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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Lets see opinels - Pic Thread
- Thread starter machine26
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- Nov 20, 2012
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This photo was enough to push me over the edge. I'll be picking up a number 8 slim very soon! Thanks for the photo!
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- May 30, 2012
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The whittled handle on this one looks fantastic. Great work, Sonnemann!
Opinels are great knives. I miss owning one. Luckily, the No.7 that I won in Art's giveaway last week should arrive this week. I'm also seriously considering picking up an exotic wood handled No.6, and maybe a bigger size in carbon to do some experimenting with.
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- Sep 21, 2010
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Thanks. The look is inspired by one that rinos did earlier, and the finish is what I tried to emulate from some of Pipeman's work with moose antler and such (even though it is the original beechwood.) It was whittled and filed, then sanded down pretty roughly, then RIT dyed dark brown, Kiwi shoe polished w/ heat gun, then some paste wax...basically I had a finish party with no idea what the result might be. I think I like it for now.
Gary W. Graley
“Imagination is more important than knowledge"
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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- Mar 2, 1999
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- 27,427
Colour is very subjective, to one person a colour is beautiful, another and not so much, I'd say if you like it, then she's good to go!
I haven't done much in the way of modifying mine yet, still tempted to sand in some octagonal shape to the handle for a more sure grip, plus less rolling when you set it down, but, I've not had the time or nerve
to do such things yet.
G2
I haven't done much in the way of modifying mine yet, still tempted to sand in some octagonal shape to the handle for a more sure grip, plus less rolling when you set it down, but, I've not had the time or nerve
to do such things yet.G2
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What a surprise!
This must be some kind of inside joke
One thing that bothers me with some Opinels is the fitting of the blade. This blue-grey handled one has a blade, that leans quite a lot down when open. The shoulder of the blade connects the bolster so, that the blade is not straight forward. I will file the shoulder so that the blade and handle are straight when open.
Are you going to sea on it? Its Battleship grey on my crappy work monitor
Your point about the downward lean of Opinels is one of the things that always deters me from them.
Sea? Why not, it is inox. My brother is into sailing, so maybe I should give it to him.
The lean should be easy to fix with some filing, just move the shoulder sligthly forward.
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They do a slate one now, I thought you'd tried to emulate that tbh.
You should get your bro one of thoese 'lovely' looking new fangled ones with a whistle and shackle key
I'm still not getting one....okay....maybe a slim one sometime....but i'm not buying any more knives.....
You should get your bro one of thoese 'lovely' looking new fangled ones with a whistle and shackle key
I'm still not getting one....okay....maybe a slim one sometime....but i'm not buying any more knives.....
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2012
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This must be some kind of inside joke
I like blue (understatement), and grey/slate blues best, so it's no surprise that I like how your knife turned out.
~ P.
I like blue (understatement), and grey/slate blues best, so it's no surprise that I like how your knife turned out.
~ P.
Aha, ok.
My older son likes blue so maybe I should give it to him. He is not a "knife person" though.
Gary W. Graley
“Imagination is more important than knowledge"
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Mar 2, 1999
- Messages
- 27,427
A word of warning on filing down the back side of the tang, there is a direct relationship between the lock ring, SO be careful to do it in very small steps and to check the way it locks up, otherwise the lock may twist all the way round on you. I should have stopped just a little bit sooner on my ebony 
. But of course on that one of yours you have no locking ring so you'd have no worries, but if you ever slipped it back on...
G2
Edited to add that I use a dremel with a diamond cutoff disk and use the face of it to slowly remove the metal, didn't find a file to fit in that small a space
. But of course on that one of yours you have no locking ring so you'd have no worries, but if you ever slipped it back on...G2
Edited to add that I use a dremel with a diamond cutoff disk and use the face of it to slowly remove the metal, didn't find a file to fit in that small a space
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I would say this one turned out nice. And I used the dremel to grind the tang shoulder to straighten the blade without any ill effects to the locking action. The handle was stained, after it had dried I dropped the knife in a can of teak oil and left it there for a couple of hours. Then I let the oil dry over a night and it was done. Maybe I will add some wax. The blade is now standard and I will drop the point slightly. Most likely I will let it develop patina naturally.
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- Feb 21, 2003
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- 784
Thanks to the numerous amazing pictures in this thread, I broke down and ordered some opinels to try out. A walnut 06 for my oldest son, oak 06 for the middle one, and an oak 06 for the youngest. Also picked up an olive wood 06 and standard 06 and 08 for myself. Add in a large fillet knife and that completes the order.
First thoughts are positive. A few light strokes on a ceramic stone and some stropping and they are all razor sharp. The 06 is a very compact size, perfect for pocket carry. I think even the 08 would ride comfortably.
The fillet blade and handle are HUGE! I can't get over the size of it. I think I could probably fillet a great whit shark with this thing.
