you have any Top down pics of your outstanding looking Opinels? Just got my Ebauche Opinel & trying to get an idea on the dimensions I want to sand it down to.

Love the fishtail, great idea

These are Ebauche, they come with unfinished handles so you get a bit more to play with

Sam

 

[Corso]

that is a nice one must get an unfinished at some point....

 

[avoidspam]

Thanks Corso, bung us a message on British blades if you're after a UK source...

Halfneck - This is as close as I have in le bucket. I aimed for a slimmer version with the one on the chess board and the butt flattens slightly. It makes for a more pocketable knife but not as pretty as the one above. I found the easiest way was to keep a pattern of knife you already have in mind, e.g. Sodbuster, which you can refer to. You can mark the rough outline on the top and sides too, blending those lines into the turned part near the lock ring. You can then remove material back to that before starting to 3D the shape... You'll need to give the nail nick some thought too.

Have fun, let me know if you need any more pics

Sam

 

[Halfneck]

avoidspam - trying to see how far back from the blade cut out on the handle it goes. Of course I plan on going slowly on removing material so I can tailor it to my hand. Thanks for the extra pics.

 

[Sonnemann]

At the risk of inadvertently aping rinos' style, here's what happens when I get bored with a round file and my #8. I always wanted a more organic look to the handle. Still working on final sanding and choosing a finish.

 

[sitflyer]

Sonneman, I'm kinda liking that effect myself Well Done!

 

[Humppa]

Sonneman, I'm kinda liking that effect myself Well Done!

100% agreed! I´m looking forward that Opinel when the knife is finished

 

[avoidspam]

At the risk of inadvertently aping rinos' style, here's what happens when I get bored with a round file and my #8. I always wanted a more organic look to the handle. Still working on final sanding and choosing a finish.

Liking that

 

[Sonnemann]

Thanks guys. It doesn't see much use outside of a picnic knife but there's not one better suited for that task (besides maybe their paring knife).

 

[pinnah]

It's a farmers knife, not a picnic knife. Try to break one!!

 

[bonusmarple]

I am working on my first hard-core mod. I had some spare parts I am going to assemble into a backpacking knife. I started with a spare beech handle that I reshaped and sanded to a slimmer profile to pocket easier. I have it soaking in linseed for about a week and then I will let it dry and polish it up a bit with 1500 to 2500 wet or dry.

I am going to fit it with a spare Inox blade and a new nickel-silver pin. I ordered stock from Jantz's but my measurement sucks, I ordered 2.5mm and it looks like I should have gone with 3mm. Oh well, I have some inbound.

Put it all together and apply liberal amounts of vasoline to the pivot and it should be able to handle wet weather and be nice and light in the pocket. Perfect for taking on the trail.

Pics when it is done.

Btw, the new snakewood is very nice. Heavy, but nice.

 

[Halfneck]

Ok took the time today to start working on my Opinel Ebauche #8. Went over to my Father In-Laws to use his bench sander to rough out the basic shape. Holy crap it was easy. Now I just need to do some final hand sanding & finishing. If you've ever thought about doing this I highly suggest you give it a go. If I, as a person with only 1 functional arm/hand, can do this then you 2-handed people should have no problem.

Only mistake I somewhat made was to sand down too close at the tip of the blade channel. When closed the blade tip was slightly exposed. Solved it somewhat by sanding down the blade tip. If you were to deepen the blade channel would the blade sit deeper?

The handle is cherry wood. I was thinking of just soaking it in boiled linseed oil. Any other suggestions?

Thanks - Pat

 

[avoidspam]

Ok took the time today to start working on my Opinel Ebauche #8. Went over to my Father In-Laws to use his bench sander to rough out the basic shape. Holy crap it was easy. Now I just need to do some final hand sanding & finishing. If you've ever thought about doing this I highly suggest you give it a go. If I, as a person with only 1 functional arm/hand, can do this then you 2-handed people should have no problem.

Only mistake I somewhat made was to sand down too close at the tip of the blade channel. When closed the blade tip was slightly exposed. Solved it somewhat by sanding down the blade tip. If you were to deepen the blade channel would the blade sit deeper?

The handle is cherry wood. I was thinking of just soaking it in boiled linseed oil. Any other suggestions?

Thanks - Pat

Glad it went well! I just gave mine an overnight bath in Linseed oil.

Looking forward to pics

Sam

 

[Peter Parker]

 

[Peter Parker]

I think I may have finished a little too hastely. Since posting these images I put on another coat of stain including the lock ring area and fish tail and installed a slightly thicker and shorter lanyard had to open the hole slightly to make it work. It seems to have enhanced it too my eyes! This is going to at least for now be my work knife.

 

[puukkoman]

Just posted this in the "what are you carrying" thread, but figured I'd drop it in here, too.
This is my Opinel No. 10. It's currently the only Opinel I have, since I tend to give them away to people who like 'em.
The 10 is my preferred size (about equivalent to a Buck 110-size lockback), but like most folks, I wanted the handle to be more comfortable. I shaped it with little whittling, some sandpaper, and a polishing pad on a Dremel with some red compound. The wood is smooth enough to have a bit of a shine to it, more than shows up in these photos.

 

[sitflyer]

Puukko, that one looks very comfy and easy to pinch open as well. Nice job!

 

[timberweasel]

Lots of beautiful Opinels here, people! I've very much enjoyed this thread... so much so that I've begun my own project (albeit ever so humble!) Finished roughing out a face on an Opinel #8 this afternoon. Not done messing with it but I figured I'd post up so maybe others wouldn't be afraid to try their hand at it... couldn't be any worse! Having a blast, though, putting my Boker 'Beer Barrel' Whittler to work... :thumbup:

Is it Chuck Norris? Is it Gandalf? Zeus? A garden gnome, perhaps? Sure, why not!

-Brett

 

[pertinux]

Lots of beautiful Opinels here, people! I've very much enjoyed this thread... so much so that I've begun my own project (albeit ever so humble!) Finished roughing out a face on an Opinel #8 this afternoon.

Say, that's a fun idea. Nice job so far!

~ P.