Loosening a stiff Opinel?

D

ducksoup

Joined
Mar 29, 2007
Messages
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I've got an Opinel #8 that is the mother of all nail breakers. I think I somehow pinched the metal collar so it's now squeezing the blade too tightly. Is there any good way to fix this? Graphite makes it smooth, but it's still awful stiff. I tried unsuccessfully to pry the collar with a flat screwdriver.
 
Lots of luck to ya! Same problem here in hot humid sweaty summer carry. Even though I have 6 of them, they are not the EDC of choice for me. Who needs this problem when you need a knife?
 
hmmmm...... never tried this, but do ya have a de-hydrator for making jerky?..... might try placing it in one of those for a couple hours and see if it improves...might shrink down the wood a little since this problem normally comes from the wood swelling with moisture. Other than that just keep using it as the normal wear and tear should loosen it up over time.
 
My new Opinel was really stiff too. I was in the car, and the only thing close to a lubricant was Neosporin (yeah, the stuff for ouches). It worked. Who'd of thunk it. Don't know if I'd do it on an expensive knife, but for a $10 knife, what the heck. Anyway, problem solved!
 
Mine wasn't stiff at first, but suddenly one day it was. I thought it was humidity at first, but it doesn't seem to be the case.

"Other than that just keep using it as the normal wear and tear should loosen it up over time. "

Working on that ;) I was hoping there was an easier way, though.
 
Personally , I would rather have my Opinel 7 stiff than easy opening since there is no detent , I would not want it opeing up in my pocket or what have you. :eek:
 
Do you mean that the blade itself is a little stiff opening, or that the ring lock is stiff? I've heard of people taking the knife apart, removing the pivot pin, and sanding down the area around it a touch. Worth a shot, I think.

If it gets stiff simply when the handle gets wet, you can always try the ol' tap method. Simply hold the knife in a tip-down position and bang the butt of the knife on a hard surface. Enough of the blade should come out that you can pinch the blade.
 
Leave it on a radiator or heating vent of some kind for a couple of days, usually does the trick.
 
Leave it in your car in the summer for a day or three. Do this till it's a bit too loose then soak the pivot end in mineral oil for a few days to prevent further swelling in humidity.
 
Rap the end of the handle firmly against a desk top. This will open the blade just enough that you can pinch it the rest of the way open. A French tourist taught me that one. Apparently it's the traditional way to do it. :)

Though I sanded out a round "Easy Open" notch on the handle of mine so I can pinch it open without having to knock it around. Unfortunately I don't have any good pics on hand at the moment. Also, soak some mineral oil into the pivot to prevent moisture from getting into it.
 
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