Love my opinels

M

max_b

Joined
Jan 17, 2014
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I am not a big knife collector but just wanted to share that I love my opinels 6 and 8. Use theme both extensively for so many things. Between the two I have managed to sharpen the 6 extremely well. I have used same exact sharpening methods on 8 as well, and it is sharp, but the 6 seems to have a really nice razor sharp edge. Do you have the same experience? Any explanation? Again I love them both and plan to get 5 and 7 too.
 
What kind of steel are you Opis? Carbone or Inox? What sharpening method? What test of sharpness?

Assuming your 6 and 8 are the same steel, maybe slightly different heat treat? Perhaps the smaller blade is easier for you to work with? Maybe the thinner blade of the 6 cuts better? Several variables, here.
 
yep the opinels are king when it comes to cutting and i gotta say it, as a knife maker/ collector there is no other knife that ticks me off like a opinel . you spend all the time and money looking for something that will outdo a 15 dollar knife. and after some 50 odd years i havent been able to do it.comfort? zero hot spots on a opinel. not sexy, not quick to deploy.ugly as a new law.but the thing out cuts everything else
 
dogstar said:
What kind of steel are you Opis? Carbone or Inox? What sharpening method? What test of sharpness?

Assuming your 6 and 8 are the same steel, maybe slightly different heat treat? Perhaps the smaller blade is easier for you to work with? Maybe the thinner blade of the 6 cuts better? Several variables, here.
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Doubt that. My money is on inconsistent technique. Slightly different steels will get to the same level of sharpness with proper technique. It's edge retention or toughness that will be different.
 
Both are carbon steels. Technique on both is is stone sharpened by hand, bottom of a china cup and then leather strop for honing. The one thing that comes to my mind is perhaps the thinner steel on 6.
 
max_b said:
Both are carbon steels. Technique on both is is stone sharpened by hand, bottom of a china cup and then leather strop for honing. The one thing that comes to my mind is perhaps the thinner steel on 6.
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Is it thinner then? That could be it. Thinner blade stock will perform better. What test of sharpness are you using?
 
I was thinking the same thing today. They are so cheap but sharp and feel good in my hand. I have a #7 & #10, i wanna order a few more in different woods, even want to order a #15 for a fillet knife.
 
Nothing scientific, just testing on paper. I can tell by the 'feel' and sound while cutting paper.
 
As I've said in several threads already, I've got Opinels pretty much everywhere. Around the house, in my car, in the garden (greenhouse), in some packs... You can't go wrong with them.
 
No I am admittedly a novice and haven't gotten to that level of expertise. But I can say that whatever u do I do it exactly the same way on both. You make a good point though.
 
I would suspect, that if in fact your technique is in fact the same, then I would attribute the difference to the blade thickness. I have the same knives, and I can't tell a difference in the level of sharpness I am able to achieve between any of them. Opinels, seem to have good blades, stainless or carbon ones. I sharpen all mine the same from the little ones up to a #12, and they all get ridiculously sharp.
 
Love mine too. What's not to like about a simplistic peasant knife from 1890 with the Virobloc twistlock not coming until 1955. My favorite is the Slim No. 8 Ebony. I was also given the 10 knives collector set (No. 2 to No. 12). By the way, No. 1 Opinel was discontinued in 1932 because it was just too small (if you've ever handled a No. 2 you'll know) and No. 11 was discontinued in 1935 because the size was too similar to No. 10 and No. 12.


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[video=youtube;KNELKUpH10k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNELKUpH10k[/video]

Some related past threads:

 
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Hi all,

I VERY excited! As of Monday (6/23/14) I am to receive a "package" of four knives, one of which will be "Tommy's first Opinel". I will have a new Opinel No. 8 Stainless having Olivewood handles! From everything I keep reading about Opinel, I'm sure it won't be my last. I really dig that No. 8 Opinel in the above Video....the one with the fancy handle....Ooooh....nice.

HARDBALL
 
HARDBALL said:
RamZar.....I'm loving that Black handle/Stainless No. 8 pictured. Yikes! Not cheap.

HARDBALL
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I got that one directly from Opinel USA.

Over there you'll find two other very unique and gorgeous albeit expensive Opinels: OPINEL SLIM NO. 10 HORN TIP HANDLE and OPINEL NO. 8 VINLAND DAMASCUS BLADE & EBONY HANDLE.
 
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