I do have a couple of questions. First, is there any sort of preventative maintenance done to the handles prior to carry? I've read on here about Vaseline in the joints to prevent swelling, but I'm not sure how to go about this. Second, in regards to sanding the handles..is it necessary, or is there a suitable finish on them already? Sorry if they seem like simplistic questions, but I want to do what I can to ensure my kids and I have these knives for a long time.
Thanks.
John
First thoughts are positive. A few light strokes on a ceramic stone and some stropping and they are all razor sharp. The 06 is a very compact size, perfect for pocket carry. I think even the 08 would ride comfortably.
The fillet blade and handle are HUGE! I can't get over the size of it. I think I could probably fillet a great whit shark with this thing.
I do have a couple of questions. First, is there any sort of preventative maintenance done to the handles prior to carry? I've read on here about Vaseline in the joints to prevent swelling, but I'm not sure how to go about this. Second, in regards to sanding the handles..is it necessary, or is there a suitable finish on them already? Sorry if they seem like simplistic questions, but I want to do what I can to ensure my kids and I have these knives for a long time.
Thanks.
John
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- Feb 12, 2006
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- 116
Okay, I've been enjoying reading this thread through and through. And it's once again gotten me all excited about the Opinel brand.
I own a couple of Opinels, including a No. 8 Carbon, which I modded some years ago, thanks to the inspiration I've received on this forum. But I decided that I'd like to modify a No. 6 Carbon, as I think that I'd feel more comfortable carrying this as an EDC. So I bought (2) No. 6's for $12 bucks each, and started to disassemble the first.
Now, I know from my previous experience that the pivot pin, even when driven out the (obviously) correct way, hangs up when passing through the blade. So, I filed the non-head end flush to the metal ring and proceeded to drive it out with a punch. It did, in fact, hang up at the hole through the blade. I hammered harder and got it through only after breaking the wood underneath the metal ring.
As I said, I bought (2) knives, so I got out the second and this time, after filing the non-head end of the pivot pin flat, I took a drill bit slightly narrower than the pin and actually drilled out the center of the pivot pin, about 1/8" deep. I was then able to easily drive the pin out of the handle with no damage.
Anyway, working with two knives at the same time, I was able to take a photograph showing the before and after of my work on the handle and the blade. I wanted to post this photo for the benefit of anyone else just starting out with a similar endeavor.
I sanded the handle to a more comfortable profile, widening and deepening the cutout to allow my fingers to grasp the closed blade. I then lightly sanded the entire handle so that stain could penetrate the wood. I used Fiebing's Dark Brown Oil Stain. When it dried, I used Watco's Red Mahogany Penetrating Finish. When it dried, I used a Wipe-On Polyurethane Finish. And when it dried, I used a coat of Paste Wax, applied with 4-0 Steel Wool.
I ground down the clip point of the blade to make it slightly drop pointed, softened the square back edge of the blade, lightly sanded and then cleaned the entire blade before Bluing it with Brownells Oxpho-Blue solution.
I haven't reassembled it yet, but here is the photo showing the original (now broken) handle and blade contrasted to the modified components.
Thank-you to everyone here for posting your knives................... Frank
I own a couple of Opinels, including a No. 8 Carbon, which I modded some years ago, thanks to the inspiration I've received on this forum. But I decided that I'd like to modify a No. 6 Carbon, as I think that I'd feel more comfortable carrying this as an EDC. So I bought (2) No. 6's for $12 bucks each, and started to disassemble the first.
Now, I know from my previous experience that the pivot pin, even when driven out the (obviously) correct way, hangs up when passing through the blade. So, I filed the non-head end flush to the metal ring and proceeded to drive it out with a punch. It did, in fact, hang up at the hole through the blade. I hammered harder and got it through only after breaking the wood underneath the metal ring.
As I said, I bought (2) knives, so I got out the second and this time, after filing the non-head end of the pivot pin flat, I took a drill bit slightly narrower than the pin and actually drilled out the center of the pivot pin, about 1/8" deep. I was then able to easily drive the pin out of the handle with no damage.
Anyway, working with two knives at the same time, I was able to take a photograph showing the before and after of my work on the handle and the blade. I wanted to post this photo for the benefit of anyone else just starting out with a similar endeavor.
I sanded the handle to a more comfortable profile, widening and deepening the cutout to allow my fingers to grasp the closed blade. I then lightly sanded the entire handle so that stain could penetrate the wood. I used Fiebing's Dark Brown Oil Stain. When it dried, I used Watco's Red Mahogany Penetrating Finish. When it dried, I used a Wipe-On Polyurethane Finish. And when it dried, I used a coat of Paste Wax, applied with 4-0 Steel Wool.
I ground down the clip point of the blade to make it slightly drop pointed, softened the square back edge of the blade, lightly sanded and then cleaned the entire blade before Bluing it with Brownells Oxpho-Blue solution.
I haven't reassembled it yet, but here is the photo showing the original (now broken) handle and blade contrasted to the modified components.
Thank-you to everyone here for posting your knives................... Frank
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